Fourth Academy > Blog > Alumni Feature July 2024: Aqila Afindi
Fourth creators alumni feature:
Aqila Afindi
Every month, we feature a Fourth Creators alumni to share their journey into content creation, journalism – or even just an interesting story that they have.
This month, let’s hear from Aqila Afindi, a final-year journalism student and content creator. At 23, Aqila is passionate about emceeing, and specialises in content creation within the beauty and health industry.
Hi Aqila! Can you tell us about yourself?
Aqila: Hi! I’m Aqila Afindi, but you can call me Qila. I’m currently in my final year of my degree in Mass Communication, majoring in Journalism.
I am a full-time student, but I also work as a freelance content creator and model in my free time.
In 2022, I was crowned Ikon Wanita Melayu, and in 2023, I became the Face of Healthy Beauty Guardian. I have a strong passion for the beauty and fashion industry, where I frequently create health and beauty content.
I am also passionate about hosting, as it allows me to connect with the audience and express my extroverted self.
What was your first experience with the Fourth Academy?
A: I participated as a student coordinator at the Rainforest Realities workshop organised by the Pulitzer Center and The Fourth, held at the University of Malaya in 2023.
My confidence in video editing significantly increased after attending the Video Production Workshop by The Fourth producers Claire Anthony and Ian Yee.
I utilised these skills to create an investigative documentary for my senior year project.
The experience was both enjoyable and memorable. I met new people, learnt new video editing techniques, and heard from experienced panelists about global environmental issues.
Afterward, I gained a deeper understanding of The Fourth’s mission and work.
Recap Video of Rainforest Realities Event
How else were you involved with Fourth Academy after the workshop?
A: After finishing my final semester, I was accepted for a 20-week internship with The Fourth and tasked to assist Fourth Academy.
During the internship, I have created several videos, produced a monthly newsletter, and participated in video shoots.
I am pleased with how much my skills grew, especially in video editing. Check out the video below that I produced about my internship at The Fourth!
A day as an intern at The Fourth by Aqila Afindi.
As a journalism student, why do you believe that journalism is significant?
A: A part of me grew while learning about and practicing journalism.
Journalism is essential. It shapes our thinking, discovery, writing, and perception of information to benefit society.
Learning about journalism has been amazing. I gain new insights daily, and it has changed my views on many topics. Without journalism, some social justice issues might go unnoticed and unheard of.
During my internship, I also had the chance to be involved in two investigative journalisms projects – “The Forgotten Babies” and “The Last Harvest,” produced by talented teams at The Fourth.
These projects profoundly impacted my understanding of how journalism shapes public perception and helps society uncover the hardships they face.
What intrigued me the most was the research aspect, where all gathered information needed to be supported by data and statistics.
This experience reinforced that journalism is not only about conveying the truth but also about being truthful and responsible with the information and issues presented.
How else do you incorporate your learnings into your content creation work?
A: I often wondered what were the skills that I needed to get into the industry, and that’s when content creation came to mind.
My internship has helped me make my content smoother and the process more manageable.
I’ve become more efficient in planning, scheduling, enhancing visuals with color grading, and ensuring viewers can connect with my work.
Even before this, I was always learning to manage my content more effectively and make an impact on my audience.
To be consistent is challenging, but doing nothing is even harder.
So, I experimented with each piece of content to discover the best niche and type of content that suits me. Hopefully, this will lead to a successful career as a content creator in the future.
What advice would you give to other young people about going into impact content creation?
A: For anyone interested in content creation, just go for it.
Don’t hold yourself back. You won’t learn until you try and learn from your mistakes.
Treat your content like your baby; it will grow every day. How you nurture it will determine how it develops.
Follow Aqila’s Instagram here.