The BRATs take Langkawi
It wasn’t ALL fun and games as the BRATs hunted for the best stories in Langkawi - but we’ve got to be honest, it was pretty darn fun.
NOT every teenager gets the chance to sail the Andaman Sea while learning about the ins and outs of maintaining yachts, and then get up close and personal with some of Malaysia’s finest Arabian horses.
BRATs participants, however, aren’t your average teens.
For four days, the BRATs Langkawi 2018 participants went behind-the-scenes on the legendary island, using their newfound journalistic skills to hunt down stories under the watchful eye of award-winning R.AGE journalists.
They underwent intensive workshops on journalism, writing skills, videography and photography before heading out into the field, after which they produced stories, videos and photos professionals would be proud of.
Armed with notebooks, pens and cameras, the BRATs travelled everywhere from the Andaman Sea to the Seven Wells Arabian Stud Farm nestled in the hills of Langkawi.
There, they interviewed everyone from representatives of travel agencies and boat operator company Tropical Charters to the family that runs the stud farm and equestian centre.
A special highlight was interviewing horse breeder Hamzah Abdullah, who was entrusted with breeding and caring for Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s prized Arabian stallion, Al-Bariq.
But it’s not just about learning and teaching new skills – BRATs camps always unearth gems in the form of teenagers with a genuine passion for changing the world through journalism.
“It’s always inspiring to see young people who want to tell the right stories, stories the world needs to hear,” said R.AGE journalist Satpal Kaler, who was part of the team facilitating the camp.
The BRATs programme has produced hundreds of young aspiring journalists since its inception in 1993, many of whom have gone on to work in the media industry.
“Each BRATs camp is an opportunity to reach out to the next crop of Malaysian journalists.”
It’s the trainers’ duty and privilege to help mould the type of journalists our country needs – and they plan each BRATs camp with that in mind.
The BRATs module has changed over the years, mirroring the changing landscape of journalism.
While past workshops focused on print journalism, the current BRATs programme highlights multimedia journalism, with a strong focus on video production and writing for online mediums.
“It’s clear that multimedia journalism is the only way forward.
“The way people consume information and news has changed, and we need to ensure the next generation of journalists knows how to reach their audience,” said R.AGE producer Claire Anthony. “That’s why we teach the BRATs participants video production alongside journalistic writing.”
But while the modules have been revamped, the key message remains the same.
Each camp highlights how powerful journalism can be. It’s a journalist’s responsibility to be ethical and hold power to account – and that’s what is taught to BRATs partcipants every time.”
Log on to rage.my/brats to see stories and videos from BRATs Langkawi 2018!