Young reporters want regular update on non-political issues

(Part 2 of a series on Education Makes News)

UNESCO mandates emphasize Education, Science, Culture and Communication – non-political issues to solve the problems of mankind. Thus, I continue to summarize the UNESCO media workshop, "Education Makes News", where media experts worked together (March 17-18) in the luxurious "hilltop woods" of the Eugenio Lopez Center (ELC).

This spacious three-story ELC, which houses three lecture rooms, five meeting rooms, a dining area for 200 people and 40 "four-star" hotel rooms, was named after Don Eugenio Lopez. It overlooks the panoramic view of the skyline of Metro Manila. Seminars held here like our UNESCO workshop reflects the credo of Eugenio Lopez:

"The company that is prosperous and rich while its labor lives in misery has neither the right to exist nor the right to claim public support."

When and how the media write child-sensitive articles

AIJC (Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication) SVP Ramon Tuazon shared with the participants the AIJC survey, which indicate that editors of popular dailies emphasize children’s articles during school opening in June and at Christmastime in December.

I wonder why the exciting season of graduation in March seems to have been overlooked and is not made news. These could be the gauge of how Filipino elementary, high school and college graduates qualify for promotion to the higher phase of their lives.

Other points of awareness are the current situation of Filipino teachers: Are there enough? Do they have yearly refresher courses (usually held in April and May) to improve their competencies? Then, there is the yearly outcry over increasing tuition fees. If Thai and Indonesian parents are paying partial tuition fees for their children as their population keeps growing, shouldn’t Filipino parents do the same? Otherwise, we lose the good teachers and school facilities continue to deteriorate — a vicious cycle which continues to cripple 70% of our population that is poor.

According to columnist Alex Magno: "Some media thinks that bad news sells – and the more bad news is sensationalized the more it will sell." (Perspective, The Philippine STAR, 03/27/07). Since the nation, particularly children, are psychologically vulnerable to stories of crime and violence shouldn’t media refrain from sensationalizing them?

Maria Ressa, a Princeton AB Literature and Molecular Biology graduate

The much-awaited speaker in the workshop was well-known CNN anchor woman who reported regularly from Singapore, but is now the ABS-CBN News Director.

What is Maria Ressa, a Princeton AB Literature and Molecular Biology graduate doing on TV news? "After Princeton, I felt I could do anything and everything," Ms. Ressa said. She lived and studied in the United States after she finished Grade 6 in the Philippines. She worked for 17 years with CNN and covered the dictatorships: 32 years of Suharto and 20 years of Marcos.

She referred to the Indonesian anguish - KKN (Korupsi, Kolusi and Nepotisme or Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism) as the cause why Indonesians and Filipinos have lost their initiative and creativity. Under one-man rule, people are scared to object. Thus, lack of independent thoughts have encouraged mob rule. Ms. Ressa emphatically stated: "Democracy is not possible without education…"

Right now, Ms. Ressa is kept busy training her staff, "I need more writers so I am looking for the best and the brightest." Her intense desire to have top quality reporting had to be accompanied by guidelines on Ethics. She raised her fingers two inches, "Our ethics compilation is this thick."

Learning how education articles can make news

The Sunday session of Philippine STAR News Editor Ichu Villanueva confirmed the fact that it is the editor who directs reporters on what should be the lead stories. Ms. Villanueva assured the 20 participants, among them STAR reporter Rainier Ronda, that there are three pointers they must remember "to sell their articles" to their editors.

To capture the public’s attention, you must have a story to tell. This should be based on substance – on real lives of real people – never on institutional process. Meetings, conferences, round tables do not by themselves constitute stories, what the public hunger for are issues those events are supposed to address, not about the inner working of the institutions.

Stories should almost always be about people. Refugees, victims of war or epidemics, girls in school – are their numbers rising or declining? Is their situation improving or worsening? Where? Since when? According to whom? Who is doing what about it? What are the prospects or obstacles?

The really successful stories are almost always based on solid, up-to-date reports providing analysis and comparative statistics.

Post-workshop responses of young reporters

For the concurrent workshops held Saturday afternoon, the participants and experts were divided into three groups.

Group 1: Government Policies and Programs. Moderators: DepEd Asec. Lilia Roces and Futuristic Society president Gil Santos. Members: Darlene Gemino (RNG), Winnie Goy (IBC13), Jae Quinto (DZXL-RMN), Rainier Ronda (PS), Jeff Tiangco (Journal group), Milette Lorenzo (Marikina PIO), CICT Comm. Tim de Rivera, UNACOM Culture Comm. Gabriel Lopez, DOST Asec. Lourdes Orijola.

