Doing the write thing
Melanie Chalil
At the Kremlin in Moscow for
a young journalists programme. ▶
With my best friend Feeza
Ashruff (right) during a SASS
study trip to Siem Reap,
Cambodia in July 2008.
We were inseparable! ▶
The analytical and critical thinking skills that were so
much a part of my Monash education informed my
day-to-day practices working in a national daily.
Three years later, I moved to popular Malaysian
lifestyle portal Lipstiq in the position of editor. The
experience was invaluable as it coincided with the
global shift to digital journalism. In a managerial role,
I was faced with challenging decisions in regards to
editorial direction and content curation. Some of the personalities I have had the pleasure
of interviewing include celebrity chefs Marco Pierre
White and Curtis Stone, socio-political activist Marina
Mahathir, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg,
Hollywood stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Katy
Perry and Neil Patrick Harris, British philosopher AC
Grayling and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
I next moved to the Malay Mail, the oldest English-
language newspaper in Malaysia. In my time at the
Malay Mail, I experienced the ongoing transition from
traditional print media to digital platforms and the
challenge of producing content for both mediums. Melanie Chalil graduated with a Bachelor of
Communication (Honours) in 2010. She currently
works as a journalist at the Malay Mail.
The knowledge imparted in SASS allowed me to
successfully negotiate a wide remit of assignments
within the increasingly fluid sphere of Malaysian social,
political and cultural life, and global issues.
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The analytical
and critical
thinking skills
that were so
much a part
of my Monash
education
informed my
day-to-day
practices
working in a
national daily.
My career as a writer began in 2011 at homegrown
lifestyle-entertainment magazine Hot, where I worked
as a fashion and beauty writer. I was introduced to the
exciting world of fashion, celebrity and entertainment.
On top of attending launches, conducting style shoots
and writing about trends, I would be assigned to
interview personalities across film, television
and music.