Digital storytelling workshop equips reporters with AI skills

KUCHING: About 40 reporters and editorial staff from Sarawak Tribune and Suara Sarawak took part in a digital storytelling workshop aimed at strengthening their use of modern media tools, including artificial intelligence (AI).

The workshop, held today, was conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (UNIMAS) Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology lecturer, Syahrul Nizam Junaini.

It focused on storytelling through news and feature writing, as well as AI-assisted video production.

Syahrul said digital storytelling was no longer limited to conventional writing, with visual content and AI tools offering new ways for journalists to present their stories.

“Storytelling is not something rigid. It becomes more interesting when we have AI video and also AI news, which is news that is generated with the help of AI,” he told Sarawak Tribune after the workshop.

He said digital tools such as short-form video, audio, graphics and social media could help journalists communicate more effectively in an increasingly visual media environment.

“We live in a visual age rather than an age of listening. The strength of visuals can help us deliver messages,” he added.

Syahrul said journalists who made use of these tools could reach their target audiences more effectively while making content easier to produce.

However, he noted that AI should remain a tool to support the journalist rather than take over the storytelling process.

Syahrul (right) speaks on AI and digital storytelling during an interview after the workshop.

“With AI plus the journalist’s own brain, we combine the two and the result is better. The condition is, don’t hand over (rely) 100 per cent to AI,” he said.