THE stories that are pouring out pinch the hearts and can whack you unawares. But still we plod on to tell their story: the victims, the rescuers, the modern day heroes who displayed courage amid the horrifying fire that was eating up the four-storey NCCC Mall.
It is in these stories that we put together, albeit sometimes with difficulty, that we celebrate the lives of those who have gone ahead as well as fan hope to those left behind; whether as families now having to suffer the loss of one or the workers who suddenly lost their jobs and even the owners, who I'm sure have projected a Christmas season profit that has been buoyed through all these 15 years by the patronage of the people of the southern parts.
While there may be the penchant to share rumors and gossips and conspiracy theories over the social media, that is where we draw the line to define what journalists do.
We are not here to fan unfounded speculations. We may sometimes be slower than the rest in posting developments on our Facebook account. But that is what differentiates journalism from social media: the discipline of verification.
By sticking to that important element of journalism, the discipline of verification, we serve our community to the best of our ability without taking them on a wild ride of uncertainties and unfounded theories.
It is through the braggadocio of many, through the years that have passed, which blurred the lines between journalism, showbiz, and rumor-mongering. It is through the race for ratings that brought about a brand of journalism that is more entertainment and trivia than stories that matter. Through this braggadocio and race for ratings, what is drummed up is that journalists should be objective and should not side with anyone.
Thus, we bring back to the table what we have been taught about the elements of good journalism as pushed by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel their book "The Elements of Journalism", which has for so long become like a bible to the practice.
It is the method that is objective, the way the information is verified and checked from different sources, the way the embellishment provided by the conspiracy theorists and ordinary kibitzer with too much opinion are sifted out. But in the end, the journalist remains a human and is called upon by this human nature to side with what is just, true, and what contributes to the propagation of universal values which draws out the human in us and our community, and not the animal that is unleashed when the truth is stretched to incredible levels.
As we trod on through all these developments that Davao City has been walloped with, we reinforce our commitment to deliver only good journalism.