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Veteran broadcast journalist Jessica Soho has officially launched the Storytellers Academy, a one-day workshop for aspiring journalists, held on September 23 at Gateway Cinema in Quezon City. The event gathered hundreds of students from across the country eager to learn from one of the industry's most respected figures.

The launch coincides with Soho's 40th anniversary in journalism, a milestone she marked by paying tribute to the people behind her long-running and award-winning program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS).

“Hindi po madali makabuo ng mga ganitong kuwento, hirap, pagod, peligro, puyat… 'yan po ang laging mga kalaban ng aming mga crew and staff. Napakaswerte ko, napakasisipag at napakagagaling ng Team KMJS. Hindi ako makakalipad kung wala sila. They are the best team ever, nagawa nilang relevant to this day. They are not the wind beneath my wings, they are my wings. Maraming maraming salamat Team KMJS. Ganun din sa lahat ng mga tumulong sa amin all these years para linggo-linggo masabi ko na 'Lumipad ang aming team.'”

Soho emphasized that the academy is her way of giving back to the next generation of storytellers and journalists.

“Kasi 40 years na ako sa industriya. Noong una, ang dream ko lang ay mailagay sa archives ang aking body or work and it's been done now, it's JS at 40 it's been uploaded nakailang episodes na kami. So, I'm very happy. Through the years din admittedly hindi ako nakakaikot sa mga eskwelahan, so sabi ko 'Sana dumating ang araw na I can do talks and speeches sa mga eskwelahan and this year I've had several opportunities, 'yung NSPC sa Vigan, 'yung University Graduation ng UP, and then 'yung Global Youth Summit, so parang tiyempo naman na this is about the same time na na-plano ko na I should reach out to the students, to the Gen Z's and even to the Generation Alpha.”

She also hopes the Storytellers Academy can continue across the country.

“So this is a first of a series of campus tours, hopefully, sana work schedule and weather permitting makakaikot kami doon sa mga iba't ibang eskwela. Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao. It's time to pay it forward to mentor aspiring journalists and young content creators kasi naniniwala kami sa power of storytelling.”

With the launch of the Storytellers Academy, Soho hopes to inspire the country's future journalists and content creators to carry on the vital mission of truthful, meaningful, and powerful storytelling.