Jack of all trades

"I expected to do more field work, going out to report on events, doing something drastically different from what I normally do at school," he recalls. Instead, he was rotated among different departments to get an overall feel of a newsroom at work. This ranged from proofreading and sub-editing under the watchful eye of the senior sub-editor, to attending meetings and discussions on TNP's new logo and other aspects of its 20th anniversary revamp. "It was exciting to be part of the buzz," he says.

Mr Tan covered the visit of pupils from China to a Malay home.

When Mr Tan was sent to cover the anniversary celebration of Qiaonan Primary School, he knew he needed to find a good, newsworthy angle. After speaking to the teacher-in-charge there, he found out that a group of pupils from China would be visiting the school and attending a simulated Hari Raya celebration at a Malay home. This was the angle he had been looking for.

Behind the lens

A photography buff, he brought along his camera to capture noteworthy moments for his article. "The host family shared traditional rituals and practices, from the importance of removing their shoes when entering a Malay home to the washing of hands and trying a sarong; they also highlighted the fine embroidery and gold threads on their ethnic costumes and showed the guests their ornate accessories," he says. "Of course food was a big thing! The guests were treated to an array of traditional Malay goodies."

As part of the work attachment, he also shadowed two senior TNP photographers on their assignments. They helped him better understand how to compose his pictures to tell a story. "As I'm the photographer and videographer at my school, I found the suggestions very helpful," says Mr Tan.

Armed and ready

Pupils from China learn about the traditional Malay dress.

When readers pick up the newspapers, they don't usually think about the hours of deliberation nor the production process behind it. "There are house rules that we must abide by," notes Mr Tan. "I learnt that not everything is reported. We strive to present things from a newsmaker's point of view. Also, everything must be checked and rechecked for accuracy."

"At TNP, I not only gained first-hand knowledge of the front end of the house (reporting and writing), I also experienced the back end (production and publication)," Mr Tan points out. "The sudden change in working environment was a challenge, especially for someone like me who has been a classroom teacher for the past 17 years! Becoming a field journalist almost overnight tested my resilience and adaptability."

Reflecting further, Mr Tan concludes, "I think the work attachment has broadened my horizon not only in terms of contacts, but also in giving me a taste of working life outside the education circle." In fact, it was so memorable that Mr Tan had his TNP article framed - "dated 31 July 2008 and carrying my byline," he says with a smile.