Let me start off by saying that this was all a mistake.
I had no plans of taking Broadcast Journalism 101 during the registration period. None at all. I put this class on my registration form only as a hedge against the possibility of my getting only 15 units for the semester. At that time I was scared and confused, just fresh from a year as a non-major. I did not know what to expect from my new course so I wanted to get 18 units, just so I could drop one subject should the need arise without fear of becoming under-loaded.
I did not know then what I was walking into.
My first day was a disaster. Torrential rains and the subsequent floods slowed traffic to a crawl, so much so that what was normally only a 30 minute drive became a two hour nightmare. I came into class looking like someone who just came out of a tornado; my hair was a mess and my clothes were in disorder. To top it all off, my timing could not have been any worse; a few minutes after I sat down I was called to the front to introduce myself. I had no idea what to do. It was a good thing that the directions were written on the board, so I answered all the questions. That was when I was tagged (I think) as “Attorney Obidos”, since I mentioned that I wanted to become a lawyer someday. Up until today everyone in class knows me as “Attorney”, and somehow that nickname has also spread outside the classroom.
The first assignment was a real shocker. We were told to go out and interview two –yes, that’s right, TWO broadcast journalists. I had not done any interviews before, save for the group interview we did for Comm 3 the past semester. However, this was different. We were split into pairs, and we had to hunt down one radio and one television reporter within two weeks. My partner, John, and I did not know where to start. We went to different places all over Quezon City before we got a break. We interviewed Danilo Santos for radio and Alex Tinsay for TV.
Before that assignment, I was already questioning my choice of classes. The workload was just too much. After that assignment, however, things changed. The experience of running around chasing down leads was exciting, to say the least. The people we met on the way and the places we went to further added to my knowledge of the world. The interviews had the largest impact. We were lucky enough to meet two people who were extremely dedicated to their profession, people who really loved their job. And I think that it rubbed off on me. Right there and then, after we interviewed Alex Tinsay, I felt that I really wanted to become a reporter.
I never complained after that. Besides, I was learning so much in class –much more than from my other subjects- that I looked forward to every Thursday. Yes, it’s true, even though I always ended up arriving late; I really have trouble with morning classes. The first-hand accounts of what it was like working as a broadcaster were my favorites; it always amused me to know about what was really happening when the microphones and the cameras were turned off.
Of course, the work never ended. We reduced three pages of text to one page of only four sentences. We covered talks and gathered soundbites, which we promptly converted into news copy. The only problem I had at this time was my lack of access to equipment. I had to borrow a voice recorder from a friend, and that was only when she was not using it. Come to think of it, the entire course could have been more enjoyable if the equipment we needed –recorders, cameras, computers, audio-visual equipment- were available for our use. I know that I’m asking too much, given the budget constraints of the university, but that’s my opinion.
Anyway, we just finished our final presentation yesterday. Our radio presentation last week turned out better than we had hoped, and now I hope that our TV newscast turns out to be even better. The preparations for the final presentations was another great but extremely stressful experience. We were told to prepare 5 stories each; two stories for radio and three stories for TV. My groupmates and I got stories from Ayala, Mendiola, EDSA, and even Baguio City. The lack of proper equipment –especially cameras- caused problems for us, though in the end, we did manage to give a good presentation.
I really enjoyed the course. After each assignment or project I always felt a profound sense of accomplishment. I always felt that all my hard work was not wasted, that it was all worth it. Now, at the end of the semester, I can say that whatever misgivings I had in the beginning are now gone. I’m really thankful that the Computerized Registration System gave me a slot in this class.
However, it was all still a mistake. Now I find that I REALLY want to be a journalist. What’s wrong with that, you ask? THAT puts my dream of becoming a lawyer someday in jeopardy; I’m enjoying my work so much that I would most probably decide NOT to go to law school once I graduate.
One other thing which inspired me this semester was one conversation I had with our professor. I haven’t told many people about this yet, but since the semester is about to end, what the heck.
I was filling up my classcard at the Broadcast Communication department. I had just finished my report on the history of broadcast news that day and I was curious as to how I fared in that report. Professor Estonilo told me that I did good, that I knew my report well. She also told me that she thought that I would become a reporter someday, and that I was well-suited for the Congress beat. However, what she said next really struck me hard:
“Itaga mo sa bato, magiging reporter ka.”
Thank you, Ma’am.
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