Charting the dots connecting journalism, BAJ 4-1N launched a seminar titled “Periodism!: Dotting the Trends and Challenges of Journalism,” at the PUP ITech Audio-Visual Room on July 2.
The seminar tackled three important aspects of the field, from its prospects as a career to legalities down to the opportunities for civil participation via citizen journalism—teaching campus journalists from Centro Escolar University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and Carlos L. Albert High School on how to excel as future journalists despite the challenges that come with the responsibility.
Thriving Opportunities
Marking the event’s first session, Renzo Cabitlada discussed “Status as a profession, job prospects, and pioneering media figures,” sharing the range of jobs journalists could enjoy.
According to Cabitlada, journalists are jacks of all trades, whether in advertising, corporate, non-governmental organizations, or business, there’s always a demand for them.
He said that even in the advent of digitalization, which led to the loss of market for printed mediums, media companies adapted by sharing information online—like GMA creating Philippines Today, a podcast of their integrated news on Spotify, and other networks creating news bits on TikTok.
However, despite the opportunities, it also imposed latent threats to the career—one of which is the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in sportscasting, Maia and Marco.
While disappointing, Cabitlada shares how to use AI as a tool, not a replacement for humans, through idea generation, proofreading, transcribing, curating algorithms, etc. He also shared how to do prompt engineering to task AI, but warned of the possible dangers of usage.
Cabitlada also shared that the difference between journalism and content creation is journalists undergo rigorous training and are accountable to their network and the nation.
Their stories also undergo extensive verification and proofreading, which he said vloggers and other content creators skimp on due to a lack of accountability and focus on profit.
Patricia Lanzagarita doubled down on journalism as a high profession with her topic on “Qualifications and Media Ethics,” explaining the traits and characteristics a journalist must have that vloggers don’t employ.
Lanzagarita listed down the Journalist’s Code of Ethics according to the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), including case studies to further explore the complexity of journalism.
Untangling Legalities
Under “Freedom to Ask: The State of Public Information,” Christian John Argallon stressed the right of the people to acquire public information, which includes taxes, government budget, election campaign spending, and the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), which is now difficult to access after the Ombudsman amended the request process.
Argallon also provided details on accessing public information via the Freedom of Information (FoI) website, which has been supposedly down.
He emphasized that denying freedom of information can be considered a form of corruption, as this public information should be readily available for the people—not bureaucratized or confidential.
Chris Burnet Ramos expanded on the legal side of journalism with the “Right of Reply: The State of Media vs Criticism,” discussing the right to defend oneself from public criticism in the same avenue a report is released.
As such, journalists are responsible for providing a chance for those involved to respond to their articles, although Ramos reminded writers to be careful when reporting these responses if they don’t have any merit.
“I’m quoting our Professor Suyat, mayroon siyang tinatawag na concept of fair balance, [na] hindi dapat laging bigyan mo ng platform yung side na ‘to at yung side na ‘to, hindi dapat laging ganoon kasi hindi lahat ng side na ‘yun ay tama. Hindi mo kailangang bigyan ng platform ang taong ‘yun just for the sake na bigyan mo sila ng side lagi,” he said.
Meanwhile, for the reportage of minorities and other communities, Maria Letizia Balanag shared tips on how to report minority issues and diversity and give voice to the voiceless. She raised the importance of tackling these topics with sensitivity and empathy, as these communities depend on journalists to echo their voices.
Future of Journalism
Jhon Almark Dela Cruz explored citizen and civic journalism in “Salamin, Salamin: Journalism through Different Lenses and Angles,” emphasizing the importance of connecting with communities to understand their struggles and further empathize with them in finding the truth.
“Dapat bilang isang manunulat, alam mo, you believe in what they’re fighting for. Dapat hindi mo lang kinukuha yung mga datos at impormasyon na ‘yon, dapat you put yourself in their shoes. It’s doing more than just listening,” Dela Cruz said.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Teston summarized the entire seminar in his session, “Tracing the Dots of Journalism through Past, Present, and Future,” going back in time to discuss the history of the Philippine Press and the path ahead.
Teston focused on new media, and the evolution of journalism, as the world ushers in a digital age, with Filipinos spending as much as 18 hours a day online. According to him, journalists should adapt to these new changes to reach their audience, using vloggers as an example.
He added that journalism will never be obsolete, as text will never be replaced by videos or images. According to him, videos and photos will always remain accompaniments of text, regardless of format, retaining the demand for writers and journalists.
Article: Marc Nathaniel Servo
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