Kara: My style is my own

MANILA, Philippines - Taking over the hosting duties of GMA News TV’s Powerhouse presented an entirely different challenge for Kara David.

Kara is most known for her award-winning work for I-Witness, GMA’s flagship documentary program wherein its main reporters immerse in the dire situations of its subjects in the pursuit of neglected or underreported stories. Powerhouse, on the other hand, is her first “lifestyle” show, which sends her on a tour of the homes of some of the country’s most powerful and influential people. The new season of Powerhouse debuted last Tuesday with Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos.

Because Powerhouse is visibly poles-apart from what she’s been used to doing, Kara admitted that she has some questions and apprehensions upon accepting the program vacated by Mel Tiangco, who already has a lot on her plate with her daily newscast and responsibilities as head of the GMA Foundation, among others.

“When Powerhouse was given to me, I really asked, do we really have to interview the ‘powerful,’ can’t we interview the ‘powerless’ or the homes of the powerless? ‘Kasi ‘di ito I-Witness,’ sabi nila (laughs), so kailangan talaga influential,” Kara admitted in an interview with The STAR.

“Dun ako na-insecure because I’m not used to interviewing big people. I’m used to interviewing people who have no electricity, who don’t watch TV, or people in the mountains. So, when I was asked (by the media) if I got star-struck by Gov. Vilma Santos, of course (I got star-struck) because I’m not used to interviewing big people. So, I guess the challenge there is how to bring these people to the people I’m used to interviewing.”

“It’s a new ground, new challenge, new adventure in the urban jungle for me,” she added.

Asked on the dream houses and residents she’d like to visit and interview, she said, “I want to have a look at the houses of the Ayalas and Henry Sy, those who are on the Forbes (Richest) List. You never know, they might be rich but their houses could be simple.”

She also wants to feature quirky homes — like eco-houses made up of solar panels and the like — which people can learn from.

She also wants to interview the controversial or those deemed elusive and tough to interview. She said, “Kakabahan ako if bigyan ako ng pagkakataon na ma-interview si (former) Pres. Gloria Arroyo. I really wanna interview her. But kinatatakutan ko because it’s not a secret na matinding kalaban siya ng tatay ko (journalist and sociologist Randy David who almost ran to oppose GMA in the 2010 congressional race in Pampanga). We’re not really Arroyo fans, our family, because of that. But I don’t know. I think it would really, really be a big challenge on my part if I’ll be able to make her open up to me despite my background being the daughter of Randy David na muntik na siyang kalabanin sa politika. It’s a challenge for me because, as a journalist, kailangan tanggalin mo ang bias mo, kung ano ang pinanggalingan mo at kung sino ang mga magulang mo.”

When it comes to interviewing any subject, whether people in high places or regular folks, she keeps in mind the advice of her father when she was starting out, “That whoever you are going to interview, don’t pre-judge that person and be respectful. The fact that this person already gave you his or her time, faced the camera and trusted you with a few minutes of his or her life, you have to accord this person with respect. Of course, don’t forget to ask the right questions, the important questions, but you have to give him or her the utmost respect.”

Apart from Powerhouse and I-Witness, life in the daily grind of Kara David includes anchoring News To Go on GMA News TV and pursuing other assignments and field-work for the network’s entire news and public affairs. I-Witness, nevertheless, will always be very special to her. She’s been with the program since 2002, saying that almost all of her awards — which include the prestigious George Foster Peabody (the “Oscars of Broadcast Journalism”) and TOYM in 2007 — and “yung pangalan ko ngayon, my foundation, lahat galing sa I-Witness. I can’t leave I-Witness. I can’t live without the show.”

Kara getting engaged and emotionally attached to her subjects, especially in I-Witness, has already become a familiar image to viewers. But Kara is also very much aware that this reportorial style doesn’t sit well “with a lot of journalists and journalism professors,” she said.

“Everytime I go to universities, yan ang laging tinatanong sa akin. Tinuturo kasi sa atin ang maging detached, no feelings, no emotions, di ka dapat ganun... but I’m only human. I’m a person first before I’m a journalist. Minsan pag nagtataray ako, sasabihin ko, don’t watch my show if you don’t like my style. But that’s my style of getting the story. Yung kilalanin ko, tapos yung puso ko ma-i-involve din. But it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be objective.”

The “emotional” involvement has extended off-screen and inspired her to put up the Project Malasakit Foundation (www.projectmalasakit.com), which supports the education of scholars, many of whom were once subjects of her documentaries.

Kara also revealed that a sense of spirituality has helped her find more meaning in her journalistic work.

“Growing up, we were not religious at all. I only got influenced by my sister. We studied at UP all throughout and there were no religion classes,” said Kara, who took up Broadcast Communication at UP Diliman. “But parang mas nagkaroon ng meaning for all the things that you do (with faith). That it’s not a privilege, it’s an obligation to God, to help other people and have compassion. Everytime I go to the mountains, I feel that it’s not enough to just interview, then cut and pack up. That’s why I develop emotional attachment because I know I was brought there not only because I’m a journalist. Somehow, I was brought there for a reason. And maybe the reason is not just to roll my cameras, but also to help after the cameras stop rolling.”

Powerhouse airs Tuesday nights at 8 on GMA News TV 11.