UP Radio Circle’s Elevate 10: Versatility Amid Diversity, discussing Photojournalism and Broadcasting

Danielle Margareth Piler & Brickette Gwen Agpaoa

SATURDAY, November 20, 2021 - Equipping the youth with advanced and basic journalism skills that will enable them to sustain the integrity of journalistic professions, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Radio Circle commenced the first day of their annual student journalism workshop entitled, “Elevate 10” with the theme, “Versatility Amid Adversity”. The said workshop was divided into two sessions: Photojournalism (10 AM to 12 NN) and Broadcasting (2 PM to 4 PM), both were aired via Zoom Conference participated by students from various school publications.

Ms. Jonette Manalo, the webinar host, momentarily welcomed and expressed her gratitude to the attendees. She then introduced Mr. Jimmy Domingo, a Correspondent of Bangkok Licas, a Contributing Photographer in ABS-CBN News, and a Lecturer in De La Salle University, UP Diliman, and UP Visayas, for the topic of Photojournalism.

Mr. Domingo kicked his lecture off by emphasizing the significance of Ethics in the production, consumption, and dissemination of news pictures. He mentioned that images, photography, specifically photojournalism, hold a prominent place and power in media. He also raised the common issues pertaining to the field of photojournalism: Manipulation, Privacy, and Graphic Content. The said matters are inevitable, hence, it ruins the sensitivity and authenticity of an image.

“Sa ngayon, dahil sa social media, yung pictures natin ay mabilis na kumakalat,” he remarked, indicating that fake information — also the content of images, spreads like wildfire towards the public. “Ang camera, hindi naka-capture lahat dahil sa limitations ng frame,” Mr. Jimmy added.

With regard to this matter, he suggested that whenever an individual shares their work in public, they should add a caption relating it to their photographs to avoid misunderstandings.He then related the current pandemic to his discussion. To which he stated that photojournalists are a frontliner of a news organization in the scene of any occurring event — as they have confronted ethical issues every day and the struggles that photojournalists are undergoing are tough and very hard to get over with than the assignment itself.

Mr. Domingo also presented a diagram that illustrated the four (4) owners of an image: Subject, Photographer, Editor/Publisher, even the Viewers itself. “Yung mga audience o viewers, meron na silang platform para makapag-comment, makapag-react...So, in that sense, may-ari rin sila ng image,” said Mr. Jimmy.

As his lecture neared its end, Mr. Jimmy discussed the Photojournalists’ Code of Ethics. During the discussion, he commented that the primary goal of photojournalists should be the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. According to him, he was upset with the fact that when manipulated images were discovered and exposed, it was the day when photography lost its innocence.

Mr. Domingo ended his lecture with the statement: “Ating ipaglaban ang Press Freedom. Stop killing Photojournalism. Kailangan mayroon tayong ethical practices.”

As soon as his talk concluded, Ms. Manalo opened the Question and Answer portion. Mr. Domingo was then awarded the Certificate of Appreciation, followed by a photo opportunity to formally conclude the first topic.

Moving on with the topic of Broadcasting, Ms. Manalo gladly welcomed Mr. Raffy Tima, a Journalist, Producer, and Presenter at GMA Network and GMA News TV.

Mr. Tima went on to discuss the situation of broadcasting in the age of new emerging media. Additionally, he also tackled the division between traditional media and social media, as it greatly affects journalism.

He then talked about how broadcasters counter misinformation by doing their work accurately and passionately. Mr. Raffy expounded how the perception of the public, especially in social media, very much affected journalism as well as the journalists.

Right after his discussion, the floor for the Question & Answer portion was opened to which the audience asked numerous questions of their own to satisfy their eagerness. The workshop ended with the closing remarks delivered by Ms. Manalo, along with the awarding of the certificate of appreciation to Mr. Raffy Tima, together with a photo opportunity with the audience as the first installment for Elevate 10 successfully concluded.

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