GMA, AMA rally student volunteers to monitor elections

GMA News and Pubic Affairs on Thursday mobilized student volunteers across the country to keep an eye out for possible election anomalies.

In a closed satellite broadcast to hundreds of student volunteers in AMA campuses across the country, GMA and AMA executives underscored the vital role of poll watchers.

“(Volunteers) are very important to our coverage,” undrescored GMA First Vice President for Regional TV and News and Public Affairs Production Services Head Rikki Escudero.

“Ever since 2010, when the country had its first automated elections, GMA and AMA have been conducting incident reporting together. It’s an invaluable public service,“ she explained.

GMA News YouScoop Senior Producer Audrey Domasian also encouraged the students to use social media to help document and monitor the polls as they unfold.

“Malaking bagay ang social media sa pag-monitor ng elections, because it makes it easier to report problems,” she said.

GMA Vice President for Professional Development Howie Severino was also onhand to discuss the Election 2016  Campaign Tracker, also a joint data journalism initiative between GMA and AMA.

“Ito ay data journalism, using the power of computers for storytelling,” Severino said.

“Nasasanay tayo sa balita na laging snapshots lang ng mga pangyayari. Pero ang kulang sa mga balitang ganito ay konteksto. Kunwari, ilang beses bumisita ang isang kandidato sa isang lugar? Anong mga lugar ang hindi nabisita?” he added.

The GMA-AMA Eleksyon 2016 Campaign Tracker will be launched over the weekend, ahead of the elections on Monday. — GMA News