Igniting Minds Lecture by Ms. Betty Wong, Communications Manager, Google, Hong Kong

The Jagran School of Journalism and Communication organized an Ignited Mind lecture on 7th February 2018 at Jagran Lakecity University. With BA (Hons) Advertising & PR being a newly introduced course, having Ms. Betty Wong take out time to interact with the students of JLU Bhopal was a feat worth celebrating.

Betty is Communications Manager at Google, based in Hong Kong. She leads the communications strategy and influencer engagement campaign for Google in Hong Kong, covering a wide range of products and topics. Before that, she was PR Manager at CFA Institute on the PR and Social Strategy for CFA Institute in the Asia Pacific region. She is also an advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship.

To her credits, she created, launched and led one of the key initiatives by Google, the Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Program. The program connected corporates and entrepreneurs, and drove collaborative innovation for 3 consecutive years. Over 1,000 youngsters and 22 startups were inspired by it.

Sharing over ten years of her work experience in Media Relations, Finance and Investment, and entrepreneurship in Hong Kong, Betty spoke at length about Journalism and Media, and Public Relations. Her stories about her journey to becoming a communications professional were awe inspiring.

She shared with students, Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it useful and accessible to everyone and how quality journalism is critical to that endeavor. It is after all in the hands of professionals in the field of journalism to provide accurate information to people on important issues when it matters the most. Betty quoted that “At Google News Lab, we strongly believe in the importance of original fact based reporting that spreads knowledge and has the power to improve people’s lives, and the journalists who produce it.” They believe in Google’s capacity to be a positive force in helping journalists strengthen digital storytelling and produce more in-depth reporting.

She emphasized on how digital media technologies are changing the world we live in and experience. As a case in point, she shared the experiments with VR at the South China Morning Post. Betty spoke at length about PR, journalism, media relations and technology, and changing consumer habits. The students drawn from media & communication, humanities, and management drew lessons and put up many questions to her ranging from careers at Google, to challenges in the world of brands and communication.

It indeed turned out to be a lecture that enlightened various young individuals aspiring for a career in the fields of Journalism, PR, Media Relations, and many more.