a catalyst for truth

***This is a paper I wrote for yet another of my Journalism classes.

A CATALYST FOR TRUTH

It is only my first semester as a BA Journalism student, but I already have a good idea of what my life would be like after I graduate from college. Thanks to this interview assignment, I had a taste of what real journalists do out there in the field.

In our search for two broadcast journalists to interview, John and I went on a sort-of "Amazing Race" around Quezon City, visiting places which, until then, I didn't know existed. This assignment required us to find and interview one broadcast journalist from radio and one from television. We opted to go directly to a TV station and see if we could 'ambush' one unsuspecting reporter so in the early morning of November 23 we went to the Broadcast City, a place not far from UP where the offices and studios of RPN-9 and IBC-13 plus a radio station were located. However, we found out that we could not just walk up and interview people; we needed to have an appointment first. The guards there told us to try our luck at the Quezon City Hall instead. Unfortunately, when we got there all of the reporters assigned to that beat were out covering a story. The lone man in the press office referred us to a reporter named Angie Dela Cruz at the Land Transportation Office near Kamuning.

So far, this was the closest we got to finally getting to interview a reporter, so we went there only to find out that all the broadcast journalists there were also out looking for stories. Ms. Dela Cruz however was very accommodating, and she called up some of her friends in broadcasting. She set up an appointment with Alex Tinsay, a reporter for GMA-7, and she also told us to try the Central Police District in Kamuning, as she knew some of the radio broadcasters assigned there. That was how we got to meet radio broadcaster Danilo Santos at the Central Police District Press Office on November 26. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, I could not get there on time so John handled much of that interview by himself.

That same day, at lunch time, we went to the Department of Agrarian Reform to meet Alex Tinsay. It was my turn to be the interviewer, and I must say that I was really nervous then as it was the first time that I interviewed someone all by myself. The following is my attempt to translate that interview into a report.

***

"A catalyst for truth": that is what a good broadcast journalist is -should be- according to veteran reporter Alex Tinsay.

In an interview at the Department of Agrarian Reform Press Office last November 26, we asked Mr. Tinsay what being a broadcast journalist was all about.

Aside from being a catalyst for truth, Mr. Tinsay told us that a good broadcast journalist should also be driven, hardworking, and equipped.

He further explained that 'being equipped' meant being well-versed in current events, being able to research the background of stories, going by the ethics of journalism, and being able to dig out the truth.

When asked about the skills needed in broadcast journalism, Mr. Tinsay highlighted both the ability to determine the newsworthiness of a story on the spot and the ability to get both sides of the story.

Aside from these, the skills learned in school are also important, and when asked about the academic qualifications needed for the job Mr. Tinsay replied that every broadcast journalist should be a graduate of a mass communication course to ensure the quality of the broadcasting industry. He considered 'pseudo-journalism' a problem, as this often leads to news agenda and sensationalism.

Proper training is very important according to Mr. Tinsay. He doesn't believe in "getting people from nowhere and putting them on cam(era)" and having them report the news. Instead of having mere newsreaders, he wants to have newspersons that are credible. To him, one must "go through the ranks", so to speak, starting from the bottom –first becoming a production assistant or writer- before going on camera.

Mr. Tinsay considers broadcast journalism as a profession. Being a broadcast journalist entails heavy responsibility and the obligation to be a watchdog of society. Broadcast journalists must contribute to shaping or molding the opinion of society and they must give the people a better perspective on what is happening all around them for the good of society. Finally, broadcast journalists must work to expose all the lies and deception in society so as to "create a world that fits us all", a democratic society wherein everyone is free and has the opportunity "to rise up and reach his maximum potential".

He shared with us how he became a reporter at GMA-7. He said that he always had an "obsession to become an announcer, a 'news-cam person'". He started out as a radio broadcaster at the Far East Broadcasting Company but, given his obsession, he was not contented with being on radio; he wanted to be on TV. Someone later told him about an opening at GMA-7, so he applied there as a news writer.

This was where his 'big break' came in.

One Halloween night, a fire broke out at the Department of Labor. 5 people had died in the blaze, and ABS-CBN was already reporting the story. So far, GMA-7 had been silent, as the news anchors, Tina Palma and Raffy Marcelo, had already gone home for the holiday. Mr. Tinsay was the only one left at the newsroom, as he was the so-called balagoong, the new guy. The news director tried to recall the anchors, but they could not locate them. In desperation, the news director decided to put Mr. Tinsay on air. He still remembers his first words on live television: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is Alex Tinsay straight from the newsroom of GMA-7. A fire broke out at the Department of Labor..." The impressed news director hired him on the spot, and the rest is history.

Mr. Tinsay attributed his success to preparation -he kept a good set of clothes with him just for such an event- and to practice.

To aspiring broadcast journalists, Mr. Tinsay said that there are only two ways to learn: the hard way or the easy way. "If you learn the hard way, it would be better. There is no shortcut to the ladder of success." Aspiring broadcast journalists should not be afraid of menial tasks and should be ready to sacrifice and give their all, as journalism "is a 24/11 job". However, he adds, it can all be very rewarding, as we would get to see the story unfold before our eyes.

"You are not told (what is happening); you are there as the story is happening."

***

"You are there." That is one of the reasons why I want to become a journalist in the future. Yes, aside from the skills and the experience I would be able to get and apply if I ever take up law, I want to be "there" when history is made.

The challenge, however, is in being "a catalyst for truth". How does one ensure that the truth comes out when there are a lot of obstacles –some can even cost you your life- in the way? How can one avoid being corrupted by the power given by the ability to control the flow of information?

From what I've heard during John's interview, I can say that Danilo Santos and Alex Tinsay believe in the same things, even though they work in two different areas.

They both consider broadcast journalism as a profession. Mr. Santos told us stories of media men who "received envelopes" and became rich, even though reporting the news was not a very high paying job. He told us not to follow their example, so as to maintain the professionalism of journalism.

Both value hard work. Mr. Santos kept telling us about the importance of research; about always checking the background of stories and digging deeper into them to find out the truth.

If there ever is one thing I will never forget from this exercise, it is that broadcast journalism is all about getting the truth. You find the true story and report it as best you can to the people. It is not all glitz and glamour; hard work is the norm and patience is a requirement, and compensation can be non-existent. Also, listening to both Danilo Santos and Alex Tinsay made me appreciate more their assertion that this job, this profession, can be very fulfilling and rewarding. It's not in their words, it's in how they said those words that you see how passionate and how happy they are in doing their jobs.

Now that I'm concluding this assignment, I finally understand what they meant. After all the hard work we went through, after going to nearly every single press office in Quezon City, after the interviews and the writing and the editing, I felt a sense of accomplishment. The experience was very rewarding.

In the end, it was all worth it.