Their story idea is the lack of "para-teachers" for CWC day care centers. CWC Deputy Executive Director Marilyn Manuel admitted that lack of teachers made them use less qualified high school graduates. "Parang teacher," quipped the reporters.

Group 2: Right and Access to Learning. Moderators: BALS Director Carol Guerrero and Ramon Tuazon. Members: Bong Hachero (Malaya), Alona Lindstrom (DZMM), Margaux Ortiz (PDI), Fiona Rozario (ABC5), Anne Yosuico (Studio 23), Dr. Ethel Valenzuela (UNESCO LLP TWG), Ines Fernandez (ARUGA and E-net Phils.), Charito Cruspero (USAID EQUALS), and Marilyn Manuel (CWC).

Their story ideas included: various forms of ALS such as the Adult Literacy program in the Camp Abu Bakar municipal jails; Big Brother, Big Sister – a yuppies initiative providing school supplies for disadvantaged kids; The balik-expert project and its effects on alleviating brain-drain; family effects of an OFW culture; and case studies on Ladderization;

Group 3: Private Sector Partnership. Moderators: Knowledge Channel Programme Director Doris Nuval and Benpres Senior VP Boo Chanco. Members: Jem Go (DZRV), Mandy Navasero (PDI), Ira Pedrasa (Businessworld), Rey Sampang (BBS), Lucille Sodipe and Zanneth Tafalla (Probe), Denia Gamboa (CWC), and UNESCO Culture Chair Carmen Padilla.

They emphasized that there is still a thin line between fulfilling corporate social responsibility and helping education. But, businesses are now starting to realize the impact of their contribution to society through their programs.

The business of illuminating young minds

Doris Nuval reported that Knowledge Channel is the first and only curriculum-based TV channel. It offers 14 hours of "curriculum block" programming on Math, Science, English, Filipino and Makabayan for public elementary and high school students and teachers. Meantime, Parenting, Life skills, Science, Business skills, Environment, Culture and History, can be viewed by cable viewers from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight.

Since 1999, Rina Lopez Bautista (daughter of Oscar Lopez), president and executive director of the Knowledge Channel, has been persistently working on local and foreign support for it.

Currently, they have reached 2.8 million public school students in 1,728 public schools plus a household audience of over 6 million. Ms. Nuval proudly stated that retention and comprehension levels of students, as well as results of their National Achievement Tests have both increased by 25 percent and 107 percent, respectively.

‘Sec. Jesli make good copy, but…’ according to young reporters

How can you resist not quoting Education Secretary Jesli Lapus when he says a mouthful…

"They say that for every minute, four babies are born. In my limited point of view of classroom shortage, it is like I’m short of one classroom every ten minutes,’ Lapus said, referring to his plan to limit a public school classroom to 40 students.

On the NCAE: More than half of the 1.3 million graduating students in public and private high schools are unfit for college… The NCAE results merely validated previous annual results of achievement tests given to fourth year high school students. It showed that the majority should take the technical and vocational track, but instead prefers to be ‘dancers and actors’.

The young reporters agree that Secretary Lapus "make good copy", but he sometimes get impatient with rooky reporters. Speaking for them, I say that Jesli’s office must foresee and provide brief background data for his frequent press encounters.

In his prepared talk for the workshop, Secretary Lapus addressed the media, "We need your help. Exciting things are happening to Philippine education." He reported that DepEd has been attentive to the needs of close to 20 million Filipino public school students, as well as millions of out-of-school youth and adults throughout the country.

Secretary Lapus reminded that "The media sector plays an important role in our education reform effort." They can make the public aware of the many issues of Philippine education. Since their primary role is as guardians of truth, they are encouraged to maintain their objectivity. He explained that the Department has been very transparent with the media.

Putting UNESCO back in the news

Anne Yosuico of Studio 23 News Central suggested that better and more frequent reports are needed to put UNESCO concerns of education, culture, communication and sciences back in the news. They need results periodically achieved with regards to Education for Sustainable Development, conservation of our world and local heritage sites, and how the new UNESCO-funded E-Centers are making Leyteños calamity ready.

The reporters requested for a weekly forum, but knowing how busy Cabinet Secretaries, NGOs and institutional leaders are, they agreed to a monthly Breakfast Forum at Ristorante La Dolce Fontana every first Thursday. The first one will be held after Easter Sunday.

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