Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) student Cris Vilchez of BAJ 4-2N won in the photo essay category during the annual Philippine Journalism Research Conference (PJRC) on Friday, May 5, at the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Studio in Diliman, Quezon City.
Vilchez earned a total score of 84.6667% for his entry titled "Lubog sa Floating Area" and was the only participant from PUP that obtained an award with his entry out of the 10 PUPian finalists across different categories.
"Lubog sa Floating Area" is the story of kids that live in Kanluran, Meycauayan, Bulacan, who have to work at their young age and cross the "dirtiest river in the Philippines" in order to get to the city, where they pay a higher price for the waste goods they have collected.
In a Facebook post, Vilchez expressed his gratitude to the people who helped him succeed.
"Para sa mga batang bumuo ng aking kwento, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ako nandito. Para sa inyo 'to–mga nakatira sa floating area na nawawalan ng pag-asa. Lagi't lagi, para sa bayan!" the post said.
On the other hand, the finalists from PUP in the category Journalism Research: Community Study scored 71.667% with their work titled "The Reception Analysis of Facebook Users towards the Selected Contents of Cebu Dairy News."
Entries from PUP in the Journalism Research: General Academic Research category were: "In the Guise of Professionalism: A Case Study on the Experiences of Discrimination and Harassment among Female Journalists under the Duterte Administration," which gained a score of 88.333%; "Perspective of Online Media Practitioners on How Speed-Driven affects Online News Credibility," with an 84.667% total; "Hushed Media: The Manifestations of Self-Censorship in Newsrooms and their Influence on the Performance of Filipino Journalist," which attained 91.333%; and lastly, "Critical Discourse Analysis on Online News Media Reportage of Human Rights Defender Killings," which recorded a mark of 88.667%.
Meanwhile, two submissions in Special Projects: Documentary Feature, "Pinekeng Pangarap" and "Alteraksyon: Sa Likod ng Lente," got 82% and 83.33%, respectively.
Lastly, "Buhay Buhangin" earned 70.33%, and "Kaliwa Dam: Solusyon o Suliranin?" scored 89% in the Special Projects: News Documentary category.
With the theme "Journalism and Generation Truth," the PJRC was attended by McLuhan speakers and reporters from different media companies who shared lessons in the morning session.
𝗠𝗰𝗟𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀
ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs news anchor and 2022 McLuhan fellow Karmina Constantino shared her experience as a journalist and shed light on the current situation the Philippine media has gone through for the past years, especially under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s tenure.
"There are only a few now who remain loyal to our duty to [the] country and her people. But [that does] not mean that our voices are as low as our numbers."
She also discussed how courage plays a role in the war between journalists and disinformation, pointing out how crucial their role is in helping the public make decisions, especially when it comes to electing public servants.
"And this is the very reason, why, in those precious minutes when I’m on air probing and seeking the truth, or in that moment in the dead of the night when I’m putting pen to paper or pounding my way into paper to write that next story or next interview—-I’m at my freest because our country deserves no less."
On the other hand, Rappler's Managing Editor Miriam Grace Go, also a 2022 McLuhan fellow, listed down the challenges that journalists face in the surge of social media, wherein she classified them into three D's: disinformation, distrust, and depth.
Moreover, she also emphasized the role of responsibility not just for journalists but also for students who aspire to be media practitioners, especially now that information can be shared with just a click on social media.
"Draw confidence from the fact that in your youth, you have the power to keep journalism alive, na ‘di tayo ma-overwhelm at overrun ng casual social media users at bad actors on the internet."
Lastly, GMA Integrated News reporter and anchor, and 2015 McLuhan fellow Joseph Morong warned aspiring media practitioners on what to expect working in this field. He also showed data on how consumers aged 18 to 24 rely more on social media for information.
The three speakers ended the morning session by giving their two cents on different challenges in journalism raised by attendees, including democracy in the advent of social media, the future of journalism, building trust from the public, and censorship.
The event was co-organized by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and PUP and sponsored by the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development, the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines, Vera Files, and the Philippine Press Institute.
Article: Princes Del Corro and Maricel Galut
Graphics: Criselda Lizada
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