Navigating career options amid rapid transformation in the media industry presents a tough choice for communication students weighing options between public relations, advertising and news reporting.

For Sophia Chong, a second-year student in the Department of Journalism & Communication at Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU) facing a choice of major next year, clarity came through a new cross-boundary initiative.

“I genuinely wish I had more opportunities to try different things before making a choice, so I can find a path that suits me best,” Miss Chong said. 

Miss Chong joined 15 other Hong Kong tertiary students in Changsha for a three-week immersive placement at Hunan Satellite TV’s production hub, also known as the “Colourful Box”.

The initiative was rolled out under the Youth Internship Programme at Hunan on Media Industry, jointly organised by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, Hunan Satellite TV and the Journalism Education Foundation.

The interns were assigned across three variety shows – a cooking competition, a singing contest and an entertainment show – extending their practical exposure with a firsthand taste of production and advertising far beyond traditional news reporting.

Hands-on production

Assigned to a brand-new regional culinary show, Miss Chong had to conduct background research on the evolution of Cantonese dishes, pitch recipes and source renowned chefs and influencers as guest judges.

The work soon extended beyond desk research. She recalled the stand-in rehearsals – where interns simulated show sequences by taking on the roles of chefs, judges or hosts so camera operators and lighting crews could calibrate their setups – as a key highlight.

“It was a thrill like no other,” she said.

Industry praise

On entertainment sets, interns pitched creative game concepts to pump up the studio energy and came up with ideas to promote the guests’ upcoming releases and movies.

Meanwhile, those who were tasked with the singing contest programme faced a high-stakes trial by fire. Stepping into specialised production roles spanning props, lighting and stage positioning, they managed real-time technical execution, including lyric cueing.

For HKSYU student Jenny Hui, the internship was a demanding crash course in large-scale live broadcasting, where artistes’ movements, props and timing required precise co-ordination.

Hunan Satellite TV mentor Deng Junyin praised her eye for detail and adaptability on set.

“From communication to design, to execution and finally going on stage. I think she did a great job,” Mr Deng said.

Elsewhere in the studio, Christella Chan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong served on the teleprompter team, adjusting lyrics to each singer’s breathing rhythm.

She also leveraged her native language skills from the control room, providing real-time Cantonese-to-Putonghua translation for her team as singer Leah Dou chatted on stage with her crew after rehearsals, according to Zhu Zhenni, another mentor from Hunan Satellite TV.

“The interns from Hong Kong were a great help to us,” Miss Zhu said.

Fresh perspectives

The three-week immersion experience sparked Miss Chong’s passion for variety shows and creative production outside the newsroom. Yet, her biggest eye-opener came from the youthful, dynamic energy driving a Chinese Mainland media organisation.

“We were quite surprised that most of the directors are really young. They were actually born in the late 1990s or even 2000s. They try to bring in a lot of new ideas rather than following a traditional frame.”

Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak emphasised that the inaugural internship programme offers Hong Kong’s media talent a front-row seat to Mainland trends, while fostering a broader perspective on the country’s overall development.

“Through this internship programme, students can work alongside professional programme production teams, gaining an in-depth understanding of the media landscape and industry trends on the Chinese Mainland,” Miss Mak said.

She added the initiative aims to cultivate young talent equipped with a better understanding of the country’s development alongside a professional media perspective.