Building relationships through Boto Mo iPatrol Mo: Ako ang Simula

MANILA, Philippines -  Earlier this year Jojo, a Boto Patroller — a member of the ABS-CBN’s Boto Mo iPatrol Mo:Ako ang Simula movement — reported that he had been waiting five years for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to print his voter ID. ABS-CBN received similar reports from Patrollers in Pangasinan and Laguna, both of whom requested that their identities be kept confidential. ABS-CBN’s Adrian Ayalin, from the evening news show TV Patrol World, ran a story investigating what was causing the delay in the printing of IDs.

Ayalin contacted Comelec, who told him that it would take two to three years to finish printing all the IDs, and so it had stopped printing altogether to focus on computerizing the elections. In the case of “Jojo,” Comelec said the delay had involved a complication with his picture. In the five years since Jojo filed his application, Comelec had never notified him of the problem. At the end of the story, Ayalin reported that those like Jojo without voter IDs could still vote, as long as they could present another government-issued form of identification.

This story exemplifies what Boto Mo iPatrol Mo is all about: interacting with the audience to enhance news coverage and better serve the public. ABS-CBN is not alone in its efforts to do this. Incorporating citizen journalism into conventional news platforms is a growing international trend.

 In April, the British newspaper The Guardian aided an inquiry into police riot control tactics, when it released footage shot on a cell phone of a man killed during a G20 summit. The Huffington Post’s citizen journalism project broke the ‘bittergate’ scandal during the US 2008 elections, in which Barack Obama was caught on tape calling small-town Pennsylvania residents “bitter.” This past July, CNN’s iReport brought us eye-witness accounts of the recent Jakarta blasts.

 Boto Mo iPatrol Mo bares many similarities to these other citizen journalism projects. But the movement, now over 42,000 registered Boto Patrollers strong, has taken on some uniquely Filipino characteristics.

 Citizen journalists who contribute to international platforms tend to be individuals who submit stories via the Internet or their mobile devices. They may have contact with other citizen journalists, but this isn’t necessarily vital to their reporting. In contrast, inter-personal relationships and large showings of support have become an essential part of the BMPM project. Workshops and registration days, hosted by both ABS-CBN and Patrollers, have become rallying points for clean elections.

 During one registration day in Ilagan, over 4,000 people signed up to become Boto Patrollers. On the same day, a registration event was held in Tacloban City, where Patrollers put their thumbprints on a “commitment wall” to demonstrate their unity.

 One Patroller, who live-blogged the Tacloban event on the BMPM Multiply site, wrote, “The forming of…the commitment wall is a symbolic gesture which shows that our little thumbmark, though small and only singular…can form something big. Just like our own votes in the 2010 elections…That’s why there is a need to become a [B]oto [P]atroller and guard these votes in 2010.”

 Whereas international platforms tend to emphasize the importance of mobile devices and the Internet in their citizen journalism projects, ABS-CBN’s Patrollers have used these new technologies to emphasize the human element in citizen journalism. In this way, they have turned BMPM not just into an outlet for novice reporting, but into the epicenter of a movement that stands for clean elections.

 This is not the first time that new media has been used during an electoral process. During the contested Iranian elections this past June, citizen journalists posted reports on Twitter, YouTube, and other web-based outlets. Old media platforms scrambled to sort and verify the incoming reports. Some of the most successful coverage came from platforms that had firm grasp on new media tools, including the Huffington Posts’ Nico Pitney whose blog represented a conglomerate of reports that had been scattered around the Internet. Pitney was later asked by the White House to submit a question from an Iranian to President Obama during a press conference.

 The BMPM staff has taken note of these events, and understands that in order to have an effective Patroller force during the elections, we need to have strong, personal relationships with our Patrollers before the elections start. Patrollers need to know in advance how to submit reports to us, and that they can trust us with their reports. Likewise, the BMPM staff needs to know which Patrollers to trust, and the types of stories they are capable of submitting. We also know that we must embrace a variety of platforms in which Patrollers can submit reports.

 BMPM has been issuing Patroller assignments every month, requesting reports on particular topics. This October, we’re asking Patrollers to answer the question, “What is voter registration like in your area?” We’ll be looking for stories, pictures, and videos showing us the good and bad side of voter registration. Reports can be emailed to [email protected] or texted to 2366.

 Patrollers can also connect to the BMPM staff and other Patrollers on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/BotoMo), on our Multiply site (botomoipatrolmo.multiply.com), and on Twitter (ABSCBN_Halalan).