Weird because I have an annoying ex who still calls me up to this day. And we’ve broken up like ages ago. I keep reading this feministic materials yet here I am longing for a guy who’s somehow willing to spend time with me. Sad but true.

I have had a million crushes. One on somebody who doesn’t know I exist. One on a security guard. One on a mysterious neighbor who still doesn’t know I exist. And the list goes on and on…

Weird because I have always wanted to be single. I’m loving every second of my freedom. No reporting on whereabouts. No jealousy and best 0f all–no pressure. And I love Carrie Bradshaw for crying out loud!!

I find watching movies alone nowadays terribly depressing. I love movies, but somehow there’s that disturbing noise of a couple making out from behind you, or worse, in front of you. Sigh. Thus, I sit and wait for HBO.

Commuting is another story. I once watched a couple with their arms all over each other in the jeepney. What a sight to behold. If i had a camera at that time, I would have loved taking their picture.

I understand that guys like to put their arms on their girlfriend’s shoulders, but does it have to be that tight? I can only imagine the ladies difficulty of breathing..or am I only making an issue out of nowhere?

Weird because when i was still with someone, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out and enjoy life. but I AM enjoying life, so why am I writing this?

Weird because my parent’s marriage has affected me so much that at some point I decided not to  marry at all. Adopt a kid. Let Brad Pitt impregnate me or something. No strings attached.

Weird because I know of some men’s inability to keep their pants zipped. I know of guys who donated their sperm to my friends’ hopeful and willing uterus. The guys disappeared off the face of the earth. Up and left. The sperm now became a full blown human being that needed to be fed and loved. Somehow the father chose to be out of the picture.

Weird because I have a cousin (with 6 kids and lives in Florida) who managed to carry on an extra marital affair with a woman in another country. Their baby was just baptized a few months back.

I read somewhere that no matter how beautiful you are, no amount of liposuction or plastic surgery will keep your guy’s pants zipped. Men will always look at other women with desire. Whether or not he will act on his desires is a matter for him to decide.

There’s a song that goes, “A man can kill and still be the sweetest thing.” Hmmmm..

I rest my case.

It became my mission to lose a few pounds. Diets, gym, going vegan, whatever it takes to eradicate the fats that lived happily in my belly. A friend suggested on trying out a gym membership. I said yes.

So there I was running, walking and frantically catching up on the the treadmill as it gathered speed.

But after a month, I felt the laziness kicking in. Working out required more commitment than I thought. I found myself counting the minutes until my time on the treadmill is over. Worse, I have developed the habit of watching cheesy soap operas since the gym is equipped with television sets. Who would’ve known that a world-class jerk would fall for a helpless damsel in distress?

There’s no doubt that exercise is really good for your health. I have to admit that I feel good after every workout. It must be the endorphins. As Elle Woods would say, “Exercise gives people endorphins. Endorphins make people happy.”

The instructor said to combine working out with a healthy diet. I like vegetables but I’m dying for a pizza. This whole gym thing, the calorie counting and dieting makes me wonder why I’m not blessed with a fast metabolism like someone I know who can probably gobble white rice, a whole box of pizza, donuts, chips, pork chop and buttered chicken and still manage to look like an anorexic teenager.

Why can’t I have a body like Jessica Alba? Of course, if I were rich like her I’d hire a personal trainer and head to Marie France and get myself some of those laser treatments–and voila! A sculptured body without breaking a sweat.

I love food too much. I want bacon, eggs and pancakes for breakfast. Pizza and lasagna for lunch. Grilled pork chops for dinner. But alas, the calories, cholesterol, carbohydrates, sugar attack my body like a small army.

Okay, okay. I’ll go to the gym.
 

Major international accounting and consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) reported on June 21 that the global entertainment and media industry will grow by 6.4% a year to reach $2 trillion by 2011.

This is fuelled by the expansion of online and wireless technologies.

Driven by changes in digital and broadband technology, the video game and Internet sectors will be the fastest-growing sectors of the entertainment industry.

Spending on convergent platforms — defined as the coming together of the home computer, TV and wireless handsets — will account for almost 72% of the total growth in entertainment and media during the next five years.

Going digital

Digital media: online and wireless are the key growth engines worldwide.

Digital cinemas will fuel box office growth.

2,000 screens are expected to be 3-D capable by 2009.

Global Advertising

1.) Internet    – is the fastest-growing advertising medium
  - will surpass spending on newspaper publishing in 2009

2.) Television - worldwide TV distribution market come in second in terms of                         growth

Advertising in 2008

ZenithOptimedia (a media services group) expects:

- 2008 Olympic Games to attract $3 billion in additional advertising expenditure next year, almost $1 billion of which will be in China.

