Netizens Calls Out Professor For Bullying “Junior Reporter” Haziq In A Facebook Post
Source: World of Buzz
The 2 minute 47 seconds video of 12 year old Muhammad Haziq Mohd Asyraf went viral in late January when he covered the discovery of a large snake found by the residents of Bukit Selambau, Sungei Petani. The style in which he covered the event gained him the moniker of “wartawan cilik” or “junior reporter”. Haziq covered the whole event using a mobile phone in a “livestream news” manner.
Haziq’s mimicry of reporters became the talk of the town and he was invited by the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, where Haziq was given the opportunity to conduct a mini interview session with him.
However, not everyone was happy with the “junior reporter”. Ahmad Murad Merican, a professor in the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation at IIUM KL, believes that the title given to Haziq is misleading.
He said that using the term “junior reporter” for someone who isn’t trained in the field of journalism is belittling the profession.
Prof Ahmad also mentioned that even if someone can mimic a reporter well, it does not make one a reporter or a journalist. While he understood that the term was bestowed upon Haziq because of his ability to speak eloquently, he believes that the term reporter should not be taken lightly.
In summary, Prof Ahmad believes that the field of journalism is sacred and that the people should be more aware of the various roles and responsibilities that are part of it.
Netizens called him out on his opinion, saying that even seasoned reporters started out by copying their seniors. They believe that as a professor and a veteran journalist himself, he should be giving Haziq words of encouragement instead.
Some mentioned that his post is rather condescending and it is unbecoming of someone who is a professor.
However, there are some who think that the professor was misunderstood due to how he brought his point across. He wasn’t denying the talent of the child, he just believes that the term “journalist” should not have been used to describe him.
There are those who respectfully disagreed with the professor, citing Haziq as an example of raw talent that needs to be polished.
But this comment is a solid burn, educator style.
She called out the grammatical errors made by the professor in his post, perhaps to serve him a slice of humble pie.
At the end of the day, people are just celebrating the brilliance and eloquence displayed by Haziq. Maybe one day, he will become a famous journalist if he decides to go down that path. For now, just let him enjoy his 5 minutes of fame.
Reporter’s Opinions: Damn prof, why are you so hard up over this? He just copies what he sees on the internet and he happens to do it very well. Your beef is with your country’s changing landscape of journalism and the kid got caught in the crossfire.
There are other ways for you to express your displeasure but you chose to pick this topic and pick on the child inadvertently.
We all start somewhere and we learn by copying. It is the business of journalism to sensationalize viral news because that gets clicks. Calling him a junior reporter won’t hurt the journalism industry. On the contrary, they are able to create more news out of a 3 minute video that went viral in January. A quick search online about Haziq the reporter will churn out videos and articles related to him.
Maybe as a senior in the field and a professor, you should have a mini session with Haziq to encourage him to polish his talent. Perhaps you can even share some tips as a senior in the field. Talents like Haziq will be the future of journalism.
Listen to Plan B’s Podcast this week!
Comments