A group of secondary school students from Selangor have been recognized for their creative efforts in raising awareness about the impact of social media and combating misinformation. The team from SMK Assunta, comprising 17-year-olds Jazmin Michael O’Leary, Tan Jen Yin Natasha, Nur Alliya Maisarah Mohd Rahmanirrahim, and Julia Elena Wee, won the Upper Secondary category of The Star’s Reels of Achievers Recognised 2026 (StarROAR 2026) competition.
StarROAR 2026, organized through The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education programme, invited students between the ages of 13 and 19 to create one-minute reels centered on news articles published between June 8 and July 31, with the theme “The Impact of Social Media.” Contestants submitted their videos via Instagram, using the hashtag #StarROAR2026 and tagging @starbrats.
The SMK Assunta team’s entry focused on the rapid spread of rumors online and emphasized the importance of fact-checking before accepting information as true. “We wanted to spread the message that people should not simply trust everything they see online, but fact-check first to determine whether it is real,” Nur Alliya Maisarah said. The win came as a surprise to the students, who expressed their gratitude for the chance to highlight these issues.
The Lower Secondary category was won by a team of 15-year-olds from SMK Puteri Ampang, also in Selangor. Members Aleeysa Humyra Johan, Mia Sophie Lestary, Alyssa Siew Hoy Yan, and Yuvina Naidu Sri Dhanapal Naidu reflected on the challenges and teamwork required throughout the process. Despite setbacks, the experience fostered stronger collaboration among them.
In addition to student recognition, StarROAR highlighted the contributions of participating schools. SMK (P) Raja Zarina and SMK Sungai Kapar Indah were named champions in the Lower and Upper Secondary school categories, respectively. Schools received AEON vouchers worth between RM600 and RM1,000 based on the number of student team entries and the purchase of at least 100 copies of The Star during the competition period. SMK Sungai Kapar Indah secured its third consecutive win in the Upper Secondary school category, with curriculum coordinator and English teacher Umavathy Govendan indicating plans to invest the prize money in classroom technology, including additional smart televisions.
SMK (P) Raja Zarina’s English Language panel also intends to allocate its prize funds to support student programs. Usha Devi Govendan Kutty, the school’s curriculum secretary and English teacher, acknowledged the leadership of principal Rohana Abdul Rahman in motivating students’ involvement in activities such as StarROAR.
The prize-giving ceremony took place at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya on September 23, attended by representatives from educational and media organizations. Star Media Group’s Print senior general manager Goh Kok Soo commended the increased participation and enthusiasm among students and schools compared to the previous year, highlighting the value of young voices in public discourse. During the event, SMG social media specialist Bernard Cheah offered guidance on identifying and debunking fake news, underscoring the contest’s broader educational objectives.
Also present were officials from the Education Ministry’s Sentul District Education Office, university lecturers, and senior editors from Star Media Group, who collectively emphasized the competition’s role in strengthening students’ research, reading, and writing skills while engaging them with current societal issues.