- U.S. Presidential election and the Euro 2008 football championship will contribute another US$3 billion between them

- Global ad expenditure across all major media in 2008 will hit $489.3 billion
 
- Television will account for 37.7 percent ($180.3 billion), and the Internet will have an 8.6 percent share ($41.2 billion)

Rise of media in Asia

Global managing partner for Price Waterhouse Coopers, Marcel Fenez, reported that overall rates of growth for Asia exceed any other part of the world.

Region Compound annual growth
Asia 13.5%
Europe, Middle East and Africa 6.8%
US 5.3%
The markets of Asia are actually being driven, primarily by spending over mobile and wireless platforms.

China and India markets are the driving the growth.

India has 6 million mobile subscribers per month.

Japan and Korea are leading the wireless and mobile TV media.

Top 4 growth sectors in Asia:

1.) Television -  the fastest growing media driven by mobile television and IP TV not just in Hong Kong

2.) Internet

3.) Casinos -Macau is now bigger than Las Vegas.

4.) Video games

The music industry actually grew 15.6% in Asia in 2006.

90% of that digital distribution is actually on the mobile phone rather than online, and that is a feature that separates Asia from the rest of the world.

Top 4 growth sectors in the world:

1.) Internet
2.) Television
3.) Video games
4.) Casinos

Growth of the Casino
More governments are turning to the power of legalized gaming to fund everything from education for the children to prescription drugs for the senior citizens.

Casinos work because people are drawn to the excitement and promise of easy riches.

Opportunity:

We are entering an extremely exciting period for the industry.

We have strong growth underlined by broadband and wireless penetration.

This means opportunity and change to the media industry.

Challenges:

One of the key challenges that the industry is continuing to have to deal with is how to protect and how to monetize Intellectual Property.

We are seeing illegal downloads and other forms of piracy.

Change can be challenging, but overall at the end of these five years the Entertainment and Media industry is going to emerge a stronger industry.

Notes: IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered by using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection.

PwC’s annual outlook covers 14 industry sectors — from print, film and television to radio, recorded music and video games — in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Europe/Middle East/Africa region. It calculates media and entertainment revenue from two sources — consumer spending and advertising.
REFERENCES:

http://www.pwc.com/

http://blog.nola.com/business_of_film/2007/06/pricewaterhouse_says_global_me.html

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IE03Ae01.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iaa6d3762913611c738867634e73a811b?imw=Y

Attribution is crucial. Attribution is needed when policy change statements are made, when opinions are expressed or when “professional” opinions from physicians, scientists, engineers and others are used. Attribution is also needed with direct quotations and indirect quotations. With this, any cases of plagiarism will be avoided. Ownership and copyright will be secured too.

Journalists should not tap or tape telephone conversations without permission. This technique helps prevent legal cases that might arise due to the violation of security. The emergence of digital cameras makes photo/video creation easy nowadays.

Short paragraphs encourage readers to continue reading. This is vital for online journalism. Readers online should not experience the hassle of having a long scroll down the HTML document.  All pertinent details must be found in the page without having the user to search for it somewhere else.

Consult the Stylebook and Libel Manual (or your newspaper’s stylebook). In order to abide by a news organization’s rules and guidelines, it is always best to refer to what’s been decided by the management or staff.

Simple words should be used. Journalists should never send the reader to the dictionary. Technical jargon must be avoided unless 95 percent or more of the readers will understand it. If technical jargon is used and it won’t be understood by the majority of readers, explanation is necessary.
2. These media guidelines prove to be a challenge to the media:

(From the Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct)

Do not accept cash or gifts in kind from politicians and political parties.

(From the Journalists’ Code of Ethics)

I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.

I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news, photographs and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a representative of the press when obtaining any personal interview intended for publication.

I think anything that would implicate personal matters or conflicts of interest can be complicated.

Journalists in the name of duty resort to a lot of methods to get news, and these methods sometimes pose a security and safety risk.

Moreover, consider these factors: everyone is fighting for survival nowadays and journalism doesn’t pay much.

It’s very difficult to shy away from lucrative offers that naturally surround people who work in the media. They all come in many forms: cash, gifts, even careers.
Who doesn’t free stuff anyway?

It’s also quite difficult not to let personal issues get in the way of writing news, especially if your own personal beliefs are affected. If this holds true, there would be a slight discrepancy of a male and a female writer creating a news article about rape, for example.

Again, these all require good judgment and decency.

It’s very important that those new in journalism have strong conviction and morals. If not, then perhaps journalism may not be the career they’re looking for.

3. The Philippine media always has, in more ways than one, contributed to communication and information in the country.

A remarkable contribution is the media’s ability to overthrow a government. The media’s coverage of political events resulted to the “revolutions” in EDSA.

First was Benigno Aquino’s death at the international airport in Manila. Aquino was considered a threat and rival to then President Marcos. When Aquino was killed, there was no doubt who the culprit was.

