Puy Kea, a correspondent for Kyodo News, responded to Sok Heng, who wants to be a professional journalist but is unsure if his history major will be helpful. Kea said that anyone can study journalism, and it does not matter whether he has experience in media or not. The main point is that he must be a person who likes to know, to learn, and to share.

Mr Kea, who has worked as a journalist for 20 years, said that knowledge of history is very important for those who want to be political journalists. He added that if Sok Heng wants to be a professional journalist, it requires him to have a lot of general knowledge.

“He should study, listen and read other subjects to open his eyes,” said Kea.

Kea also said that professional journalists should take their surroundings as their guides. He said there is a lot of information that journalists have not known; thus, their neighbours could be a news source for their story and help them see a new angle.

“We can write a story only if we know and understand clearly, then we can report it the news with wealth of knowledge and recognition,” said Kea.

“To become a professional journalist, the person must understand about news reporting rules such as accuracy, balance, ethics, defamation, and language use. He should also be independent.”

How should a history student like Sok Heng become involved in the media sector? Kea advised Sok Heng to attend a journalism training course, intern for local media institutions, or join media events to meet professional journalists and get experience from them.