CLSU Collegian's 4th day of SUHAY discusses Literary Writing and Photojournalism

Danielle Margareth Piler & Kiersten Dane Olivas

SUNDAY, January 23, 2022 - On the second to the last installment of CLSU Collegian’s journalism skill training, the "SUHAY: Sumulong at Sumulat", covered the concepts of Literary Writing (8 AM to 12 NN) and photojournalism (1 PM to 5 PM), held via Zoom Conference and Facebook Livestream.

Ms. Julia and Mr. Winchester held a concise Kumustahan session with the participants and asked them how they felt. It was then followed by the speaker's introduction, led by Mr. Danver Manuel.

The university invited Mr. Neil Angelo Cirillo, a former Opinion Editor, Managing Editor, and Associate Editor of CLSU Collegian. He kicked off his discussion as he defined what literary writing is by presenting a quotation from John Oldcastle which says: "Literary writing is, in essence, a ‘response’, a subjective personal view which the writer expresses through his themes, ideas, thoughts, reminiscences, using his armory of words to try to evoke, or provoke, a response in his reader."

In addition to this, some of the examples of literary writing were memoirs, novels, autobiographies, poems, epics, and such. Mr. Neil also mentioned common things that people can see on a literary page, like poems, essays, short stories, and flash fiction. Typically, two (2) to four (4) pages are allocated by student publications for the literary works mentioned.

Moreover, she discussed the basic shooting guides, wherein she discussed what makes for a good photo and the rules of composition. Ms. Lim cited some qualities that a photojournalist should possess:

1. You should have a working knowledge of your camera and lens.

2. You should be familiar with art and understand the concepts of contrast, composition, and angle.

3. You must have a nose for drama, oddities, rarities, action, and human interest stories.

4. You must be familiar with libel laws since libel suits can also proceed from pictures.

She then talked about caption writing and cutline whilst citing some of her published works. Ms. Krischelle went straight into what she called the most important part of the discussion: the principles of being a photojournalist.

"Ano ba iyong kaya mong gawin para sa bayan? Kasi if you’re in it for the awards, umalis ka nalang. We’re doing this kasi kailangan tayo ng masa," she affirmed.

At the end of her lecture, the hosts opened the floor for the question and answer portion. The 4th day of SUHAY concluded as the CLSU’s Technical Adviser, Mr. Junior Pacol, gave his closing remarks together with a photo opportunity. Cirillo, too, highlighted that literary writing has its benefits for both writers and readers. The writers are allowed to learn something creative with regard to writing. On the other hand, readers will be given a new perspective since the piece they’ve read was written creatively. Moreover, it’ll also help them be more open-minded in the field of writing and about the issues happening in the country.

Literary writing is just as vital as the other sections of a newspaper. A literary writer's literary work can influence someone. They can express their opinions or perspectives on a certain issue in a creative way, instead of just writing it straightforwardly.

Giving the participants some tips and advice, Mr. Cirillo introduced an easy formula for writing a literary piece, which is the following:

• Hanapin at iugnay ang sariling mga karanasan sa mga napapanahong isyu.

• Magpokus sa mga maliliit na detalye at kung paano ito makabubuo ng isang naratibo.

• Linawin ang tindig ng isyu.

• Gumamit ng mga simpleng salita.

"Lagi nating hanapin ang katotohanan at kasinungalingan sa ating lipunan dahil dito tayo magsisimula," exclaimed Mr. Cirillo, as he concluded his lecture.

Following that, the hosts allowed the participants to ask the speaker questions, and with that, Mr. Neil was granted a Certificate of Appreciation.

Moving forward to the PM Session of SUHAY, the Managing Editor of CLSU Collegian, Ms. Jaira Ebron, delivered her opening remarks. "I believe that knowledge in journalism is nowadays deemed a necessity as a responsible individual, to ourselves, to others, and our nation," she said.

The hosts, Mr. Danver and Ms. Isabelle, then introduced the speaker for photojournalism, Ms. Krischelle Lim, a former news editor and head photojournalist of CLSU Collegian and a former board member of Luzonwide Association of College Editors.

Ms. Lim started her discussion on the basics of photojournalism by differentiating photojournalism from photography. She mentioned that photojournalism is a branch of photography that deals with visual storytelling and conveying the truth.

"Nakakita na ba kayo ng dyaryo or nang nag balita sa televisions natin ng walang photos, walang videos, walang visuals? Parang ang boring; parang hindi nakaka-capture ng attention ng readers. ‘Yon ang primary importance natin. We give the people interest in news, in the subject, maski na rin sa daily lives natin," she exclaimed.

• UST Illuminate 2021: Empowering Media Literacy Education

• Letran SHS iVolunteer Club conducts Catalyst: Pioneers of Change in Leadership Training

• Letran DSA and Letran Policvs hold the TAYO NAMAN sa 2022: A Voter’s Education Forum

• Bayanihan for Well-being campaign facilitates Suicide Prevention webinar

• Letran-SHS STEM Area facilitates webinar on Conquering Anxiety in Learning Mathematics