Second came from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Its report on the life of then President Joseph “Erap” Estrada came as a striking wake-up call to Filipinos. The nation was stunned to know how the president was able to cultivate an extravagant lifestyle while millions of Filipinos can barely eat three meals a day.

Both events united the Filipinos and empowered them to overthrow an incompetent government. The media was present to document every event that unfolded. These events now remain in the annals of history.

The Philippine media spreads not only information, but also hope and victory to Filipinos all over the world.

The coverage of Filipinos competing and winning in sports, pageants, etc. contribute to the unity of Filipinos in a global scale. Who could afford not to see Pacquiao throwing his famous punch to his opponent?

In the long run, this might urge the government to cultivate and encourage local talent.

Thus, media’s best contribution is opening and raising social awareness. We get the latest news and information anytime of the day, anywhere in the world.

Because of the media, Filipinos abroad are informed of the latest happenings in their hometowns. People in the city are alert in dealing with the rising crime rate. The public is conscious of the whereabouts of their taxes, and so on and so forth.

The media has made the Filipinos informed and united. The greater challenge now is for Filipinos to take action.

4.  Working in the media is difficult. It takes a lot of effort and needs strong morals, conviction and passion. Working in the media entails a social accountability. A lot of issues must be carefully pondered on.

Given the economic status of our country, Philippine media has a lot of work to be done. It is at a disadvantage. Journalists are underpaid and are being killed.

The true challenge of Philippine media is that it must look beyond its financial status as a business and reflect on its social responsibility.

But since our country’s economy is still struggling, I’m thinking that the money must come in first and responsibilities may have to take the backseat. It’s the reality nowadays. Look at how tepid soap operas swarm our television instead of informative news broadcasts. Sad but true.

5. Media industries must carefully consider economic, ethical and sociological issues over news management decisions whenever a sensitive matter arises.

A recent situation that highlighted careful news management decision was Cho Seung Hui’s “manifesto” aired by NBC News.

Cho shot 32 students at Virginia Tech University on April 16. When, NBC received the parcel, they were questioning themselves whether to air the material or not.

“We did not rush the material onto air, but instead consulted with local authorities, who have since publicly acknowledged our appropriate handling of the matter,” NBC said. “We believe it provides some answers to the critical question, ‘Why did this man carry out these awful murders?’”

But some were against the showing of the manifesto, fearing that the shooter might generate exaltation and worse, followers.

However, the material gave a lot of insight and satisfied the public’s right to know.

“However unpleasant it might have been for us all to watch, we are journalists and it was inarguably a huge news development,” Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News anchor said.

This case has presented an ethical issue to the media. Media industries should be vigilant in reflecting all other items that might be affected in airing/printing the story. The media should remain impartial, unbiased and unprejudiced especially in this situation where so many lives were affected.

What NBC did was strike a balance of fulfilling their social and moral responsibility. They fed the public’s need of information but reduced the amount of material from Cho’s manifesto in respect to the families’ victims.

NBC contemplated on a lot of ethical, moral and sociological issues before they decided to show the manifesto on air. They may have gotten some flack for doing so, but the fact that they alerted government authorities first shows a prudent and vigilant judgment.

REFERENCES:
http://www.wlwt.com/news/12518445/detail.html
http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/2007/04/descending_into.html
 

In some parts of the Philippines, corrupt government officials target journalists, or the whistle-blowers, as the enemy. Poverty and weak implementation of the law are top factors that provoke these senseless killings.

Journalists have taken the pivotal role of checking the government’s functioning, thus they are dubbed as the watchdogs of society. The unfortunate issue is some of them die in the process.

I consider journalists who were killed because of telling the truth as the unsung heroes in our society. They hold equal stature with firemen, policemen, doctors and with anyone who save lives everyday. The facts they dig help the public by raising social awareness. But all that comes to an end with violence.

Journalism has become a noble profession. Journalists put their lives at stake in search for the truth.

Pagadian City is the contrast of a just and democratic society that we all Filipinos want to uphold.  It seems like the city is a ghost town where people can no longer walk freely in the streets because of fear. It’s a city that appears to live under a reign of terror like the Marcos regime or even the Taliban. What a pity. And we all live in what is supposed to be a democratic country.

The greater issue in the article is poverty plus the decaying morale of society. Indeed, with so many poor people, engaging in criminal activities is the easiest way to earn a living. Pagadian is just a small part though. I see crimes everyday, everywhere.

As sad as it may sound, all these turmoil -crimes, poverty, and corruption-have become part of the Filipino’s way of life. Nothing shocks me anymore. It will take a miracle for our country’s instability to cool down.
 

Planning
The manager draws up and defines the print media company’s goals and objectives and how to accomplish them and other favorable outcomes he may have in mind. He specifically identifies methods or actions to be taken to achieve these goals and how to tackle problems should these arise.

