cez ! ^_^: July 2009

Is Online Journalism, is still Journalism? This question really makes me think on what to answer. Well, as far as the question is concerned, and in a one-dimensional interpreting of the question, of course online journalism is journalism. How they will come up in a description of the name “online journalism”, if they don’t know that it is journalism, right?

On the other hand, online journalism is the reporting of news, events and facts using the Internet. While, journalism is a form of writing that tells people about things that really happened, but that they might not have known about it already. Journalism can also be defined as the production of news reports through the use of media such as newspapers, radio, television and internet.

With the definition I found, well journalism covers the online journalism since journalism can be spread through internet. Journalists might work at newspapers, magazines, and websites or for TV or radio stations. Here in the Philippines, we have various companies that already gain credibility in terms of journalism that also uses internet on disseminating news nationwide. Those are the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star and Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (P-C-I-J). They report news; events and facts through websites. They are the credible and reliable source of information or news that proves that online journalism can be journalism.

So for me, online journalism can be considered as journalism but the real thing there is, if all the writers or the bloggers can be considered as journalist? The rise of internet technology, in particular the advent of blogging and social networking further destabilize traditional journalism. The widening world of online journalism creates several discussions about legality, ethics and ways of information. Because not all the bloggers follows the ethics of journalism, in some way, just to persuade their audience they would rather sensationalized their news. It is difficult to conclude that blogging or online journalism is journalism, but several of them can be considered real reporting. However, in order to be considered an authentic blogger, he has to express it trough what is expected from an accurate mass media – always report facts, don’t be bias, as much as possible be objective not subjective, keep your credibility, and integrity. There is what we called code of ethics that the journalist should use as their guidelines in writing or reporting their news.

As a journalism student, I should consider my self as a professional journalist; therefore I should possess all the characteristics that a good journalist has. Then again I should also follow the Code of Ethics of Journalists. But I also kept in my mind that there are people as well as some of them who claim themselves as online journalists who do not have a formal education in journalism and information, can report news, events and facts through blogs and websites, they are called as the “citizen journalist”. I will not stop them from calling their self as journalist but I know that we, journalism students have all the guts to gain credibility in our audience. Since we all know how to make news that may have an appeal to the mind and in the emotion of the mass. I do believe that people nowadays are intelligent enough to classify if news are accurate or not.

