The Working Newsroom

SEATWORK!

Give us your truthful, honest, unvarnished opinion of Philippine news media

What do you think is the role of the news media?

If someone gives an interview or holds a press conference, is the media obliged to report only the angle that the interviewer wants to highlight?

SEATWORK PA RIN!

Who do you think makes the ultimate decision on what stories get covered?

Who decides what stories go to print or get aired?

Who should you go for? Broadcast, print, or online?

Would you give gas money to reporters and cameramen?

The PERCEPTIONS

Media is melodrama Media is driven by ratings and

commercialism Media only listens to the powerful and

the personalities Media is corrupt Media asks the most stupid of questions Media likes bad news, and only bad

news

The REALITY

Partly true But also partly untrue In part, there is a great

misconception on the role of media Who is at fault?

Media Source Viewer

The BASICS

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.

American press institute

The BASICS

“A journalist is someone employed to regularly engage in gathering, processing, and disseminating (activities) news and information (output) to serve the public interest (social role).” Study by University of Dayton assistant

professor Jonathan Peters and Edson C. Tandoc Jr., of the Missouri School of Journalism

“News is what someone wants suppressed. Everything else is advertising. The power is to set the agenda. What we print and what we don’t print matter a lot.”– Katharine Graham

“Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”– Henry Anatole Grunwald

“Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it.” – Horace Greeley

I fear three newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets - Napoleon

If I had my choice, I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from hell before breakfast - Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac river, the headline that afternoon would read: President can’t swim - Lyndon B. Johnson

“I became a journalist because I did not want to rely on newspapers for information.” ― Christopher Hitchens

“By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community.” ― Oscar Wilde

A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself - Arthur Miller

What media is not….

Contrary to what most people think, journalists do not just report what they see or hear They ask, listen, and observe Then they use editorial judgment to

determine what is relevant and newsworthy, and then rush this information on air or into print

Journalism is not stenography!

Understanding the relationship between journalists and their sources necessitates an understanding: media’s role media’s goal media’s processes and effects

ROLES AND GOALS

independent and responsible media is a necessity in any democracy

media acts as the middleman leaders and the led actors and the viewers/readers for the voiceless, the unheard, the

underrepresented bridge between what happens, and what

happens next Enlighten, educate The fiscalizer, activist

ROLES AND GOALS

media is not a platform; the medium (print, broadcast, online) is the platform

media is not the mouthpiece; it is independent, part of a social contract support and patronage in exchange for a

job well done

ROLES AND GOALS

media’s job is not to report on what you have said or done, e.g. press conferences, photo opportunities, events, etc that is the job of your PR person otherwise, the person who holds the

most events and talks the most should get the lion’s share of coverages

media is not stenography

ROLES AND GOALS

media exercises editorial judgement to determine what stories/issues/events

are to be covered of these events, what particular data

should “go on top” news angling or news peg how to present that data or angle in a

manner that would interest the public

A word on news angles and news pegs angling is the determination of what

could be the most important/significant peg of a story or event

different from sensationalizing. Sensationalizing is making a story appear to be bigger than it really is

A word on news angles and news pegs the angle you want is not necessarily

what interests the journalist complaints of context,

sensationalism, etc

THE ROLE OF MEDIA

to exercise sound, independent, and responsible editorial judgement in order to inform and enlighten the public on critical issues that are important for them to make an informed decision or action

key is sound, independent, editorial judgement

Media’s job is to

make the important interesting not all important issues are ‘interesting’

to the general public e.g. taxes, peace talks, political debates,

etc and the interesting relevant

is there more to an interesting event or an oddity that we can learn from?

For example, stories on crime, abnormal behaviour, etc

BREAKING IT DOWN

Print Broadcast

Radio and tv Online

Online news Social media

PRINT IN PH

580 newspapers 49 magazines 16 other news publications Printing 2 million copies Majority of readers are males above

30 Big papers Inquirer, Star, Bulletin

TV in PH

352 TV stations/12 in MM 782 CATV stations Government runs NBN4 and RnB

Radio in PH

49 stations in MM In countryside, 392 AM 782 FM Big Four:

DZRH DZXL DZMM AKSYON

ONLINE PH

304 registered ISPs 4.3M landline subscribers 83.2M cellphone subscribers 33.8M internet users 9.5M twitter users (10th in world)29.8 FB users

Bear in mind

Each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses

Some of them overlap, but not all

However…

Journalism hews to its basics, regardless of the medium Accuracy Fairness and balance Timeliness Relevance

Nagkakaiba sa

Production values Elements and needs

Deadlines Commercial issues

The traditional journalism formula 5Ws 1H

Who What When Where Why how

THE NEWS AND THE NEWSROOM frontline journalists deskmen editors owners/publishers

JOURNALISTS

are tasked with sourcing data gathering interviews witnessing events interacting with sources the data they collect is the baseline

for stories published

JOURNALISTS

the media sector most people are familiar with

not all journalists are frontline journalists ground pounders news readers commentators and columnists

NEWS DESk

Map out coverage of the day Normally plans the night before Deploys reporters Receives “advisories” Advises reporters on coverage and

story angling

EDITORS

the gatekeepers decide which journalists cover which

beats decide on a general coverage schedule ultimately, decide which stories are

used or pursued decide how to treat a story

that is why they are called the gatekeepers

OWNERS/PUBLISHERS

own the infrastructure employ the journalists determine overall policies of media

agencies is it independent, or beholden etc

determine priorities vis-à-vis commercial vs editorial decisions

Journalists, editors, publishers… they all have interests

personal political cultural/tribal religious financial

What matters is how you subsume the interests to the main role

THE NEWS ROOM PROCESS

at the end of a day, editors and deskmen decide on a coverage plan for the next day

plan is transmitted to the journalist journalist proceeds with the coverage

plan leeway given for flexibility and adaptation ideally, journalist can coordinate with a

senior editor (city editor or deskman

THE NEWSROOM PROCESS

before midday, story conferences, story directions

midafternoon story advisories by reporters

late afternoon story conferences editorial work

CHANGING MEDIA

earlier models, media relied merely on official reports. What you get is simply what the sitting politician wants you to hear

before the 19th century, newspapers printed mostly official dispatches from the frontline

by the end of the 19th century, media was becoming more independent

advent of 21st century, new models are changing the definition of media

What this means to YOU

Getting in means Knowing who to interact with Delivering a clear and compelling

message Delivering the message in a timely

manner (deadlines!) Being able to assist with production

requirements

For example:

Online media has the most space; It also has the most distractions The key: Compelling stories Firm and clear messages Good messaging using online tools Audio Video Graphics

For example

remember that online news has no fixed “deadline”

24 hour news cycle You can squeeze in most of the time; it’s knowing how not to get thrown

into the trash bin because you caught everyone at a bad time

For example

Know the best time to get in Know the news cycle Deadlines, ora de peligro Choose your battles Do you fight for space vs

mainstream news? Do you opt for slow news days and

times? Do you opt for current affairs?

Remember!

News now has a 24-hour cycle But even then, there are so-called

primetimes Newsrooms have a need; you can

either get in the way by being clutter, or help them fill that need

Salamat po!

SESSION 2

Working with MEDIA

SEATWORK!

Have you ever had a negative experience with the media?

Have you ever been asked for money or gifts by the media?

Do you think it is normal to give money or gifts to media?

Should you feed the media?

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA ETHICS Ideally, journalists do not accept

money or expensive gifts from sources

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA ETHICS Ideally, journalists cover stories

because of their relevance or news value Not for personal reasons Not for financial reasons

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA ETHICS Ideally, journalists write stories

because of their relevance or news value Not for personal reasons Not for financial reasons

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA ETHICS

Friendships are allowed, of course! But journos must be careful not to cross

the line News judgment is impaired Biases become apparent

Perceived and real

DURING COVERAGE…

Should you pay for hotel rooms, plane fares, food, allowances, etc?

IDEALLY:

Journalists pay their way through any coverage

This includes hotels, plane fares, food, etc

Realistically, some smaller news organizations have difficulty funding coverages Do you pay for them? Grey area?

DURING PRESSERS

Should you feed reporters and photogs?

Do you give them gasoline money and merienda money too?

WHAT ABOUT GIFTS?

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IN RETURN? Should reporters carry your

peg/angle/line? Should you feel bad if they have

their own peg? Would you threaten, cajole, harass,

intimidate reporters who do not carry your peg?

Other news protocols

Off the record Deep background No attribution On the record

Salamat po!

SESSION 3: FRAMING YOUR MESSAGE

Workshop from Morning session

Marshall Mcluhan said:

The medium is the message The message is never independent of

the medium used to deliver it The medium affects, not just the delivery

of the message, but the way it is received and perceived

In many ways, the medium has already become the message. Content has been trumped by production values, etc

THE ELEMENTS OF A MESSAGE Issue value Target Call vision

THE ELEMENTS OF A MESSAGE MA PA WEH

THE ELEMENTS OF A MESSAGE MALAY KO

PAKIALAM KO WEH ANO NGAYON DUN

MESSAGING

Malay ko? the most important part of the message:

the content! Something the viewer does not know, or

misunderstands E.g. BBL, BDA, BDP, etc

MESSAGING

Pakialam ko? Why should I care about it? Involving the viewer, making him relate

to the issue, making it his issue! What does it mean to me? News you can use Making the message compelling E.g. resolving conflict, imrpoving lives,

more job opportunities, safety and security, etc

MESSAGING

Weh ano ngayon dun? So what can I do about it? What should I do about it? The action portion of the message Yes, you should do something, because

you are the one who can do something Empowering E,g, spread the word, join the campaign,

press your congressman, or simply, go out and vote

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Messages are best conveyed in short brief bursts of ideas

Not in long convoluted sentences or speeches

TIPS ON MESSAGING

The message must FIRST OF ALL be clear to the messenger

Surprisingly, it seldom is, even in newsrooms

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Brief bursts of ideas because This is ideal for broadcast This is also ideal for

Reporters with short attention spans Viewers with short attention spans

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Do targetting! Are your targets the academe? The NGO

community? Multilaterals? Opinion makers? Or the public?

Frame appropriately Your message Your language Your medium

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Remember the media formula Radio is medium of greatest reach Television is medium of greatest

impact Print is medium of reference

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Do you go for news, or public affairs? Strengths and weaknesses

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Unfortunately, perceptions are just as powerful as reality

So be careful with being misinterpreted

E.g. Iqbal and the “criminals” who took the video

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Sumakay sa mga isyu! You do not have to be lone rangers

TIPS ON MESSAGING

The best message-makers are the best storytellers

Tell stories the way you would want to hear them

Make the stories compelling Assist by giving data, contacts, case

studies etc

TIPS ON MESSAGING

Make it personal Make it something people can relate

to

TIPS ON MESSAGING Your statements and manifestos are

fine But media needs

Data Leads Angles Material

People need To be informed Enlightened inspired

Remember

It is not what you want to say It is what they would want to listen to

Remember

It is not how you should say it It is how they would want to hear it

Remember

It is not what you say It is what they understand

It is not about you.

It is about them.

Suriving the Interview

POSSIBLE MESSAGES

Kami lang ang rebeldeng grupo na gumawa ng blueprint for development

Kami lang ang grupo na hindi lang gyera ng gyera, plano rin ng plano

Tapos na ang gyera sa bundok, gyera naman ng tyan

BDP, di lang para sa milf o muslim

TIPS FOR INTERVIEWS

Confident not arrogant Be personable, not familiar Speak in the language you are

comfortable with Look the interviewer in the eye/ eye

contact