Seasoned journalist Alcuin Papa enlightened the MGC New Life Christian Academy (MGCNLCA) Senior High student body on the current state of journalism in the Philippines last November 19 for Grade 12’s Media, Information, and Literacy course. Alongside journalism, he tackled prevalent social issues such as press freedom, media, and democracy.
Papa began his talk by introducing the role of journalists in society. “When one official claims that it is raining while another claims it is not, it is the job of the journalist to look outside the window,” he said. He then discussed the elements of journalism, which are as follows: (1) Journalism’s first obligation and loyalty are to the truth and public, respectively. (2) The essence of journalism is the discipline of verification. (3) Journalists must be independent from those they cover. (4) Journalism must be an independent monitor of power. (5) Journalism must strive to keep the significant, interesting, and relevant. (6) Practitioners of journalism must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience. (7) And lastly, citizens, too, have rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news.
Following this, Papa shone a light on the targeted aims of subduing the press and media and how the truths journalists want to divulge to the public are buried under heaps of death threats, cyber libel cases, and denied franchise renewals. Furthermore, he stated how ‘fake news’ is now weaponized to stigmatize journalists as falsifiers of truth by propagating the cycle of disinformation to jeopardize journalistic credibility. Afterward, he expressed his thoughts on biased media, claiming it to be a perception that has hardly been proven. Subsequently, Papa urged his audience to hone their media literacy skills, demand from media, and most importantly, read and write.
The talk concluded with a Q&A portion, where Papa addressed the Zoom participants’ inquiries regarding the topics mentioned above.
Alcuin Papa formerly worked as a print reporter under Manila Times and Philippine Daily Inquirer. He later became a senior desk editor under GMA and ABS-CBN, respectively.
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