CREDIBILITY is the currency of a good journalist.
This was the message of seasoned radio presenters to media students from different universities during the fifth Podcast Convention (PodCon) held March 23 and 24 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex.
Atty. Rudolph Jularbal, general counsel of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), stressed that media practitioners must strive to be accurate and credible for it would help them succeed in their profession.
“[Believe me,] once you lose the credibility, you’re not going to move on in the profession you have chosen. So always maintain that credibility through responsible journalism,” Jularbal said.
Media practitioners should be careful of what they broadcast as mass media is capable of influencing and affecting people, he emphasized.
“Mass media is still getting larger into different platforms […] We have to be responsible in order to be in the moral high ground,” Jularbal said. “When we get to the world of broadcasting or media, [these] are the two things that you could be doing—either creating or destroying.”
The station manager of DZRH also called on the journalists to acknowledge the limitations of their freedom of expression.
“Freedom of expression has certain limitations […] You cannot infringe into the right of the others […] That is also true with broadcast, or with media, or with journalism. You can express anything you want but if your expressions affect others, then it can be limited.”
Mara Capuyan, head of DZMM Teleradyo, moreover, reminded the students of radio’s power to affect its listeners’ thoughts.
“[Radio] has helped shape our nation, awakened the cognizance of the Filipinos’ socio-economic, political, and even practical issues that trigger decisions, actions and reactions,” Capuyan said.
As radio is bound to be “timeless,” it should adapt to the emergence of social media and the trends and changes of today, DJ Lala Banderas and DJ Raqi Terra from 101.1 YES! The Best said.
“Lahat ng social media, dapat nandoon lahat ‘yung presence namin. […] Social media is the amplification of radio,” Banderas said. “If you think that radio nowadays is not much relevant na, you’re wrong. We (in radio) are very adaptive […] and we will never go away,” she added.
Students from Adamson University (Adamson) dominated the Podcon Student Awards after bagging six out of the 11 recognitions given.
For the Radio Drama category, students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) grabbed the first place with their entry titled Tao Rin Ako. Wala Nang Muli by students from Bulacan State University landed second place, while Isla Atilas by Adamson students won third place and the Fan Favorite Award which is given to entries that garnered the most likes on Facebook.
Adamson’s entry titled Teresa won first place for the Radio Documentary category while PUP’s LGBT Karapatan at Kalayaan and De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Kinabukasan bagged the second and third places, respectively. Adamson’s Bata, Bata, May Karapatan Ka, won the Fan Favorite Award.
The Radical Duo by Adamson and Animo Central by DLSU grabbed the first and second places, respectively, for the Radio Disc Jockey category. Adamson’s The Millennials took the Fan Favorite Award.
The contest required entries to tackle issues of human rights in the country.
With the theme “21st Century Trends,” the fifth PodCon aimed to empower the students to produce quality content that will show the youth’s capabilities to change and shape society.
Students from Adamson, Bicol University, Bulacan State University, DLSU, Emilio Aguinaldo College, PUP, Ateneo De Naga, and Miriam College were among the participants of the convention.
PodCon 5: 21st Century Trends was organized by the UST Communication Arts Students’ Association in partnership with KBP. F ANGELIQUE ANNE F. TORRES and VANN MARLO M. VILLEGAS
