SUNSTAR Davao has been practicing civic journalism for a decade now, and thus, it was heartwarming to know that government writers would be able to practice it, when I was invited by News and Information Bureau Director Virginia Arcilla Agtay to conduct a workshop for the journalists of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in Luzon last July 6 to 7.
It was a big crowd for a workshop, but we managed anyway. And since many of the participants have been in industry for years now, we could go straight to the depths of civic journalism and leave news writing and feature writing untouched.
With PNA executive director Luis Morente doing the hosting job, I had the PIA auditorium and the more or less 40 participants all to myself for one and a half days.
Civic journalism, as I lightheartedly explained it to the participants, shares space with stuff like a purpose-driven life as it brings a certain sense of fulfillment when you are able to touch the very heart of the people through your writings and somehow bring forth their voices in their most audible and understandable way enough to bring on reforms.
As defined, civic journalism engages and not just reports. And in so doing, moves the people -- from the masses to those in authority -- to take action on issues that the people themselves raise.
As defined: "Civic journalism refers to the integration of journalism and democracy; the intersection of reporting and deliberation. News and media outlets that employ civic journalism do not just report 'the facts'; rather, they write in a way that creates or facilitates public engagement, conversation, and debate.
Civic journalism reports news in a way that encourages and facilitates public deliberation on political and social issues."
The participants coming all the way from Baguio down to Palawan were receptive as they were able to churn out articles that listened to the voices of the people in the areas they visited just around Quezon City where the PIA office is.
Overall, I'm expecting occasional features that really touch the hearts and concerns of the people that this government serves to start churning out from this government news agency, soon.
It was an added treat that the guest speaker during the formal end of the workshop was my friend Presidential Communication Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy.