Press freedom and the next generation

A landmark press freedom case that I require my students in Media Law and Ethics to read is

“New York Times v. United States” (1971). In it, Justice Hugo Black of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote: “In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfil its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

That quote was featured in the film “The Post” (2017), which depicts the true story of journalists at The Washington Post attempting to publish the Pentagon Papers after the New York Times was barred by a federal court injunction. When, in the film, a reporter read Black’s statement aloud in the newsroom, there was a collective cheer in the classroom.

I was elated by the reaction of my students because I had thought that journalism, as our generation and those before us had known it, had lost its appeal to today’s Gen Z. Yet, judging from their active role in this year’s midterm elections and in various protests here and across Asia, there is much hope for a more vigilant society where the Fourth Estate (the media) still plays a vital role.

Forms of journalism may change, but the core values of journalism—truth, accuracy, fairness, accountability—remain constant. That is why, even to this day, we still celebrate Cebu Press Freedom Week with anticipation and excitement. For us in the academe, it is an opportunity to encourage our undergraduate students to attend the events of the celebration.

Cebu Press Freedom Week is an annual event held during the week of September 21, the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. As far as I know, it is the only citizens–press, weeklong celebration of its kind in the country. I consider it an excellent opportunity for my students to deepen their understanding of the principles of journalism in real-world professional contexts.

Yesterday, for instance, was the GMA Masterclass, “The Cebu Press Freedom Week Special: Courage in News — The GMA Integrated News Coverage of the ‘Lost Sabungeros’” held at the University of the Philippines Cebu. Then there was the hybrid forum, “Evolving Media Platforms and Their Impact on Social Change,” held at Palm Grass The Cebu Heritage Hotel.

Today, in the morning, there is the forum “The Public Mindset: Vlogging as Civic Engagement,” at the Diamond Suites and Residences in Cebu City, organized by The FREEMAN and Banat News. In the afternoon, the forum “Data Ethics in the Digital Newsroom” will be held at the University of San Jose–Recoletos and organized by MyTV Cebu.

On Thursday morning, September 25, the forum “Why Journalism Matters: News in the Age of Mis/Disinformation and AI” will be held at the University of the Philippines Cebu, organized by CDN Digital. In the afternoon, there will be a forum, “Media, Publicists, News Sources: Friction, Cooperation, Collusion,” organized by the Cebu Citizens-Press Council at Citadines, Baseline Center, Cebu City. Although the event is by invitation, it will also be livestreamed.

On Friday morning, September 26, the STET Forum: Juan Mercado Memorial Lecture, “Investigative Journalism in Cebu: Then, Now and in the Age of AI,” will be held at Seda Ayala Center Cebu. The event is by invitation and organized by STET: Women in Cebu Media.On the last day, Saturday, September 27, the youth forum“Reaching Out to Future Journalists: ‘AI: A Journalist’s Tool, Not the Journalist’” will be held at the GMall of Cebu Atriumand organized by SunStar Cebu.