Day in and day out for more than two decades, Pia Arcangel has been on a relentless news grind. 

Since joining GMA Network in 2002, Arcangel has co-anchored some of its most reputable news and public affairs programs from dusk ‘til dawn, such as ‘Unang Hirit’ (2003-2014), ‘Balitanghali’ (2005-2014), and, to this day, ‘Saksi’ and ‘24 Oras Weekend.’ 

This kind of longevity, not to mention the ever-broadening responsibility inherent to a news personality’s reputable acclaim, can be taxing, particularly when entrusted with delivering pivotal issues and asking the most hard-hitting questions.

But for the veteran broadcast journalist– having gone through all of it from television news to, just recently, podcasting– her north star has remained rock solid: “know your purpose– that should keep you going.”

“I’ll admit, sometimes it can be hard,” bared Arcangel in an interview with GMA Regional TV News on August 29 after she signed a fresh contract with GMA Integrated News. 

The long-time ‘Saksi’ and ‘24 Oras Weekend’ anchor said she felt the brunt of this looming burnout during the most excruciating times in the pandemic, where reporting death tolls and explicating shifting and complex policies despite everyone “trying to minimize the amount of negative things they would see and hear” were the norm. 

“Syempre tayo, kailangan natin ibalita like kung ilan ang kaso, ano na ba yung mga bagong restrictions, ano ang mga dapat gawin, what’s happening, and you have to remember that you are doing it for a bigger purpose,” Arcangel reminded. 

Whether she’s breaking news about a newly installed Pope or breaking down national election turnouts, Arcangel’s gentle but firm demeanor, besides the fact that she has an undeniably angelic on-cam presence, makes for a perfect blend that captures attention and imparts knowledge.

For the veteran journalist, she is fueled by her awareness that what she does is never about her but the target audience. The news consumer. The common Filipino. 

“Hindi naman ‘to para sayo eh, but because may nanonood sayo, may mga taong nangangailangan marinig yung balita dahil ang binabalita mo ay mahalagang impormasyon,” Arcangel said. 

“That really helps, knowing what your purpose is, and that should keep you going,” she added. 

She also opined about the grim state of mainstream news in today’s increasingly complex network of media and information, marred by an unprecedented blurring of reality due to the proliferation of fake news and rise of AI-generated content. 

“It is very important to look at somebody’s track record. First of all, wherever you get your news, you have to look at the track record of your news sources. Try to figure out what standards they hold themselves to. It is important that you look for the most credible, most truthful, most honest sources possible,” Arcangel reminded. 

“I think you'll find that by going through everything they've done in the past. Track record is very important,” the award-winning journalist concluded.