A call for action

A reaction to Luis V. Teodoro's Journalism and Advocacy 101

I can't help but agree when the article said that "...no journalist can claim without lying that he/she is unconcerned with the issues that confront his/her community..."  I think that this is especially true with the mainstream journalism and media. Every time we read the newspapers or listen to the radio or even watch the television, we can see angles. Vested interests. Biases. This could be one of the very reasons why our country needs more development journalists. Development Communication graduates are trained to look not only the two sides of the story but also the sides of the people affected, implicitly or explicitly, by the issue. Journalism has to be much deeper than just writing a story. It has to be more than that.

It is also essential that journalists must not only lay down the problems but also have a call for action. The readers must be compelled to act with the issue at hand. Responsible journalism does not only focus on facts and figures but also on the solution to the problem. A good article for me is one that discusses the problem and that calls the attention of the readers to do something about it. Readers should not just read the news; they must participate in it.

"Knowledge is what separates bias from advocacy." I just want to emphasize this line for the article because this doesn't apply in journalism alone. We cannot advocate something if we do not know anything about it. For now, I advocate for a more intensive sports development program that could give more support to our young athletes that could be potential players under the Philippine flag. I put my faith in this belief because I trust that we have very capable athletes who needs financial support, morale boost and recognition.  

PS. The article is a must-read, whether you are a journalist or not. Read it here.