Opinion

Speak Up!

The academe set the rules, and creates the guidelines. The students abide by it and perform accordingly. The relationship of the members of the academe and the students is measured upon how well the students respond to the things the academe has set out for them. But in every relationship, the two must always communicate. To clarify, verify and rectify the problems that would surface every now and then.

To speak up is to voice out the concerns you have with the hope of getting it resolved in the end. To speak up is not to accuse but rather to clear up misunderstood actions and miscommunicated words. To speak up is not to protest but rather to validate well-meaning suggestions.

Clarifying issues, verifying matters and rectifying problems is a two way process. Both parties should always have the open mind to accept change. They have to reach a common ground. Compromise, negotiate, and understand.

Academic calendar revisions

Two of the country’s biggest universities – UP and Ateneo – announced that they are changing their academic calendars to better align these with universities abroad.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has already announced that the schools-regardless of their status-can change their academic calendar without seeking for approval from the commission. This is the school’s privilege to academic freedom and flexibility.

The Philippines has been following a ten-month school system wherein the opening of the school year is in June and the closing in March. However, this year, University of the Philippines (UP) decided to move their school opening to August instead of June while Ateneo will implement the change in school year 2015-2016.

Aside from the constant occurrence of climate change-where we experience heavy rainfall during the first few months of classes that usually causes disruption of schedule-which is the primary reason of such changes. The change is also an avenue to ensure that graduates will develop global outlook and global competencies so that they can navigate a more complex, interconnected world and contribute towards resolving global concerns.

The concern however, is that we are still in the transition of implementing the K-12 program and yet we are already considering yet another change in our country’s educational system. With the pace our government has in terms of improving our country, I do not think it is wise to hastily implement these changes.

These changes are not harmful, but the government should consider our country’s capability. We are a country of great people who creates a lot of excellent laws, bills, reforms, etc., but we have to consider that when we take a quick look at our history, we are a country of poor implementation.

Editors are valuable

We still need editors today. Aside from the experiences that they have gone through, they are also the pioneers in the newspaper business. They are the backbone of every newspaper copy that is published every day. Reporters rely to them to make sure that there are no errors in the story they’ve written. A mistake could go a lot of way; it would be humiliating both for the reporter’s name and the paper. A news editor is responsible for a steady and continuous inflow of up-to-the-minute news into newspaper office.

While the copy editor serves more like a mentor or a teacher, its task is still valuable in completing the paper. He/she is the one that does the correcting of the mistakes committed by the reporters. 

Being an editor is a very strenuous job. You need passion and heart to be able to sustain and make it a career. If you have the drive and motivation and if you really love doing it, then hindrance is just a word.

No Obituaries for print media

The inception of the internet has tremendously changed the landscape of journalism. Information can now be accessed in matters of seconds. Information that used to take weeks and months to get to people is now readily available by means of the internet. Distance and location is no longer a problem.

Speed and interactivity, characteristics that the internet possesses are the factors that threaten the existence of print media. Real-time journalism takes the least of hassle, editing and correcting articles happens in a flash and it is shared immediately. Print media, however takes the time to edit and layout texts and picture before finally printing and distributing it.

Reliability and accessibility is on the other hand the assets of print media.  Articles have gone through a series of editing before being published, making it more reliable and credible. Print media can also reach the poorest of the poor. People with no access to internet can easily access a printed material.

The threat of the extinction of print media will always be present but the possibility of it happening depends on need of the people the print media is catering to. As long as print media meets its purpose and cater to the need of the public, no extinction is going to take place.