August 2008 Archives
You asked that we write a sincere response to the question: What are our intentions of becoming journalists?
The answer we give for this assignment, instructed Professor Cooper, should be our real answer, as opposed to the one we included in our graduate admissions application. In my case, they aren't any different. My intentions are to contribute a body of work to causes that I care about, namely, to improve conditions in the Philippines.
Although I have worked as a free-lance writer for some time, my family has not supported my decision to remain in the field.
Rather than valuing my writing, I was oftentimes told to look for more lucrative work. And for a time being, I listened. I continued to write, but didn't commit to becoming a full-fledged reporter for several years, opting instead to dabble in other fields, such as public relations and labor organizing.
That changed after I was invited to join a international group of activists to participate in a 12-day excursion to the Philippines. Our mission was to hear testimonies of family members whose loved ones were killed by government forces led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and to advocate on their behalf.
Reporters - along with activists, farmers, lawyers - were among those targeted by the Arroyo government, making journalism the second deadliest profession in that country in 2005.
While facing death squads was an occupational hazard, there were other struggles Filipino journalists experienced as well.
During one excursion, I met with progressive-minded reporters working at a small newspaper. Because they routinely wrote on crimes committed by the Arroyo administration, they were vilified and discredited by the public and government. They also faced economic hardships such as earning a low salary or, some months, nothing at all. As a way to get by, reporters shared housing with their co-workers.
With so many problems they had to face, I asked, why do the job at all?
One young journalist responded, "So I can help my country."
That should have been the answer I was expecting. However, my own conditioning taught me to believe that the perks of a job - more money, prestige, a way out of the country - should compel people to take up certain kinds of work.
But his answer made me realize that journalism, when used towards the greater good, can be a powerful tool for social change.
From that day on, I knew that I could no longer remain half-committed to journalism. There were too many people fighting wars, too much exploitation on the job, too many starving, too many dying, to be going back and forth about my career choices.
I don't know if I could make the same choice as the Filipino reporters made, that is, to stay in a country where the government murders its reporters. But I strive to be a reporter who makes a difference.
As a US-er, I aim to use my journalism skills to expose the human rights violations committed by the present administration, continue reporting on the US military occupation in the South and other regions, air stories that highlight the efforts by progressive partylist members to impeach the president and create an open dialogue between activists back home and US-ers about the plight of Filipinos in the country.
By doing this, I hope to bring an end to the present administration and foster peace in the region.
The answer we give for this assignment, instructed Professor Cooper, should be our real answer, as opposed to the one we included in our graduate admissions application. In my case, they aren't any different. My intentions are to contribute a body of work to causes that I care about, namely, to improve conditions in the Philippines.
Although I have worked as a free-lance writer for some time, my family has not supported my decision to remain in the field.
Rather than valuing my writing, I was oftentimes told to look for more lucrative work. And for a time being, I listened. I continued to write, but didn't commit to becoming a full-fledged reporter for several years, opting instead to dabble in other fields, such as public relations and labor organizing.
That changed after I was invited to join a international group of activists to participate in a 12-day excursion to the Philippines. Our mission was to hear testimonies of family members whose loved ones were killed by government forces led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and to advocate on their behalf.
Reporters - along with activists, farmers, lawyers - were among those targeted by the Arroyo government, making journalism the second deadliest profession in that country in 2005.
While facing death squads was an occupational hazard, there were other struggles Filipino journalists experienced as well.
During one excursion, I met with progressive-minded reporters working at a small newspaper. Because they routinely wrote on crimes committed by the Arroyo administration, they were vilified and discredited by the public and government. They also faced economic hardships such as earning a low salary or, some months, nothing at all. As a way to get by, reporters shared housing with their co-workers.
With so many problems they had to face, I asked, why do the job at all?
One young journalist responded, "So I can help my country."
That should have been the answer I was expecting. However, my own conditioning taught me to believe that the perks of a job - more money, prestige, a way out of the country - should compel people to take up certain kinds of work.
But his answer made me realize that journalism, when used towards the greater good, can be a powerful tool for social change.
From that day on, I knew that I could no longer remain half-committed to journalism. There were too many people fighting wars, too much exploitation on the job, too many starving, too many dying, to be going back and forth about my career choices.
I don't know if I could make the same choice as the Filipino reporters made, that is, to stay in a country where the government murders its reporters. But I strive to be a reporter who makes a difference.
As a US-er, I aim to use my journalism skills to expose the human rights violations committed by the present administration, continue reporting on the US military occupation in the South and other regions, air stories that highlight the efforts by progressive partylist members to impeach the president and create an open dialogue between activists back home and US-ers about the plight of Filipinos in the country.
By doing this, I hope to bring an end to the present administration and foster peace in the region.
What I learned from the Tour
For decades, single men have come to pre-dominate the streets of Skid Row, but that is changing, as more families move into the area. This trend has worried policy makers, who after a highly publicized killing of an infant in a shelter last year, declared a "zero tolerance" policy for children living on the Row.
Our Van Tour to Skid Row
Recent Comments