Planning is important since it takes a look at the company in a long term perspective, which is considering the future of the company and nurturing it for the business to thrive.

His objectives may be economic or financial. Example: To sell 60,000 copies by the end of the month. It may also deal with community service. Example: For each magazine sold, proceeds will be donated to a particular charitable foundation.

The objectives may also deal with the employees’ personal aims. Example: Awards or monetary benefits will be given to employees with exceptional writing, editing, illustrating, etc. skills. This objective is particularly helpful since it pushes employees toward individual career development and job satisfaction.

Organizing
The magazine or newspaper manager hires and then arranges in a proper hierarchy the human and physical resources essential to the company. He must also assign tasks and responsibilities to certain positions or staff.

He oversees the chain of command and sees to it that the division of work is fair and balanced. In a typical newspaper company, the manager usually groups his employees to these departments: editorial, marketing, advertising, human resources, accounting, administration, information technology and circulation.

Commanding
He spurs his employees to action and motivates them while doing so. Managers usually create workshops and training or add performance bonuses thereby encouraging employees to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

Example: To help accomplish their goal of having an increase in circulation, editors can come up with trainings that would help hone the writer’s writing skills to create efficient news articles that the public would like to read.

The manager sees to it that all employees perform their assign tasks in order to contribute toward the accomplishment of the company’s goals.

Coordinating
The print media manager should be able to direct and bring together all company activities for them to work and turn out well.

He synchronizes and facilitates efforts towards activities like Christmas parties and recognition programs.

Example: He appoints leaders and determines tasks of several committees for a particular activity. He ensures that the overall flow of tasks is complete and runs smoothly.

Controlling
He conducts frequent checks to determine if the assigned employee tasks are implemented and carried out towards the realization of company goals.

Mistakes are corrected immediately and plans should be made to avoid them from happening again.

In a newspaper company, typos are often controlled through a more comprehensive copy editing process. Poor copy quality are often amended with better layout design or purchase of a new printer.
2. News editors face a tough job of selecting what goes in the newspaper everyday. Thus, they rely on a keen and good sense of news judgment, which is the ability to choose and position the stories, pictures, and other materials that are important to readers and that are expected from the paper.
 
Everyday, editors meet to discuss news stories that are deemed important during the day. All editors should not depend solely on each reporter’s news articles; they must surround themselves with other media such as radio and television to keep themselves updated with the latest scoop. It’s always a good idea to read other newspapers as well. It makes competition intense and challenging.

An editor must have a definite idea of the kind of publication the editors and publishers want the newspaper to be and what the expectations of the readers are. From this perspective, editors can easily determine an approach to a specific article.

Example: A local daily has been reputed to be fair and objective. With this in mind, editors are not afraid to choose a news article about a government official suing them for libel as its major headline.

Example 2: A community newspaper chooses an article about a major fire in Cebu as its headline over a government official sued for graft and corruption. Editors do this because they stand up for their newspaper’s standing to be a community newspaper, and thus cater to the needs of the immediate community.
3. For a promotional plan to be successful, I would take into account the following considerations:

Campaign purpose
The intent and target of the campaign must be identified. Is it to promote or reinforce the image of the newspaper? Is it aimed to increase newspaper or magazine circulation?

Example: A local daily’s ad dubbed, “Trip to Boracay” promo is intended to increase the newspaper’s circulation. Readers who will submit the most number of clipped mastheads wins the prize.

Target audience
The kinds of people to whom the promotion will be intended for must be identified. Who will most likely respond to the campaign?

Example: The aforementioned promo is intended for loyal customers in hopes that these readers will hopefully convince their friends to join the contest too.

Audience benefits
Readers are likely to respond to promos if the benefits or prizes they get are significant. Readers will think: Why should I join this promo? What will I get out of this?

Example: Prizes that range from houses, cars and exotic trips will lure readers to join contests.

Promotion methods
This factor is critical. How can this promo reach the readers? How many methods will be used? In what medium?

Example: “Trip to Boracay” promo will be advertised heavily in the newspaper. The company can also opt to disseminate the promo via radio or television.

Content
The kind of content that will be used in the promo must be considered. Will this suit the promotion method chosen? Will the content be made in-house or hire an outside resource such as an advertising agency?
Budget
The financial resources must be verified beforehand in order to have a clear idea on the range of expenses that might be incurred. For each expense, the promo manager might want to ask: Does the campaign purpose justify the cost?

Evaluation
Once the feedback is in, I should figure out how the results will be determined. Instruments used to measure the results must be ascertained. Will it be the amount of letters, calls, etc.?

Example: In the aforementioned promo, the winner will be determined by the amount of clipped mastheads a reader has sent.

Scheduling
Timing is everything. I should pick the best time for the contest to be carried out. Which quarter of the year will the promo yield the most results?

