Last Sunday, the two-day Young Creator Online Training workshop ended. The training featured interactive lectures covering media literacy, personal data protection, data journalism, multimedia storytelling, critical thinking, and analysis. With almost a full-house, the participants were able to better understand journalism on an in-depth level.

During the online training, participants were asked to produce and publish a video to be voted on for a ‘People’s Choice Award’ by the public. The selection of this award does not affect judges’ decisions on trainees’ qualification for the Young Creator Fellowship. The winner of the People’s Choice Award is Daneyaa Ganesan. Her video encapsulates the experience of a 93-year-old Malaysian Indian man whose family dedicated three generations to working at the Sentul Depot. You may watch her video and all the other submissions on the Young Creator Fellowship site.

The participants were asked to write a compelling story pitch for a non-fiction video themed “Young Change-Maker” as part of the assessment to qualify them for phase two of the programme, the all-paid-for Young Creator Fellowship. Their performance during the training was also taken into consideration. After deliberation, the top ten fellows are below:

1. Daneyaa Ganesan

2. Duncan Cheng Kai Guan

3. Gareth Woo Yun Hao

4. Najwa Farhana Binti Yahya

5. Noor Ainun Jariah Binti Noor Harun

6. Nor Alya Khairina Binti Mustafa Anuar

7. Nur Hidayahtul Aisyah

8. Nurfatihah Irdina Binti Adlan

9. Poongkodi A/P Rabichandran

10. Telford Engan Tan

The three-day Fellowship, taking place from 16-18 July 2025, will be a fully funded experience designed to offer immersive exposure to the journalism ecosystem:

Day 1 (16 July)
Fellows will begin with an introduction to Malaysiakini’s operations, followed by exclusive tours of major media organisations including Media Prima and RTM.

Day 2 (17 July)
Participants will engage in a full day of training and industry exchange, including sessions on videography, journalism best practices, and field visits to Astro Awani, and Bernama.


Day 3 (18 July)
Fellows will present their video projects in a ‘Show & Tell’ showcase at Monash University Malaysia, judged by senior journalists and media leaders. The event will culminate with an award ceremony graced by the Minister of Communications, alongside local and international dignitaries.


The fellows will be guided in producing a short-form vertical video. Leading up to the Fellowship (2-15 July), they will be mentored remotely to refine their ideas and receive technical feedback. The top 10 fellows will receive:

• Return transport and accommodation in Kuala Lumpur

• One-on-one mentoring by professional journalists

• Opportunity to present their work to prominent journalists and policy leaders

• Access to industry leaders and potential internships or collaborations

• Total prize pool of RM17,000 for the best video submissions

• Certificate of completion and future collaboration opportunities with Malaysiakini


The Youth Journalism Programme, targeted at young Malaysians aged 18 to 25, aims to strengthen media literacy, develop responsible storytelling, and nurture the next generation of journalist influencers and content creators.

We congratulate the fellows who have been chosen and look forward to mentoring the young creators and journalists who will shape the future of Malaysia.