If you have not heard it yet, you must!
The Republican Post, Republic Polytechnic’s (RP) student-led digital newsroom under the Diploma in Mass Communication (DMC) has officially launched its podcast channel Rep Talk and kicked things off with its first series titled the RJ-ing Podcast.
This marked the newsroom’s expansion into yet another platform having already established its visual presence through Rep TV on YouTube, a point DMC Programme Chair Ms Joanna Lim highlighted in explaining how this podcast will benefit students.
“I am glad that we have created another platform for our students to learn and experiment with digital content creation. At DMC, we want our students to become versatile multimedia storytellers and content strategists whom employers value. We create opportunities for them to put their creativity and resourcefulness to good use by generating compelling original content via different media platforms such as social media and podcasts to engage their target audience. We also hope that our students are great culture and trend spotters who are curious about the world, well-versed in a wide range of subjects, and have a keen sense of what’s trending,” Ms Lim said.
She described podcasts as a great medium to engage audiences of all ages due to the immersive and memorable experience they can provide.
“More importantly, DMC students get to learn how to plan and produce narratives using sound, music, and dialogue, with the aim to provide information and share knowledge and insights on the latest happenings and trends around us, as well as on topics that are close to their hearts,” Ms Lim added.
RJ-ING PODCAST
Aptly named after the daily assignment that’s unique to RP, the RJ-Ing podcast is produced by student journalists as they explore various topics relevant to youths such as pop culture, sports, health, current affairs and more through discussions and interviews.
Ms Kelly Pereira, who supervises the Rep Talk team, explained that the “natural progression” for the podcast channel came to place after having established a digital presence through the Republican Post website and Rep TV.
‘We decided to embark on a podcast as this now makes another interesting area of mass communication to explore,” she said.
She added that the podcast serves as a platform for students to showcase their skills and creativity as they are involved in its production. This includes researching, writing and editing. It also enables them to practice public speaking and communication skills.
The first podcast episode about ‘Youth Happiness’ was hosted by Year 2 Mass Communication students Jeremy Goh and Elijah Ortega.
When asked about his first recording, Jeremy shared: “It’s always been in my sphere of interest to put my speaking skills to use, but actually having to put these thoughts into action and create the script, record the episode and improvise was all something new to me.”
Similarly, Elijah had no prior experience in recording or hosting a podcast as well. However, the two agreed that they learned valuable skill sets during the production stages.
“Technical skills-wise, you will be able to learn how to use applications such as Focusrite and Adobe Audition when editing and recording podcasts which are good tools and skills to learn in the media industry,” said Elijah.
Jeremy added: “It also trains the members to improvise. Conversations are not structured and it’s important that the hosts learn to speak what they mean expressively on a moment’s notice.”
“At DMC, we want our students to become versatile multimedia storytellers and content strategists whom employers value. We create opportunities for them to put their creativity and resourcefulness to good use by generating compelling original content via different media platforms such as social media and podcasts to engage their target audience.”
Joanna Lim, DMC Programme Chair
Siti Nur Haziqah Binti Nor Shariman, the team leader, shared her views on the podcasts that have been released.
“There was an immense pressure to put something good out but I think it was all worth it with the success of the first three episodes,” she recalled. “But everyone works well together. I am thankful for every single one of my team members.”
Ms Kelly said the podcast has been a valuable addition to the media landscape in RP. She said that it has been “informative, entertaining and thought-provoking”. Listeners can expect more youth-centric topics moving forward.
“We want to keep encouraging students to explore exciting and current events, as well as tapping into relevant external guests who can add value to the podcast and to the listeners,” Ms Kelly added.
