Online media: Challenge to new journalists

CEBU, Philippines – One of the new challenges faced by journalists today is online media, says Dr. Michael Cobden of the University of King’s College-School of Journalism in Canada who served as keynote speaker in yesterday’s lecture on “New Challenges for New Journalists” at the Saint Theresa’s College.

“Journalists have to adapt to this change and have to know how to use available technology,” he said.

Also, Cobden said that journalism today has gotten tougher with the presence of bloggers and or citizen journalists. He pointed out that it is the role of the professional journalists to rise above mere bloggers by delivering “straight and sacred facts” to the public; and that budding journalists should be courageous enough to uphold responsible journalism amid issues and threats hounding systems in society.

Aside from Cobden, Professor Yvonne Chua of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, a representative of the Commission on Higher Education Technical Committee for Journalism, gave an update on the draft of the new CHED journalism curricula for schools offering mass communication.

Aside from STC which is host, mass Communication students from the Benedicto College, Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu Normal University, Cebu State College of Science and Technology, Southwestern University, University of San Jose-Recoletos, and University of the Visayas gathered for the said lecture. — Barbara Anne B. Ocaba, STC Masscom intern/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)