Campus Journalism: Why Do We Write? 

Campus journalism comes into play when worldwide concerns, national issues, and even celebrations of large events—with all of the sources that the internet can offer—get confusing. It serves a vital role in bringing credible news to our students. With that, let us dive in on the history of journalism in our country. 

Written by: Ysabell Kristine Palo

Layout by: Heart Jaden Reyes

June 04, 2023 | 7:00 A.M.

It was December 3, 1993, when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) officially declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day which followed the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. However, before World Press Freedom Day was taken to UNGA, it started with UNESCO in the year 1991 which originally was a response to the increasing number of attacks on journalists and media outlets at the time. 

The first recorded form of Journalism started in the Philippines when the Spaniards arrived in 1811. Despite this, news and journalism were specifically made for Spaniards living in the Philippines, therefore it was focused on the events happening in Spain. It was during this time that our brave ancestors formed the La Solidaridad for the Filipinos under Graciano Lopez Jaina and Marcelo H. Del Pilar. 

The first published issue of La Solidaridad came out on February 15, 1889. During those times, Filipinos were merely acknowledged and looked down upon by the colonizers. It was only through La Solidaridad that shifted the Spaniards attention to Filipinos. It ignited the passion and spark that moved Filipinos to form a propaganda movement to overthrow the Spaniards and fight for their freedom.

Campus journalism started a year in 1890 after La Solidaridad published its first issue. It was started by the University of Sto. Tomas', with its publication which was entitled: El Liliputiense. It was then followed by other universities such as the University of the Philippines Diliman’s The Philippine Collegian, University of the Philippines Manila’s The Manila Collegian, Philippine Normal University’s The Torch, and Ateneo de Manila’s The Guidon which set the standard for campus journalism in the Philippines. Years later, schools in smaller regions also started a publication within their schools.

It was during the time of Martial Law that campus journalism was truly established; it was at its peak. It was most vital for campus journalism to be alive due to mainstream media being shut down—when those who were directly controlled by the late President Ferdinand Marcos were the only ones who were allowed to publish. Despite this, those who belonged to the Mosquito Press or independent papers such as campus journalists were allowed to operate. This paved the way for students and the general public to be informed on what was happening around them. Some notable universities that were known for publishing issues that called out the Marcoses upfront were De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines. It was said that among the almost 8,000 individuals that were arrested on September 23, 1972, were editors and journalists.

Today, journalists have been given the freedom to publish their issues for they are protected by Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, wherein it is stated that, “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

While journalism is still far from perfect, it has come a long way. The situation of journalism reflects a nation's state. When people are free to express their opinions, it can only mean that the country is an environment where authorities allow them to do so. Therefore, they do not fear the masses because they are doing nothing that makes the people contradict them. Journalists and media outlets are simply putting their freedom of speech and their rights to use. 

Filipinos have been put through situations wherein their resiliency has been tested countless times. People have tried to control, silence, and abuse those who speak the truth. Hence, constants that we can always count on to speak the truth are fearless journalists. Without these publications and campus journalists, the Spaniards might’ve never left the country or we might still be suffering from the dictatorship. Everyone is actively acknowledging that those who physically fought against the enemies are the key reason why those dark times have been surpassed. But It is most important to keep in mind those people who have fought beside them; those who used their words and pens to ignite the fire within the people.

For the youth, it is notable that campus journalism can be more enticing to read rather than those official ones with the big names attached because the one writing here is someone whom they can resonate with. Campus journalism also represents the majority of its readers—young and with similar experiences in life. The one writing is a voice for those unheard and misunderstood for they speak only of the truth. Journalists write with the responsibility that they are accountable for everything that they share. And so, what they publish must be a reliable source to the students while making sure it isn't biased information. Student journalists are one of those who extend a hand for people within the community to understand and open people’s eyes to what is happening in the world that when faced alone, can be overwhelming, scary, and confusing. That alone makes fighting for press freedom worth it, whatever the consequences may be. 

MCS has also been one of those agents of truth as our school paper has been at its most active yet because when the pandemic hit, the gap on the students and what goes around were seemingly endless, and that’s where the Clarionette steps in. During the pandemic, we have connected the hearts of the people through telling stories—may it be a heart touching one or about a group of teens in the 1980s fighting a monster called Mind Flayer. The Clarionette is also a reliable source for our students where we can update ourselves about the current happenings in our school, and even our country and the world.  It tells us a variety of information regarding the local news, sports, masses, school-wide events, and even dates of special events to commemorate. Our school paper holds a very important role in keeping our students and even teachers informed and feel connected to each other despite the distance (and the virus!) that separated us. It has kept us updated with what’s happening outside and within the community.

Writing immortalizes the experiences of one person and can be a proof that it happened. In writing, we can never forget. We can only learn from our past mistakes and pray it will never happen again, but life has its twisted way of making history repeat itself. That is why despite having history repeat itself, let us always hope that when the time calls, there will be writers who can fight the growing fear, stand their ground, and speak up for the truth. We have press freedom! 

Pagpupugay para sa mga matapang na manunulat na patuloy ipinaglalaban ang katotohanan!