By: Nadya Azzahra
Jay Jamalina Mohamad Jamali, TV3 News Anchor
Photo by: Adlyn Hazli
She had to learn everything she needed to know while sitting at the bottom of the office stairs. “Surprisingly, the stairs have great acoustics for practicing your news reading voice,” she reflected as she looked back at the start of her career almost 20 years ago.
Jay Jamalina Mohamad Jamali had no prior background in broadcasting and pursued a Biology degree to become an aspiring veterinarian. Ms. Jay loved animals, but her keen interest in the media industry made her decide to abandon all of her plans and start over as a TV3 news anchor. She had to learn everything
from scratch; all the skills needed in the newsroom were all foreign to her, but she wasn’t willing to give up so easily.
Making her debut as a university speaker, Ms. Jay was invited by the PR and Marketing students at Taylor’s University as part of their Final Year Project (FYP). The seminar titled, “On Air: Shaping Your Career in Today’s Media Landscape” was attended by more than 30 students. Ms. Jay shared inspiring stories on how she navigated the fast-paced, ever-evolving media landscape and how she started her
career in broadcasting with zero knowledge beforehand.
“It’s not an easy industry. My career has definitely seen its ups and downs. As a woman, I continuously try to stay humble and resilient at work,” Ms. Jay opened up about one of the major turning points in her career, “I was reading the news one night and I misspoke the Prime Minister’s name on live TV. I panicked realizing that I couldn’t take back what I said.”
That incident led to Ms. Jay receiving several death threats and accusations from Malaysian netizens, prompting her to go into “hiding” for a week. “My boss told me not to go out during that week and I was scared that my career was over. But thankfully, the news died down pretty quickly and everyone seemed to forget about it and moved on,”
Ms. Jay speaking at the “On Air: Shaping Your Career in Today’s Media Landscape” seminar
Photo by: Aldyn Hazli
Her experience as a news anchor made her realize the dangers journalists go through in their field of work. As a public figure who is basically representing the voices of the country, she understood firsthand the intense scrutiny and high expectations placed upon journalists. “Every word we say can be dissected
and judged,” she reflected. “It’s a privilege and a huge responsibility to represent the truth and communicate news accurately.”
The seminar helped students gain hands-on knowledge and experience from a trained media professional. Ms. Jay was also able to network and mingle around with aspiring Mass Communication students. When asked on how she was able to keep the passion and fire in her career, as it can get repetitive and stagnant sometimes, Ms. Jay shared that she finds excitement in the different news stories she has to present everyday. “Each story brings its own emotions and unique individuals, so I come into work every day eager to see what new things I’ll learn.”
Ms. Jay never expected that she’d build a career in media, but her journey has definitely inspired many people out there. From studying a completely different field to becoming a respected news anchor, her story is a testament to the power of following one’s passion and embracing unexpected opportunities in life.
Ms. Jay and participants of the “On Air: Shaping Your Career in Today’s Media Landscape” seminar
Photo by: Adlyn Hazli
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