Example: A local daily chooses to run a campaign around the second quarter of the year, where sales of the newspaper are generally weak.

Impact
I must keep in mind the type of impression or effect the newspaper wants to imprint in its readers. Will this be used to draw additional readers?

Example: The ad “Trip to Boracay” hopes to create a lasting impact to the readers thereby increasing the newspaper circulation.
4. Regulating magazines that show violence and pornography should be regulated. This can be done by creating a task force with the help from the government.

Regulating newspapers would seem like a daunting task to do considering the fact that journalists often cry out the idea of press freedom. I think a good option is creating a council or organization that would produce a code of ethics and investigate any violation of the said code.

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) is a good example. Its principal mandate is to defend press freedom and promote ethical standards for the professional development of the Filipino journalist.

The 15-member board of trustees of the PPI meets quarterly. Publishers and editors that compose the board are elected annually.

They also give out awards annually (Community press awards, Annual Science and Technology Journalism Awards, Editor’s Choice Awards, Child-Friendly Newspaper and Journalist Awards etc.). The institute also facilitates seminars to further hone the skills and knowledge of member journalists.

This approach, in my opinion, establishes an atmosphere of competitive and healthy journalism compared to regulating the press which some journalists would think as an exercise of control over them.

Individual newspapers can formulate their own code of ethics as well. This is widely practiced nowadays.

However, journalists should not exploit the freedom of expression and should always prioritize the truth above all else. This, common sense and good judgment too.
5. The following existing media ethics can be tricky:

(From the Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct)

Do not accept cash or gifts in kind from politicians and political parties.

(From the Journalists’ Code of Ethics)

I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.

I think anything that would implicate personal matters or conflicts of interest can be complicated.

Consider these factors: everyone is fighting for survival nowadays and journalism doesn’t pay much.

It’s very difficult to shy away from lucrative offers that naturally surround people who work in the media. They all come in many forms: cash, gifts, even careers.
Who doesn’t free stuff anyway?

It’s also quite difficult not to let personal issues get in the way of writing news, especially if your own personal beliefs are affected. If this holds true, there would be a slight discrepancy of a male and a female writer creating a news article about rape, for example.

Again, these all require good judgment and decency.

It’s very important that those new in journalism have strong conviction and morals. If not, then perhaps journalism may not be the career they’re looking for.

6. People are a company’s greatest asset. The company’s value comes from them.

This has been proven time and again – if you don’t have skilled writers to write news articles accurately, or savvy copy editors, there will be no return on the newspaper business.

If you lose the company, you lose some income. Lose the people; you have no income at all.

If companies were to lose all its employees at once, they’d be worthless.

But actions speak louder than words. Company owners should do more than saying this as the company slogan. People know whether you value them by how you treat them.

Showing the employees that you truly value them can be done by:

• Not downsizing. Downsizing opposes claims that people are valuable. If a manager must downsize, he must cut the people at the top who mismanaged the company. If a manager values people, he must find ways to keep them.

• Investing in training. Investing in employees is a small cost for the benefit the company can gain. Train them to keep their job skills current and marketable.

• Sharing the wealth. This can be done by sharing profits or giving bonuses based upon the financial performance of the company. Reward employees by sharing the company’s financial success.

• Respecting them. Allowing them to make decisions that affect their work and giving them privacy shows that employees are trusted and valued for their contributions.

• Creating a place where people want to work. Managers should make the workplace a place where people want to work and you won’t have to worry about recruiting good employees. Remember, satisfied employees are always the best recruiters.

• Having an automatic zero-tolerance policy for anything that undermines the value of the organization’s principal asset—its people—such as bullying, discrimination, dishonesty, cruelty, imposition of stress and overwork.

• Helping them. Each person would be seen as a source of unique value, so it would become mandatory to discover what they do best – then managers should help them do it.
7.  Financial management is so important in a business especially in a newspaper industry where competition is tough. Money is the bloodline of the company, and lack of financial knowledge almost equates to failure. It is important that managers to have some financial literacy or knowledge so that they are able to understand and plan for project budgeting, expenses, and so on.

Managers must be at least aware of the different financial resources and clients. This will also help in establishing a rapport with the community to attract business, and thus convince them to advertise in the newspaper. It is important that they have substantial knowledge about all types of products that the client sells.

It’s not also a bad idea for managers to keep abreast of the rapidly growing array of financial services and products that he may want to invest in. Aside from the profit gained from circulation, a newspaper company can also earn through various forms of investments.

Mangers must also become more oriented toward sales and marketing so they can come up with plans or promos that would boost newspaper sales.

Of course, newspaper owners can also hire financial managers with extensive and specialized knowledge so that he may be able to reduce risks and maximize profit the newspaper company may have.

This role is not limited to the manager; financial literacy needs to become part of a company’s culture. With this in mind, writers, editors and those in marketing will continuously think of ways to improve their craft in order to convince the public to read their paper and sway businesses to advertise in their newspaper.
 

