Comversations: Communication Lessons From Media Professionals

Book excerpt: Starting with the belief that learning goes way beyond the classroom, COMversations highlights some of Singapore's top media professionals from print, radio, TV, and social media as they share their communication journeys.Stories from practitioners: Each chapter goes deep in conversation with Chua Chin Hon, Colette Wong, Divian Nair, Nicholas Fang, Edwin Chan, Jill Neubronner, Arlina Arshad, and Alan Soon. Each brings with them years of industry experience from their time in places such as SPH, MediaCorp, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC and Fox Sports Asia, capturing for us lessons that are best gleaned from being 'out there' in the trenches. These lessons will bring to life the theories that are taught in communication classes.They offer practical tips on communication conveyed through stories. One, when tasked to serve as moderator for an in-conversation style interview with Barack Obama, took the effort to work on the little details that would help him break the ice with the former US President, including refurbishing a watch. Another, eyeing a job with CNN after years with Channel News Asia, was told by the international broadcaster, 'Fly to London for the interview and we will give you 5 minutes to impress us'. Yet another, who works as a foreign correspondent based in Jakarta, regales us with tales of journalistic enterprise, including one on how a free car ride in Iran led to a glimpse into the conservative society's underground dance party.This book also includes a special feature with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, who shares his communication style in a range of contexts with students from Nanyang Business School at NTU.