Becoming a Journalist: Izabelle’s Journey at TV3

There is a certain surrealness in watching your name appear on a TV screen for the first time. For Izabelle Choong, that moment came not long after she joined Media Prima as one of TV3’s newest faces on the Business Desk. The 24-year-old was immersed in the world of financial headlines, market reports, and corporate press conferences: a far cry from the performing arts and aviation dreams she had once entertained.

Just months earlier, she was a fresh graduate, figuring out her next step, weighing job offers in entirely different industries. Today, she is learning the rhythms of a newsroom, balancing the pressure to adapt quickly with the determination to do the job well. Her journey is less about having a clear plan from the start and more about embracing unexpected turns when they come.

Student Days and First Steps into Work

Izabelle did not have a direct path into media, but her choices were guided by practicality. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Entrepreneurship) at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, graduating in November 2024. The course exposed her to a broad range of skills, from business planning to project management, and gave her the space to experiment with small ventures of her own, which included selling thrifted clothing through a curated Instagram page. It was a chance to explore the entrepreneurial mindset she had been drawn to since her school days.

Her internship at Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) offered a different kind of education altogether. Assigned to both marketing and administrative departments, she navigated everything from event coordination to public outreach. The role required her to interact with professionals from diverse backgrounds, manage communications, and handle the behind-the-scenes work that kept campaigns running smoothly. It was also here that she began building the confidence to speak up in meetings and contribute her ideas, a skill that would prove invaluable when she later stepped into the fast-paced world of broadcasting.

The Turning Point: Pencarian Wajah Baharu

By late 2024, Izabelle was preparing to follow a path that felt almost natural. Many in her family had become flight attendants, and she was ready to join their ranks. The idea of travelling the world while building a stable career appealed to her, and she had even received an offer for cabin crew training. It seemed like the next step was already in place.

That was when her aunt suggested something different. TV3, through Media Prima, had launched Pencarian Wajah Baharu, an open audition programme to discover new on-air talent. Izabelle was sceptical. She had never pictured herself as a broadcaster and worried she would be out of her depth. But her aunt kept pressing, convinced she had the presence and composure for the screen. “At first I didn’t want to, but my aunt insisted I should give it a shot. She believed I had potential, so I finally applied,” Izabelle recalled.

The process proved far more intense than she expected. From an initial pool of nearly 800, candidates were whittled down through general knowledge tests, written assignments, and finally live on-air trials. Each stage left her shaken yet more determined, and by the time she made the final five, the realisation landed heavily. The girl who had been preparing for a life in the skies was now standing in front of studio cameras, one step away from a broadcasting career. “I didn’t think I’d get that far,” she admitted. “It didn’t feel real. I kept asking myself: How am I here?”

At that moment, the decision became unavoidable. On one side was the airline offer, a job that was safe, familiar, and deeply tied to family tradition. On the other was TV3, full of risk and uncertainty, but also carrying a sense of possibility she had never experienced before. Choosing Media Prima meant stepping into a world that frightened her, yet the fear seemed to affirm its importance. It was not just a job, but a leap into an entirely new identity.

Learning the Ropes at TV3

When she joined TV3 in early 2025, Izabelle was placed on the Business Desk. It was not the most obvious assignment for someone new to broadcasting. The role demanded precision, from reporting on market movements to covering corporate announcements and financial reports, all of which required accuracy under pressure. The challenge was not in learning the language itself but in adjusting to its formal, technical register.

“I had to write and present in a style that was very different from everyday Bahasa Malaysia,” she explained. “Business news has its own vocabulary, and it took time to get used to sounding authoritative while still being clear.” Every day forced her to absorb new terms and structures, stretching her not just as a communicator but as a professional learning the discipline of broadcast journalism.

Her first on-camera stand-up remains a vivid memory. Nerves got the better of her at first, and she stumbled through multiple takes while producers patiently guided her. “It wasn’t easy, but every bit of feedback made me sharper.” Mistakes quickly turned into lessons, and those early corrections built her confidence in ways the classroom never could.

The Business Desk was not only about writing. It was also about learning the rhythm of the newsroom, balancing accuracy with speed, and developing her presence on screen. Over time, the blur of indices and corporate jargon began to make sense. More importantly, she began to see herself differently. She was no longer just a former contestant who had passed an audition but a journalist earning her place in the newsroom.

Navigating Pressure and Training

Transitioning from the Business Desk to occasional assignments on the General Desk introduced Izabelle to a different rhythm of journalism. Business news demanded precision and clarity, often working with numbers and technical terms, while general reporting was more reactive, with breaking stories unfolding in real time. The contrast was jarring at first. “On the General Desk, you had to move fast, you had to think on your feet,” she recalled. The pace pushed her to adapt quickly and expand beyond her comfort zone.

One of her most defining experiences came during the Putra Heights fire coverage. Sent on the ground with senior reporters to Hospital Serdang to do a situational report, Izabelle saw firsthand how chaos and urgency shaped news in the field. Witnessing first-hand the worry and grief of victims’ families left a lasting impression. It was no longer about neat scripts or polished delivery in the newsroom, but about capturing reality as it happened. “It opened my eyes to what journalism really means, beyond just reading the news,” she said. The experience deepened her respect for the craft and reminded her of the responsibility she now carried.

At the same time, she began to recognise areas she needed to improve. Pronunciation, confidence, and command of formal Bahasa Malaysia were challenges she could not ignore. Rather than push forward unprepared, Izabelle made the deliberate decision to temporarily step away from newsreading. Instead, she devoted herself to intensive training, focusing on speech, delivery, and on-camera presence, determined to return stronger and more polished.

Aspirations and Open Doors

For now, Izabelle is balancing ambition with adaptability. Each path represents a different version of herself, and she is open to seeing which one unfolds. What drives her is not a rigid plan but a belief in embracing opportunities as they come, trusting that with enough determination, she can thrive wherever she lands.

Looking ahead, Izabelle remains clear-eyed about her immediate goal: to master her role as a newsreader and represent the Business Desk with excellence. She views this period of training not as a setback but as an investment in her growth. “I want to come back better, sharper, and more confident,” she said.

Her long-term ambitions, however, stretch beyond newsreading alone. Media Prima’s entertainment wing holds an appeal, particularly in acting and variety programming, where she can express a different side of herself. At the same time, she has not completely closed the door on her earlier aspiration to become a flight stewardess, a role that still carries a sense of possibility for her future.