Why campus journalists should go beyond classrooms

In the course of Philippine history, several campus publications stayed true to this role of shaping public
opinion. They’ve gone beyond the 4 walls of the classroom and tackled the same issues hounding the
country.

MANILA, Philippines – One can no longer belittle the role of the campus press in the bigger fight to
preserve democracy in the Philippines.

University of the Philippines journalism professor Danilo Arao said that, like mainstream media, campus
publications also help shape public opinion by providing relevant information. Aside from keeping the
student body up to date with relevant issues, the campus press plays a huge role in preserving freedom
of speech and expression. This was most evident especially during Martial Law.

While there is no difference when it comes to standards they follow as “campus publications follow the
same normative standards in journalism,” there are people who argue that campus publications “should
only cover school events.”

According to Arao, student-run publications should not be hindered from covering beyond the campus
because there should be “no distinction between national and local/school issues because they are
inter-related.”

“The national and local/school situations are therefore not mutually exclusive and there is no ‘balance"
to strike,” he explained. “In discussing local/school issues, campus publications should relate them to
what is happening community-wide or nationwide.”

In the course of history, several campus publications stayed true to this role. They’ve gone beyond the 4
walls of the classroom and often tackled the same issues hounding the Philippines.

Beginnings

Student publications have been around since the Philippines was placed under colonial rule – both
during the Spanish and American periods. To understand the role of campus publications, one needs to
be reminded of the oppressive systems Filipinos were subjected to.

The reality brought about by abusive leaderships led to students harnessing the power of the pen. Their
move was similar to the actions taken by the likes of Marcelo del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose Rizal,
and other members of the Propaganda movement.

Meanwhile, before World War II, Arao explained that student publications also struggled to expose the
ills of American occupation in the Philippines.

It was also during this period in 1931 when the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) was
established. Its founder was Ernesto Rodriguez Jr of the National University’s The National while
Wenceslao Vinzons of the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Philippine Collegian became the guild’s
first president.

Aside from NU and UP, CEGP’s co-founders also included University of Santo Tomas’ The Varsitarian
(founded in 1928), and Ateneo de Manila University’s The GUIDON (founded in 1929).

Initially starting out as “apolitical”, Arao said that CEGP eventually took on social causes a year later in
1932 when it opposed the salary increase of lawmakers then.

The guild eventually took on other issues such as the economic crises, corruption, and human rights
violations. It also acknowledged the creation of the Kabataang Makabayan (KM) in 1964 in its
transformation “from a traditional institution to a militant and democratic organization.”

Under Martial Law

Student publications and journalists also became victims of the oppressive government of then
president Ferdinand Marcos. They were among those subjected to state censorship following the
release of Letter of Instruction No. 1 which ordered the “takeover and control” of all newspapers,
magazines, and radio and television facilities.

In fact, the first female and student activist to die in detention during Martial Law was a campus
journalist. Liliosa Hilao, who led Hasik of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, was arrested, tortured,
and eventually killed in 1973. (READ: Gone too soon: 7 youth leaders killed under Martial Law)

Among those she penned were critical essays such as the "The vietnamization of the Philippines" and
"Democracy is dead in the Philippines under Martial Law."

Meanwhile, Abraham “Ditto” Sarmiento who, as editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, led the early
opposition among students against Martial Law. He was arrested in 1976 over an editorial he wrote
which questioned the future of a Marcos dictatorship. In 1977, he died after his health deteriorated
while he was incarcerated.

CEGP, on the other hand, was declared “illegal” during the first years of Martial Law like many
progressive groups. In the early 1970s, several campus publications were “revived” but subjected to
extreme state surveillance.

Yet this occasion paved the way for the campus press to become part of alternative media, according to
Arao. In fact, several student journalists took part in the struggle against oppressive military rule. They
were among those arrested over the pieces they wrote for their campus papers. (READ: From Marcos to
Duterte: How media was attacked, threatened)

“Analyzing the history… [student publications] have functioned as ‘alternative media’ especially during
the period of Martial Law,” he said. “We could say that the Martial Law period prompted student
publications such as the Philippine Collegian and The Dawn [of the University of the East] to rise to the
occasion.”

After the toppling of the dictatorship in 1987, campus publications remained steadfast in their coverage
of various issues such as labor movements, the presence of US bases in the country, and poverty, among
others.

As news editor of the Philippine Collegian during the late 1980s up to the early 1990s, Arao noticed that
there was a demand for the publication “even outside the campus.”

“While students remained the primary audience, we would sometime distribute a few copies to striking
workers so that they may be updated on feature articles that discuss labor issues,” he said. “There were
also times when the editorials published in the Collegian would be reproduced as ‘wall news’ in other
schools.”

The challenge now

The number of campus publications in the Philippines now has exceeded 1,000. In fact, CEGP alone
counts 750 member-publications. The guild is considered the "oldest and broadest intercollegiate
alliance of student publications in the Asia-Pacific."

Arao said that many student publications since then have continued the tradition and the role of
analyzing pressing social issues.

For example, members of CEGP, various school publications, and student journalism groups recently
condemned recent actions of the government against the press, adding that press freedom is a pillar of
democracy. They had previously also condemned human rights violations and other threats to
democracy.
There are, however, still existing student publications that still fall short in tackling issues outside the
campus. There are various reasons for this, including the “pressure” from school administrations thus
undermining editorial independence.

It doesn’t help that the Campus Journalism Act (CJA) – though a law crafted to protect campus
journalists – is flawed because it compromises press freedom via funding and material provisions on
editorial independence. (READ: Does the Campus Journalism Act protect press freedom?)

The challenge now, according to Arao, is for student journalists to be properly trained not only on skills
but also on the concept of journalism and its role in society and nation-building.

“They should know not just the ethical and professional standards but also the history of campus
journalism in the Philippines,” he said.

“Only then can they realize the important role that they play not just in the school but also in society.” –