Journalism schools aim to bridge the gap between education and the newsroom, link the practical and the theoretical and teach technique and theory.

In America, even as tuition rises and the time spent earning a degree expands, enrollment at journalism schools is up.

Bolstered by a larger demographic shift in the numbers of students attending graduate school, students earning master’s in journalism and mass communication (in 2004) hit 11,703, according to an annual survey by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

In the Philippines though, it is less popular, given the expensive tuition fees and high cost of living. Only those who can afford will be able to pursue a master’s degree.

The following Philippine schools offer master’s degrees in the field of communication:

University of the Philippines- Master of Arts in Communication
De La Salle University- Master of Arts in Communication major in Applied Media Studies
Ateneo de Manila University- Master of Arts major in Journalism
University of San Jose-Recoletos- Master of Media Studies

Out of the universities offering mass communication/journalism courses here in Cebu (University of the Philippines Visayas, St. Theresa’s College, University of the Visayas, Cebu Institute of Technology), it is only the University of San Jose-Recoletos that offers Masters in Media Studies. The tuition is Php 12,000 per semester. Only seven students are currently enrolled in Master of Media Studies (2007).

The pay is low and competition is vicious in journalism. Ethics scandals, libel and other controversies have not deterred the public to join the journalism wagon. The allure to the role of being guardian of democracy and the love of writing has sent students studying communications despite what the numbers say.

In America, the median salary of a person holding a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication is a little over $32,000. While a year spent earning a degree at Columbia in New York City or Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, Ill. can cost up to $60,000, including living expenses.

When I was working with Sun Star Cebu (2004), I earned the minimum wage. The income I was receiving wasn’t even half of my college tuition. But I guess pay increases with expertise and experience. Senior writers and editors in the local dailies earn as much as 15,000-20,000 pesos.

Of course, the pay is slightly higher in Manila, with the high standard of living a big consideration. Journalism jobs are not paid handsomely as lawyers or doctors are.

It is ironic that some students still follow the journalism path even after the Philippines held a notorious distinction in the international community not too long ago.

Two international media watchdogs, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) announced on January 2006 that the Philippines was second only to Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists in 2005.

The casualty count in the Philippines is scandalously high, considering the country is not at war. Media groups attribute this to weak law enforcement as well as a culture of violence and impunity.

But obviously, that didn’t stop local schools from offering journalism courses. The Cebu Institute of Technology is the latest college to offer a mass communication course.

Skills or theory?

Reporters go from one field to another. Journalists who wish to gain deeper knowledge and hone their reporting and writing skills find journalism graduate schools an opportunity to go back to school again to recharge their batteries.

Some students hope to forge contacts to help open the door to an insider’s game and play in it.  Although a master’s degree doesn’t assure a job, many say that a sensible credential can help.

Universities claim that journalist’s skills can’t be learned on the job.

Still, others counter that experience is really the best teacher. Part of the profession of journalism is learning by doing.

Successful people in the media claim that journalism schools are unnecessary. Skills can’t be taught in schools. The most important thing is a good solid foundation of writing skills. As long as you can write, then you’re fine. Not everyone needs to go to journalism school for that.

Some essentials of the journalistic craft are learned on the job. Experience is better training than a limited term in school.

Some working journalists who themselves went to journalism school say that praise is not always forthcoming. I’ve heard of mass communications graduates make mistakes live on air that will surely put their teachers to shame. 

I think there should be a balance between knowledge and craft. The experience I had in the field when I started working supplemented the education I got from college. Pursuing a Master’s degree is entirely optional. A good school should provide enough judgment and tools to guide students as they educate themselves in the real world.

Suggestions

Perhaps in the near future, journalism schools will allow students to develop a specific expertise in a chosen field, give them the flexibility to shape their own course of study and find what would fit their needs.

For example, investigative journalism, photojournalism, online reporting and other specialized areas in journalism can be offered. The courses offered must change with the times. The rise of the internet make the volume of information so overwhelming that online journalism courses allow students to think and navigate across multiple forms of media.

A more comprehensive study in ethics is vital. Never has the issue of ethics been discussed and needed until now where different media forms rise and continue to do so.

Journalists try to figure things out and thus ask a lot of queries. Those experienced in the field of media can teach how things actually work, not how they are supposed to work. With this and most importantly, the faculty should be updated on the latest technologies.

The University of San Jose Recoletos has done a good job in tapping the resources outside other than the university in broadening a curriculum. In Masters of Media Studies for example, teachers from the Math or English department are tasked to teach courses in graduate school. Experts from various fields in communication are asked to facilitate workshops for students. I think in doing so, it makes learning much more dynamic. This technique should be continued and developed further.

