ELECTION COVERAGE. Bea Cupin is a multimedia reporter from the social news network Rappler covering the 2016 national elections and other related issues. Two takeaways from her discussion: Take note of the small details in the big picture and self-awareness is key to responsibly deliver the news to the public.
Text by Jose Angelo Lorenzo S Gomos
Photos by Anthony Jacob C Karagdag
Students from different schools and universities in the region drew together for the 5th SIBYA: Northern Mindanao Student Communicators’ Congress hosted by Xavier University’s student paper The Crusader Publication at SM CDO Cinema 4, Saturday, February 27.
With its theme, “Media in Molding the Nation’s Perspective,” this year’s SIBYA featured three figures in Philippine journalism as primary speakers of the event, namely, Inquirer.net editor in chief John Nery, Rappler’s multimedia reporter Bea Cupin and TV5’s social satirist Jun Sabayton.
As the national elections loom, Bea Cupin shared her experience in covering the campaign of the Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas. Indicating that the coverage could be routinary, she stressed that the smallest detail in the bigger picture could become the subject for a great story.
“Write stories that captivate,” she said, exemplifying the details that would spark interest such as the president’s new shirt worn during an LP sortie or the irony behind a barangay established during the Marcos regime that now supports a candidate from LP.
“You’re easily exposed to lies,” she warned the audience in covering campaigns but further expressed the advantage of a generation where voices have become more amplified with the advent of the new media.
OPINION WRITING. A Kagay-anon, John Nery is a journalist, author of several books, opinion writer for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and editor in chief of Inquirer.net. When writing an editorial or opinion piece, he says, "Start strong and end strong."
Mirroring this thought is John Nery magnifying about the significance and drawbacks of a journalist’s opinion in relation to news. He pointed out that an opinion functions as a personal expression that can be discussed in a civic forum or can be used for collective action.
“You have to start strong and right by attracting your readers’ attention,” he declared. “Build the case on facts and end strongly.”
Representing the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nery hosted the first presidential debate along with GMA7’s Jessica Soho and Mike Enriquez held at Capitol University last February 21.
SATIRE JOURNALISM. Social satirist and film director Jun Sabayton is the face of voters' education advocacy of TV5 titled "B.A.Y.A.W." He combines humor and social commentaries to get his messages across the audience, especially on choosing the next set of leaders of our country.
Meanwhile, TV personality Jun Sabayton used humor to enlighten the audience about his field of expertise, satire journalism.
Often nicknamed “Bayaw” (taken from the tagline of his political parodies), Sabayton is also acknowledged as a film director and is famed for incorporating humor in delivering and translating news.
He co-hosts TV5’s news channel Aksyon TV 41’s show “The Word of the Lourd” with Lourd de Veyra, incidentally a speaker in last year’s SIBYA.
During his talk, Sabayton shared that being a practitioner of the media requires indelible passion. “Ang pagpasok sa media ay parang bokasyon (To join in the media industry is like a vocation),” he said.
An annual event highlighting the importance of media and journalism, SIBYA 2016 continues its streak of inspiring the youth to participate in molding the nation’s perspective.