IN TIMES where being a journalist gives negative connotation to one’s bank and in times where the field of journalism is more often than not undermined by the society, this calls for people in the field with like-minded ideology to do something about the current phenomenon.
When it was my time to choose for my undergraduate program, BA Communication was never on top of my list. Perhaps, a part of my choices but I knew it is not what I wanted to take. Fast forward to freshman year. Low-spirited, I came to class as a first-year communications major student. While there was a bit of despair that hung in the air, hope remained. Hope in the future and hope in believing in the magic of my first love — speaking and journalism.
Every career fair in our institution, students would crowd the booths of medical programs and business courses leaving the humanities programs unattended which includes the Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Having enrolled in a university where its niche are the pre-medical programs i.e Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Technology, it makes it even hard to gather students to enroll in a program deemed irrelevant and trivial by many. Moving around the world while recognizing that common misconception, the urge to slowly debunk all the assumptions about my program and the art of journalism came fiery.
Everyday is a challenge for us to make people understand that what we do goes beyond speaking and writing.
In every speaking engagement that I have set foot to as well as in every chance I had to speak about what my program is, there never was a day I did not speak about how journalism can be so critical in creating change within communities. For some, journalism has lost its appeal. But to me, it is what keeps our society going further. With pens and papers and pencils, we can curate stories that move people. With microphones and cameras and recording equipment, we can share stories of all kinds which serves as a solid platform for us to be able to tell people the narratives of the community.
According to various media sites, journalism is gone given the advent of technology. Hence, the media industry is combatting critical losses. But what we failed to see is how dangerous this notion could be. What people failed to see now stands our utmost dream — that is to make people understand how imperative journalism is in society even with the rise of the new and digital media. As the saying goes, love is letting others see what they do not see and as aspiring communication practitioners, it is in our best intention to keep the media industry thriving while acknowledging the presence of the media’s greatest competitor — the internet.
In spite of the fact that the digital sphere brought people together with less sweat in the palm, it can never be forgotten that it also divided people and killed habits that are necessary for the society to continue a certain state. Because of the internet, we perceive human interaction with less significance. In lieu of encouraging people to put themselves out there to interact and connect, we stood by the comfort of our homes lurking on the thing that’s ruining us.
When one truly cares for the platform that they maneuver around, they do something about it.
The University of the Immaculate Conception’s Bachelor of Arts in Communication Program has started its campaign about the cause. Last November 16, 2024, the Communication Students of the UIC conducted its activity named “COMM-ing of Age: Discovering your Voice in Communication!” at the Audio Visual Room UIC Bajada Campus. The event was attended by the Senior High School students of the same university who have shown interest in the realm of journalism in many aspects such as layouting, editing, crafting articles, and broadcasting. Furthermore, the event was graced by media practitioners that have long been in the playing field of media to give their insights and to share their experiences to the young ones to ignite the fire within.
With the same ideology in mind, the communication students and their advisors moved along the idea of telling these students that there is more to journalism than just being in front of a television trying to relay a message to different people from different walks of life. The event started out by presenting outputs from the Communicators’ Organization for Development and Excellence (CODE), the academic club of the Communication program in the UIC. The attendees were also able to try broadcasting using the equipment of the club, there were tutoring sessions from the professors to the students, and an engaging conversation from the current communication students to the young ones.
It is a privilege to have the ability to be able to look around and come to a common ground that every conundrum we face in the modern world is a communication problem. While we are still able to use our senses for the common good, may we use it in a manner where we can create a space for all fields — not underestimating what journalism can still do in this time and age where we are under the control of social media. The challenge not only lies to the people but more so, to the communication students and the young ones who see the full potential of journalism and media to save the platform that once saved humanity to once flourish again. Elle Jacqline Butaslac