The focus of journalism education should be outward on the world, not inward in the profession. This would advance the education of the journalist. There are a lot of things happening in our world nowadays that it’s impossible to keep up. That’s why the bigger challenge lies in the journalist.  He must learn how to develop his own journalistic credibility and reputations for excellence. He must continuously innovate and think outside the box.

So yes, I think education is important, with the right balance of technique and theory of course. The degree may not help you right away, but it will help you down the road.
References:
http://www.uvm.edu/~tstreete/MediaCultureUVM/jschool_critique.html
http://www.pcij.org/blog/?p=562
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2005/09/24/feat/today.s.journalists.no.longer.rely.on.school.of.hard.knocks..html

On many newspapers, these decisions are made at a daily meeting of editors.

The editor’s function is one of selection and placement of stories, pictures, and other elements in the story.

To do the job correctly, editors not only must have a sense of what will look good on a page and how a page will fit together but must also have a keen sense of news judgment.

News judgment is the ability to choose and position the stories, pictures, and other materials that are important to readers and that are expected from the paper.

The editor’s first job is to select the news of the day. In doing this, it is essential that the editor keep up with the day’s events and be able to understand their relative importance.

The editor must first read the paper in order to know what stories have been printed and what needs continuous coverage.

A newspaper cannot afford to be episodic in its coverage of important, continuing news events. The news editor must also be aware of the content of other media, not only other newspapers but also radio and television.

Many newspapers provide their newsrooms with television sets so that editors and reporters can watch the local news to make sure they have not missed any major items; they may also watch the national news to get an idea of what other journalists have deemed important for that day.

The editor must also make sure that the paper carries the standard items readers have come to expect, such as weather reports, advice columns, and news briefs.

Compiling and placing such items are tedious jobs, but they are necessary for providing continuity to the paper.

Not only must editors select items for inclusion in the paper, but they also must decide where to place them.

These decisions about placement are often difficult and sometimes delicate. A story may be “played up” or “played down,” according to where it goes in the paper and what kind of headline the news editor assigns to it.

To make these decisions, an editor must have a definite idea of the kind of publication the editors and publishers want the newspaper to be and what the expectations of the readers are.

It should be noted that different departments within the news and editorial division often have separate editors who function as news editors.

For example, the sports, living, entertainment, national, and foreign desks may each have such an editor.

On small and intermediate-sized papers, copy editors themselves may make many of the decisions on what stories and pictures to use and where to place them.

Journalists are interested in events that have a wide impact, people in the news, current issues, events that happen close to home, and conflicts or unusual happenings. Of course, they must also consider news elements such as:

Timeliness/Immediacy
Proximity
Prominence
Oddity
Conflict
Suspense
Human Interest or emotion
Consequence
Significance
Humor
Novelty
Calamity
Numbers

Magazines and their content

Magazine journalism is about news and information, but it distinguishes itself from newspaper journalism not just by the size, look and feel of the publications in which it appears. Rather than being concerned with the coverage of daily news and events, magazines usually tries to take a longer view of events and their meaning.

Magazines take on a depth, tone and approach that distinguish it from other media. Aside from being accurate and fair, they must also be interesting. The main job of the magazine is to give readers information and perspective.
The diversity of the field of magazine and periodical publication makes magazines difficult to categorize discretely. With that understanding, most industry analysts look at the content and see the following four major types.

Consumer Magazines
- appeal to wide audiences over a large geographic area that has a special interest or point of view in mind
- can be subdivided by demographics (aimed at women, sports fans, teenagers, etc.)
Examples: Time, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, Sport’s Illustrated, Rolling Stone, etc.

Business, Trade, and Professional Magazines
-seek to serve people in an occupation or field of professional work
-writers for these magazines must know the field thoroughly and must be on top of any changes that may occur
Examples: Advertising Age, Editor and Publisher and American Glass Review

Sponsored, Association, or Company Magazines
-published by an organization involved with the readers in some way
-a large company may publish a magazine with important company policies
Example: Magazines published by airlines (they are written for people who fly on airlines and contain articles and advertising that appeals to readers

Zines
-small, low-cost periodical that may have an erratic publication cycle and distribution system
-produced by one person or small group committed to a topic or issue
-important because they are a way of giving voice to those who otherwise might have no access to the mass media
-a technological descendant of the zine is the online publication, with content that is never in printed form, exists as a website

Because thousands of magazine titles exits, they have a variety of editorial operations, publication frequencies, purposes, structures and circulation schemes.

Content largely depends on a magazine’s target audience. Fashion magazines such as Vogue may dwell more on the latest runway trends. Time Asia magazine can take a more in-depth look at the present crisis that is crippling Asia.

Types of magazine content:

1. Extended feature stories
2. Personality profile
3. Analysis and Interpretation
4. Literary Journalism
5. Travel articles
 

News Management

The management of news strictly means the controlling or specifying of newspaper content from, and by, sources outside newspapers,  often for ends in which the public good is not a consideration.

