Future journalists hone their skills in DepEd 'press conferences'

Some journalists start their careers as staffers of their school paper. 

 

Here in the Philippines, training in journalism starts at the elementary and high school levels. Other journalists, including the more senior ones now, made their first forays into the fourth estate while in college or as students of courses in journalism, mass communication, broadcast communication, as well as the liberal arts programs.

The months of September and October mark the start of a series of “press conferences” the Department of Education (DepEd) organizes at the district and division levels, which then culminates with the National Schools Press Conference now held in April.

 

In Quezon City, the Division Schools Press Conference for high school students from all over the city is held at the Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School.  

GMA News anchor and reporter Mariz Umali was the keynote speaker at the opening rites Wednesday morning.

Winners of the journalism competitions will be known Friday afternoon. Next week, it will be the turn of the grade schoolers. 


 

 

The students compete in various categories with English and Filipino divisions:

 

 

Those who make it to the top ranks advance to the regionals and get to undergo further training.


 

 

The Philippine government institutionalized campus journalism training in the school system with the Campus Journalism Act of 1991.

 

The DepEd identified some high schools as incubators for intensive journalism training and implemented there the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ). There is at least one high school per region with an SPJ. The DepEd conducts training workshops for the school paper advisers.

 

The SPJ schools are:

 

 

The regular journalism program at the basic education level is usually integrated into the communication arts subjects of English and Filipino. Some high schools implement it as an elective subject.

 

Some GMA News journalists are products of the DepEd schools press conferences. Among them are Agatha Guidaben of GMA News Research and Xianne Arcangel and Earl Rosero of GMA News Online.


 

'Learniversity' career talks

For college students, GMA News TV recently launched its “Learniversity” program which consists of career talks, including inspirational sharing on broadcasting and information technology. The Learniversity program was launched at the University of the East.

 

Earlier this month, GMA News' Mike Enriquez and Howie Severino gave informative and inspirational talks before school paper staffers and their advisers—mostly college level—who are part of the School Press Advisers Movement, which had its national conference in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Severino shared his thoughts and observations on shifts in the empowerment of the media and the people.



The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas, will conduct the 15th National Campus Journalism Fellowship on October 21 to 23 at its campus in Sampaloc, Manila. Among the invited speakers is Manix Abrera, cartoonist of GMA News Online. — KG, GMA News