News Comparison from the Two Different Networks

The news I chose is about the A(H1N1) virus that brought fear inside and out of the country. It was feature in the two major networks here in the Philippines: ABS-CBN and GMA7, in their late night news program-BANDILA and SAKSI that was aired on July 01, 2009.
They almost have the same news title, MAY A(H1N1) VIRUS SA BANSA UMABOT NA NG 1,709 according to BANDILA while as to SAKSI, BILANG NG KASO NG A(H1N1) SA BANSA, UMABOT NA SA 1,709.
As a television viewer having a critical understanding on mass media, as you read their titles you will definitely think that they might have the same or different news format but as I watched the whole news, I found out that they do have a different techniques in presenting the news.
Just like a common news program, the anchor starts first through saying her spill about the story. Well as far as I know, the writers were the ones who is responsible on what does the anchor will tell. The anchor will just read it on the prompter or in their news script. For that matter, the two anchors of the different news program started the news with different focus. Ces Drilon of BANDILA says that it was about less than two thousand confirmed cases of A(H1N1) flu in the Philippines, seven on the rank of the worlds’ most numbered cases infected by the virus. While Vicky Morales says, the number of confirmed cases of the A(H1N1) virus in the country increases up to more than one thousand seven hundred. As you analyzed their spills, you will thought that they have the same subject but different in focus. It seems that BANDILA, not only focuses on our country but also on the information on the world’s list of confirmed cases while SAKSI was just hub on the national issue. Maybe that is the first thing that will come on the mind of the audience as they hear the anchor’s spill. But how about if they hear and see the news whole of BANDILA and SAKSI, will they or will I still have the same perception on what is the content of it?
Media is a part of everybody’s life as it informs the audience about what is the real happening in our society. They should be accurate in giving information to their audience for them to be trusted. Just like what done by the two news program.
BANDILA presented the news as they start it in the KAMARA as their setting. They show a video whereas they focus the building of the House of the Representatives and then a door that was locked. Since KAMARA start again on their regular working day after they closed the Committee Affairs Department due to new confirmed case of A(H1N1) virus. After that they show a video clip where they have an interview with Usec. Mario Villarde of Department of Health (DOH) regarding the different departments that stopped their operation caused by the pandemic alert brought by A(H1N1) flu. Then they show a graphics stating the A(H1N1) cases in the congress ( 1-new case; 3-healed cases; 1-death case) and it was followed by another graphics affirming the A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines ( 861 (existing cases )+ 848 (new cases) = 1, 709 ( confirmed cases) ) . Afterwards, they show an interview, again with Usec. Mario Villarde of (DOH) saying that A(H1N1) cases will surely increase as days goes by. In connection with the statements of Usec Villarde, they show a video of a car moving on a highway as the reporter says that there are one hundred students that has the symptoms of A(H1N1) in Bacolod then they show the school-Talamban National High School telling that there were nineteen students suspected to have A(H1N1). Next is the video of the East Avenue Medical Center whereas they have an additional tent for the sieving area different to the screening area to avoid the virus to contaminate and it was followed by the video showing the Lung Center of the Philippines where they allot a larger place for the screening of the persons who was suspected of A(H1N1). And the last graphics they show and also the ending of their news is the list of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) A(H1N1) cases in a descending order. In the Southeast Asia Philippines got the most numbered cases, followed by Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Beside it is the list for the whole world, USA as the first to have the most numbered cases and then, Mexico, Canada, Chile, UK, Australia and Philippines on the seven spot.
SAKSI, with the same topic as with the BANDILA has, presented the news in a different manner. They started the news through showing people walking followed by a graphics, uttering that the A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines has 848 new cases and 1, 709 total number of confirmed cases, they also states there the sores which is the DOH. Next is an illustration of a Philippine map showing that 72 % A(H1N1) cases was from Metro Manila particularly in different schools. It was also noted the larger cases of it was from CALABARZON, Region 3 – Central Luzon and in Region 8- Eastern Visayas.
After that is a video of a car moving on a highway as the reporter says that there are one hundred students that has the symptoms of A(H1N1) in Bacolod then they show the school-Talamban National High School telling that there were nineteen students suspected to have A(H1N1).This video clip was really similar with that of the BANDILA has. Same shot, same camera angle, all is comparable. Afterwards, they have a short site of the DOH logo while the reporter states that DOH admits that A(H1N1) virus was of rapid grow here in our country. Next is a figure showing people as they illustrate the community transmission rate of A(H1N1) virus with their source, DOH.
Then they show a silent video of Usec. Mario Villarde of (DOH) that is speaking and a short site of the building of House of the Representatives while the reporter narrates that the DOH found out that there is a new case of A(H1N1) virus at the KAMARA as with the death case there. Followed by a graphics that uses the KAMARA as its background, it is stated there that the death case number one was just infected by his officemate that travels last month, it is just happen that the source of that virus has a strong immune system while the death case no.1 is weak and has different diseases such as chronic heart disease, liver and kidney enlargement, tuberculosis and uterus tumor.
Subsequently they show an interview with Usec. Mario Villarde of (DOH) telling that DOH is ensuring that all government hospitals both the national and local government has the capacity to administer care to high risk patient where severe manifestations of the influenza A(H1N1) virus are frequently seen.
After that they ended their news through a graphics, as what they have said it was a good news from DOH, they told that the INFLUENZA A(H1N1) in the country has 1, 485 healed cases or 86 % of the total number.
Both networks have a good news presentation; they have good and understandable graphics and videos that were evenly narrated by the field reporter which helps the illustrations and graphics to be more explicable, it also has related interviews that adds reliability of the information. Definitely, the viewers do really comprehend on what they are trying to say. But GMA7’s SAKSI has captured my attention with their graphics that is not just clear but also reliable because it was indicated there, that their source is DOH. And despite of the problem with the virus that was continuously growing in our country, SAKSI tries to enlighten the mind of the audience through saying that there is still hope because there is good news. It can be seen there that while reporting an accurate hard news they also tries to make it soft just to please the people not to be scared about it. It just shows the attitude of the Filipino that despite of problems they are still affirmative and they believe that there is still a solution on it.
On the other hand, both news programs have the same video clips shown; maybe it is a fifteen seconds silent video that is really similar. There is no difference at all, same camera angles and shots, but how come it happen? Surely, they have different video editor, was it just an accident? Same video showing the same moving car and same facing of the people videoed on the front of their school.
Mass media has an impact to its audience so every message that they convey may affect the thinking and feelings of their viewers or listeners. Media can manipulate how the audience interprets the messages that they see or hear so they should be responsible enough in informing the mass through giving accurate and reliable news since GMA& and ABS-CBN were a credible news makers. Just like on the social responsibility theory, it stated that the media should serve the public, and in order to do so, they should remain free of government interference. Media should have high standards for professionalism and objectivity, as well as truth and accuracy. In this news, media definitely free on informing the public and aside from that government does not stopped them from giving factual data even if it concerns with one of the government’s offices, which is the KAMARA and aside from that DOH was opened for an interview with the media personnel. It could also include the agenda-setting theory, the theory that the media have a large influence on audiences by their choice of what stories to consider newsworthy. Since the issue on A(H1N1) is considered by the public important, media discussed it because it has an appeal to the emotion and mind of their audience.