“The
three best things about being a journalist are that first, it’s a public
service. Second is being part of history, and third is being an educator and a
student at the same time,” Pia Arcangel smiled as she listed down the reasons
that attracted her to the field.
Journalism
has always been the path that she trekked since the jumpstart of her career as
a courtside reporter for the UAAP during her college days. She stated how easy
it was to write and cover for sports news in contrast to what she does now, “Dati kasi I just had to write about
which team won and lost the game; that was soft news. Ngayon, puro Hard news na. I
mostly dig up stories about crimes, national crises and issues, etc.” Arcangel
recalled the difficulties she faced when she was just starting out as a
journalist for one of the country’s leading television networks, GMA. She
stated the stress and frustration she felt in finding sources, writing stories
that were given and due on the same day, and driving to various places with her
small team that consisted of a camera man and another writer. “It’s not a
glamorous job at all. Being on the field trying to look for sources alone is
already tough. You do everything on your own. Especially now that social media
is taking the world by storm, you have to be quick and accurate with your
stories.” The rising threat of citizen journalism through social media gave
broadcast journalist such as Pia Arcangel leverage to be more precise and swift
with their scoops. With the broad range of social media, anyone and everyone
can simply post information online and it can go viral within minutes. It does
not matter if the source is reliable or not, or if the story is even true, as
long as it spreads and garners a thousand likes, comments, and shares, the
story becomes a hit. This is one of the main problems that legitimate
journalists have to conquer every day. But, the use for social media also has
its advantages for them, “It is easier to connect with people using accounts
such as Twitter and Facebook. Each network also has their own online websites
where the public can just click on news stories and read them wherever they may
be, same goes for newspapers.” It is like having a give-and-take relationship
with their audience; they give out information and they also take some from
their readers through the comments they leave after every article.
“To
be a successful journalist,” Arcangel said, “you must really want it. You have
to be prepared for all kinds of things that you will be encountering on the
field. Otherwise, you’ll easily give up on it.” Journalism is a profession that
requires dedication and patience. A journalist is always out on the run since a
new story may pop out at any given time of the day. This is the reason why
journalists have to be extremely alert and prepared. Arcangel shared one of her
experiences where she had to rush from one city to another in order to report
about a tragedy that happened to an impoverished community. Right after one of
the annual presidential SONAs in Malacañang
where she was reporting, Arcangel was immediately called by one of their desk
editors about the fire that was happening in a barangay in Quezon City. Donned with a modern-styled Filipiniana
dress and heels, she hurried to the scene with her small crew of camera men and
writers. She illustrated how chaotic and hot that day was. People were running
around, some screaming and others helping each other out to salvage their
belongings. She added, “I remember reporting there until the firemen arrived.
It was chaotic. It happened during the afternoon and lasted for hours until
late at night. I was sweating profusely under my gown, and yet all I can think
about were the people around me and what was happening. It was one of the most
unforgettable experiences I had.”
Journalism
is a career that gives satisfaction to those who craves to be an active member
of society. Though the job may not be as glamorous and easy as it is
stereotypically seen, journalism became a cradle to the people who dream of
becoming a writer and/or broadcaster. It is a form of public service. Arcangel
mentioned this fact a few times in sharing her insights about her chosen
profession, “What I like most about being a journalist is that it is a form of
public service to the people. Our oath is to provide the public with authentic
news, no biases painted. We share reliable and helpful information to them.”
She also said that one of the best things about being a journalist is, “Witnessing
history unfold right before your very eyes.” One of the many plus of journalism
is taking part on writing history and being able to share it to the world.
Arcangel recalled the time when she was asked to go the Vatican and was able to
see the pope in person for the first time in her life, “It was simply an
incredible experience.” The surreal feeling of knowing that she was already
part of history gave her enough motivation to keep on doing her work. On top of
that, Arcangel also stated about how a journalist is like being a mentor, “Syempre binibigyan mo sila ng mga
impormasyon na makakatulong sa kanila. Mga impormasyon na sa atin lang nila
pwedeng malaman at makuha. Kaya in a way, it’s like being an educator. At
the same time, we are also a student. In every story that we cover, from all
the interviews we conduct, every person we meet, you will learn something new. And
that is one of the things I love about being a journalist.”
No comments:
Post a Comment