KUCHING, May 26 — The Bernama booth at the exhibition held in conjunction with National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) 2024 here has become a focal point for parents wanting to give their children the experience of being radio announcers and newscasters.

The Bernama exhibition, featuring a mini radio studio and broadcasting equipment such as microphones and cameras, has been attracting visitors since yesterday with many parents bringing their children to visit the booth.

Mohamad Shahrizan Yunus, 46, from Siburan, said he and his wife, along with their three children, visited the Hawana 2024 exhibition by chance after attending a colouring contest held nearby.

During their visit, he encouraged his eldest son, Mohamad Farish Iqbal Mohamad Shahrizan, 9, to sit in the studio chair and speak like a radio presenter. They also took the opportunity to take photos as a memento.

He said such exhibitions are highly beneficial for visitors, especially children, as they provide early exposure and help cultivate an interest in journalism and broadcasting.

"Nowadays, many fields like this are being highlighted for the younger generation, so I took this opportunity to bring my child here to see how it is done,” he told Bernama when met here today.

Meanwhile, Bernama Radio broadcast journalist Ahmad Irfan Che Mohd Ruzaidi, said that many people, including children, have been visiting the exhibition since yesterday.

"Yesterday, a 10-year-old child came with his family. I sensed that he was interested, so we invited him into the studio. He wanted to try but was shy, so we gave him the chance to take photos and to speak.

"Today, a number of children visited to experience being radio presenters and newscasters. With the mini studio here, they had the opportunity to try it out,” he said at the booth.

In this regard, Ahmad Irfan noted that although children may yet to fully understand what it means to be a journalist, the experience can inspire them and provide valuable exposure to the media industry.

The Hawana 2024 exhibition runs for three days, starting yesterday.

Hawana 2024, the largest gathering of Malaysian journalists, is organised by the Ministry of Communications in collaboration with the Sarawak Government and Bernama as the implementing agency.

This year’s fourth edition sees participation from approximately 1,000 media practitioners from 11 countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Brunei, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, China, South Korea and Qatar. — Bernama