I wear three hats. I am an educator, a journalist and a policy researcher.
All the hats are connected by my interest in public affairs which began when I was reading my degree. I attended a guest lecture by Clare Hollingworth, who broke a story about German invasion of Poland marking the outbreak of World War II. Her stories inspired me to ponder the relationship between journalism and public affairs and to be an agent of change.
I started my journalism career as a summer intern of the South China Morning Post and became a part-time reporter of the publication in my final year of bachelor’s studies.
When I was a SCMP reporter, I was often tasked to interview concern groups, critics and ordinary citizens to examine the impact of government policies and new measures announced in the annual Policy Address. Covering stories with regional interests in Hong Kong and southern China and the stock market for the Deutsche Presse-Agentur then guided me to look at public affairs beyond Hong Kong. My participation of the Asia Journalism Fellowship and European Union Visitor Program in later years further enhanced my exposure to journalism and public policies with a global perspective.
I took a turn to teaching in Tin Shui Wai, when the education sector was undergoing major reforms. I observed how government decisions impacted many of my students and their families who were plagued by social problems in the new town. Work co-ordination among social workers, parents, police officers and other concerned parties was an important part of all teachers’ work. As a secondary school teacher with journalism experience, I witnessed how the media handled Tin Shui Wai stories and the experience taught me a lesson of media ethics and the importance of empathy.
In hope of arousing public and government attention to social issues I witnessed in Tin Shui Wai and bringing positive changes, I re-joined the South China Morning Post and later embarked on a career of policy research at the Hong Kong Government where I learnt policy design, formulation and delivery behind the news.
Teaching, journalism and government experience sharpen my sensitivity to what ordinary people need, public sentiment and government concern. My government experience teaches me public policy formulation and implementation is a delicate balancing act of concerned parties’ interests and an art of compromise. Social justice must be done and seen to be done in public resources allocation. The exposure allows me to have first-hand experience of witnessing discrepancies between public policy formulation and how public affairs are reported in the media.
I joined CUHK last September and am now running a CUHK English magazine, Varsity, with my students. I hope I can share my experience in journalism, public policy, public governance and my Tin Shui Wai experience with my students who are our future leaders.
Borrowing words from Varsity’s founder, Professor Bryce McIntyre, “I always asked the students to lead the way, and they never disappointed me. No matter how difficult the task at hand, no matter how great the challenge, they always threw a lot of energy into each issue. It was my honour to serve as their mentor, but Varsity’s success is due to their commitment and dedication, and it is the students who deserve all the credit.” I will continue to carry on Professor McIntyre’s education mission to run Varsity and let students lead the way.
I beg you, readers, to be lenient to our young writers. Instead of picking on their grammar, encourage them to write more, encourage them to speak their mind, encourage them to develop more creative story ideas. Embrace them when they fail. Support them to stand up and try again. Praise them for making good effort.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Varsity reporters who are writing their first news stories at the moment. I am touched by their devotion and commitment to Varsity. I have been teaching them to write with simplicity in storytelling since last semester. And here is a 2-minute in-class task on writing simple sentences we did a few weeks ago:
Agnes is…
She…
I…
Emily Owen, my colleague, asked me to write a piece about myself around the time we did the writing task, so I thought I might as well let my students speak for me:
By Varsity Reporters
Agnes is a nature lover. She goes farming on weekends. I like her healthy lifestyle.
Agnes is my teacher in the practicum. She always gives us advice and guidance for our reporting and writing skills. I am now more confident to stay in the Varsity team.
Agnes is a persistent person. She tries to keep herself in different situations and always have enough passion. I am trying to learn from her.
Agnes is the advisor for Varsity. She requires us to write simple sentences in our stories. I think it is challenging when I try to include a lot of information.
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