By: Mary Gabrielle C. Bautista
Anyone with excellent communication skills and the guts to use them could easily be a journalist. However, it takes more than that to become a real journalist – one who doesn’t just report, but would also take responsibility for what he or she reports. This was one of the things I learned from attending the 5th Annual Conference of Journalism and Mass Communication Students of the Philippines last August 1, 2010. Held at the AFP Theater at Camp Aguinaldo, the conference was themed “Pursuit of Mass Media towards Responsible Broadcast Journalism”.
It was around 7 am that our bus finally left MCL. By 9 am, we were sporting COMGUILD badges and were already seated close to the stage, onto which the morning’s hosts were climbing. It was a rather weird sight – two reporters on one stage, Joey Villarama and Bernadette Reyes, from ABS-CBN and GMA 7, respectively. They made it a point as early as then to tell the audience that reporters from rival networks can be friends – and that they were proof. I think it just goes to prove that regardless of one’s company every journalist works for one boss: their audience, the people.
The program went from there. After the Invocation and National Anthem, Ms. Jennifer Cruz, the COMGUILD President/CEO, gave the welcome remarks, and Ms. Ma. Christina Zhandra Norte gave a recap of the past conferences. Still, it wasn’t until the first speaker was introduced that the pace started to pick up.
The name “Doland Castro” is one that you would commonly hear, especially if you are an ABS-CBN viewer. He was given the floor to share his experiences on being a field reporter for the first lecture. I believe it was a good start – short though his speech may have been, he was still able to say a lot. Not only was he able to relate to us the dangerous aspect of being a journalist, he was also able to give very good pointers on how one can be a good reporter, and the things that make a good news item. One of the things that really struck me is his view on how the journalist of today should be: one who not only reports, but also helps whenever possible. It made a lot of sense to me – you were given eyes to see. Why not make the most of this gift by making a difference? If you plan to become a journalist, you have to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.
After Mr. Doland Castro’s speech and Q & A portion, it was time to move onto the next form of media – written media, or more specifically, magazines. Mr. Jeremy Torr from the Discovery Channel magazine flew in from Australia just to share with us the many aspects of publishing a magazine. This was a good eye-opener for aspiring writers – we were given a peek at what life as a managing editor is really like.
The third lecture of the day, given after lunch break, was by Ms. Sandra Aguinaldo. Her focus was on documentaries: where to get ideas – such as simple things from everyday life, the importance of contacts and researchers, and the elements that make up each – case studies, clear thesis statements, and a new spin to an old topic. This was especially useful for us MMA students, who are in the process of working on our own documentaries.
The last speaker was Ms. Mariz Umali, who talked about what it really takes to be a newscaster and broadcaster – working 24/7, fluent in both English and Filipino, quick thinking, and such.
In between speeches, various awards were given out to outstanding reporters and news presenters. Ms. Ina Reformina received the award for 2010 Best Female Field Reporter; Mr. Anthony Taberna, 2010 Best Male Field Reporter; Ms. Karen Davila, 2010 Best Female News Presenter; and Mr. Ted Failon, 2010 Most Outstanding Male News Presenter. The last but quite possibly most prestigious one given out, however, was the Hall of Fame Award – to Ms. Mel Tiongco, for having been given an award by COMGUILD for three consecutive years. Each awardee was given a chance to speak onstage, or via phone for those who weren’t able to make it. Students cheered, screamed, and scrambled to take pictures of them as if they were famous stars.
Another memorable speech was Mel Tiangco’s. Like Doland Castro, she believes in tying journalism with social service. Good journalism, according to her, is basically equivalent to telling the truth. A good journalist is not just a storyteller, and must always remember to take vitamin “V” – verify, always verify.
The conference was a wonderful opportunity for us MMA students to learn – and it wasn’t just the usual sort of learning, we were actually able to see the journalists we view as idols with our very own eyes.