This term is normally used to describe the way that individuals or organizations attempt to control the flow of news to the media and to ‘set the agenda’ for the media.

Examples: This might involve holding press conferences timed to make the lunch-time and early-evening news, staging an event which is big enough or unusual enough to grab the media’s attention or the government chooses to announce bad news on the same day that optimistic employment figures are announced.

The rapid growth of publicity and public relations techniques has increased the danger of news management cropping up in subjects where the newspaper is the catalyst between the news sources and the public.

Managed news is not necessarily harmful to readers. Much of it probably is useful information, yet there is a danger that where a journalist lends himself or herself, wittingly or unwittingly, to manipulation, perhaps in return for favor” granted, the public Interest might not be being adequately considered.

Great vigilance is needed, for instance, to keep news management from such sensitive areas as the City pages where planted stories about companies could have serious as well as beneficial consequences for investors.

One must beware of exaggerating the problem. News management is possible only in certain areas, and astute editors are aware of the dangers.

Moreover, news and features go through much scrutiny before they are printed, and newsworthiness and the public interest are the yardsticks by which they are assessed for publication. Yet the danger will continue to exist in the writings of some of the specialists upon whose judgment a newspaper has to lean.

Newspaper Management

In the smaller provincial companies, management is still a personal thing and follows a traditional pattern with relatively few titles, and a consultation procedure suited to the size of the newspaper.

In national papers and the bigger provincial centers control is exercised from the top through a number of executive or working directors each responsible for departments of the paper.

Their twofold job is:
-to provide a boardroom window on departmental activity to facilitate control
-to offer specialist advice for the formulating of policy.

The working directors play an important role in maintaining the financial viability of the company in initiating and imposing budgets and taking decisions. They also make the main appointments in their department.

An average board has working members with such titles as editorial director, production director, advertising director and circulation director.

In other cases advertising and circulation might come under one marketing director. Some companies also appoint a financial director to co-ordinate accounts, budgeting and the business side.

Such directors, either alone or together with the managing director, are the stage of final appeal in departmental disputes, as with those concerning the unions, where the trouble has failed to be resolved at a lower level.

Budgeting and financial forecasting by departmental directors are helped in the more efficient offices by day-to-day checks and reports from line managers – overseers in charge of the various processes covered by the department.

The structure just described comprises higher management. Below and reporting to the departmental directors come the managers who control the day-to-day activity of the departments.

There is usually an overall general manager, who is sometimes also a director. General managers tend on the whole to be involved more with mechanical production and administration, and with the workforce, and seldom with editorial or financial matters.

The production side can include page make-up, and the maintenance of equipment, plate making and the actual printing and publishing of the paper.

It is in this area, where the main mechanical workforce is concentrated, that problems of quality and work flow are most likely to arise, and where the maintenance of work schedules and quality control is vital.

Here a regular physical managerial presence is necessary.

The advertising and circulation departments also have their managers and deputies, and there is sometimes a manager in charge of personnel and another in charge of publicity and promotions.

The role of middle management just described is to see that departments run smoothly, are properly manned, and that the work is completed on time to the required quality.

The managers and their deputies are responsible for departmental appointments, budget control, duty rostering and work planning. In the case of disputes they are the intermediate stage in the procedure.

The editor and his ( or her) deputy run the editorial function as a department of the newspaper, though with more ‘pull’ in terms of authority than other department heads, delegating responsibility to their own departmental executives, appointing staff and dealing with disputes.

The administration side of the department is usually delegated to the deputy editor or to a managing editor.

References:

Abarran, Allan B. Management of Electronic Media. 2nd ed. California:      Wadsworth/Thomas Learning. 2002.

Stovall, James Glen. Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Pearson Education, Inc. 2005

Hodgson, F.W. Modern Newspaper Practice. 3rd ed. Focal Press. 1994

I read Kelly Clarkson’s interview in Elle. I honestly admit that we have the same views on some matters, especially about being women. She said even though she sold a million albums worldwide, some executives in her record company still control her music. “Because I’m 25 and a woman,” she groans.

I’m not a feminist, but she has a point. Women nowadays are given a lot  more opportunities than before–beyond the child rearing, household chores and all. But to see an American Idol being told to do this and that?  Record mogul Clive Davis apparently offered her a million to drop a couple of singles in her new album in exchange for radio-friendly tunes.

 If a pop star nowadays is still being treated that way because of being female, I can’t imagine the rest of the female population in developing countries.

 I mean, I live in a developing country and I’ve seen all kinds of men preying on women like hyenas. When I walk in alleys I hear men hurling nasty and vulgar remarks at me. I’m getting use to it though. But sometimes, the comments get so bad, I wish I was one of  Charlie’s angels and knock the hell out of them.