CEBU - What community journalism holds for campus journalists is the highlight of the “Reaching out to future journalists: Community Journalism Forum” held yesterday as part of the celebration of the 14th Cebu Press Freedom Week.
Sun.Star Cebu and Superbalita editor-in-chief Pachico Seares discussed the strength of community journalism as a good career path which is part of his lecture on “The future of community newspapers”.
Seares is a recipient of the Gawad Plaridel Award as an outstanding media practitioner given by the University of the Philippines.
The forum was attended by Mass Communication students or potential journalists from the different colleges and universities in Cebu.
In his lecture, Seares gave students a glimpse of how community journalism has evolved and has continued evolving today.
With all the changes and continuous efforts of community papers to develop itself and its service to the people which is powered by competition and new opportunities for development, Seares concludes that no national paper could longer compete with community papers.
Seares said it is because community journalism serves a role which Manila-based broadsheets could not fill.
Community newspapers, Seares said, could not be beaten with its audience reach, extent and depth of coverage with local issues and proximity of its news to the audience.
Seares added that community journalism has its own unique influence that no bigger media could duplicate.
Its capacity to touch its audience on matters that affect their daily lives or what they call the “humanity” of the local press is also one of the strengths of the community newspaper.
But this does not only apply to the major local papers in Cebu but also to campus newspapers which publication is also considered community journ.
Editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Davao Stella Estremera, meanwhile, defined community journalism as having fun and having life.
Estremera said that community journalism means digging deeper to reality of life because it is mostly about stories of small people and the issues affecting the immediate community.
Estremera added that community journalism offers additional learning in all aspects of life like creativity, flexibility, discipline and little knowledge, if not thorough, of everything.
Community journalism brings you closer to your neighbors, Estremera believes.
Froilan Gallardo, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, on the other, hand defined journalism as the enlightenment rather than confusion.
Gallardo relayed the Cagayan de Oro experience in which he alleged the place as “nest of the most corrupt journalists in the country.”
Gallardo said that in a corrupt environment, community papers come in to bring change for the common good.
“As a community paper, we cannot let violence erupt between the two people…it does not make sense to put bad news always in the newspaper because we decided to make a stand for peace,” Gallardo said.
The forum also gave way to answers to students’ questions regarding news editing, covering the news, campus journalism, career path for future journalists, opinion versus news, the new media, and accountability of the media.
Organizers of the event are Sun.Star Cebu, UP Visayas Cebu College, Chowking, Marriott Hotel, and the Philippine Airlines. — Jessica Ann Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)