CAMPUS JOURNALISTS should venture into data-driven stories as there will always be a space in the industry for those who shed light on the country’s economic hardships, a reporter said.
During a business journalism seminar on Nov. 9, The Philippine Star reporter Elijah Rosales said data-literate journalists have become more in demand since the COVID-19 pandemic since they interpret pressing economic issues, such as inflation and rising rice prices, in their truest form.
“When the pandemic happened, [people] realized that everything has interest and inflation rates… And there is a big demand for journalists who understand and commit to data because as much as statements can lie, data never lies,” Rosales said at the UST Central Laboratory Auditorium.
According to Rosales, students must learn how to interpret data within a campus setting to seize more opportunities once they go out to the field.
He cited his undergraduate years when the publication he was part of discovered that De La Salle University had one of the highest tuition increases among the top nationwide schools, excluding the state-run University of the Philippines, in the past five years.
He also advised young journalists to study previous articles related to the issues they are covering as they may provide deeper context and perspectives that have not been tackled.
“If you want to specialize in business journalism, try to look at the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, there’s a lot of data there that explains what regions have the slowest internet, what regions have the strongest production of rice, so on and so forth,” the business reporter added.
Rosales pointed out that while there are instances when a story would be minimized to avoid harming the subject’s reputation, it should not demotivate journalists from fulfilling their roles as truth-tellers.
“There will always be cases where a story has to be watered down or skipped, but there will always be another day to pursue crucial stories. So don’t let one story define your ethics or principles,” Rosales said.
The seminar titled “Beyond the Numbers 2024: Understanding Business Journalism” was organized by the Department of Journalism, UST Journalism Society and the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines in partnership with San Miguel Corporation. F — Rovy Jilyn Fraginal
