By Ellen Tordesillas
PJR Reports
Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
September-October 2005
There’s nothing profound about why I went into journalism.
Writing is my only marketable skill.I can’t dance. I can’t sing. I’m not gifted with marketing savvy to make it as a saleswoman. I’m too disorganized to be a secretary.
But I have always been curious about other people. I want to be where the action is.
When I was in highschool in Iloilo City, I went out with a friend shopping. While walking, we noticed that a couple ahead of us was quarreling. While other pedestrians avoided the couple, I told my friend that we should follow them. From a verbal quarrel, the fight became physical. The woman picked up a stone and threw it at the man. He ducked and the stone hit my face.
I went home with a bandaged forehead.
I love storytelling which journalism basically is.
A police reporter tells the story of murder. Who was murdered, when and where it happened, how and why.
Reporting about the present political crisis precipitated by the “Hello Garci” tapes is telling stories not only about crimes in the highest places but also about people upholding truth and justice against tremendous odds.
The challenge of journalism is to tell the story as accurately as possible. Factual accuracy to the facts is what differentiates journalism from fiction writing. There is no room for poetic license when you are reporting about something that affects people’s lives.
I never tried fiction writing but I did other forms of writing before I joined Malaya in 1983, which was the start of my journalism career.
I once worked in the mayor’s office of Quezon City writing speeches and reports. One of my duties was to produce souvenir programs. As required in government projects, you canvass for the lowest price for the project and you request for a budget. I did exactly that. I remember submitting a budget for something like P10,000.
A relative of the mayor entered into the picture and the printing job was given to his friend. When collection time came, the price became P110,000. Shocked, I refused to sign bill.
The relative couldn’t understand my reaction. He said, “It’s not your money, anyway. You should be thankful that I added only”1”. I could have made it “2” or “3.”
My supervisor signed for it. I resigned.
That stint told me a government job was not for me.
It took me time to do this short article because I can’t seem to find satisfactory answers to the question why I remained a journalist all these years. I have been a journalist for 22 years, the longest job I ever held. And I don’t have any intention of quitting this job.
The work is interesting and the experience is enriching. However, it’s not high-paying compared to working in call centers or in financial institutions.
Some people think journalists wield power because they see them rubbing elbows with the powers-that-be. I don’t know about that. Everyday, I get stuck in the traffic and I feel powerless about it. I meet sick people who beg for money to buy food and medicines and I feel frustrated that I cannot be of much help.
Journalists get their high seeing their bylines in the front page. But I have long been made to realize that it’s really no big deal.
In one of my home visits in our barrio in Antique, a farmer-neighbor asked me what I do in Manila. I told him, “I write.” Puzzled, he asked, “Why, don’t you know how to type?” So much for any delusion of fame.
Basically, the job of a journalist is to inform. His or her main material is truth. It’s a limitation to those who do not have the patience and the respect for it. It’s a motivation for those who value it.
It is the sacred duty of journalist to inform the people of the truth as best that he or she could determine it to enable them to decide and act on specific issues and situations. Truth is liberating and a journalist is privileged to be an agent of liberation.
I feel privileged being a journalist.
This came from Ed Lacson:
i am mailing this because i could not log on to your
blog site. i may haave other comments on your other
pieces later. it is taking so much time because they
are masterpieces..he…he…he
on your becoming a journalist:
I cannot agree more with your view of what journalism
is all about. But it dates you and positions you among
the extinct and near extinct species. Many of today’s
journalists are merely collectors of press releases
and not content with that, become members of “news
cartel” upon which rests their “pride in their work.”
And in themselves, if I might add.
It may be beneficial-although I doubt it since it
seems they have stopped learning on stepping out of
the academe-for the crop of young and younger
journalists to learn from the words of the United
States independent prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald,
who investigated the CIA agent outing case.
He said of the indicted chief of staff of the American
vice president, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby: “We didn’t
get the straight story. . .we had to take action.”
Most of the time journalists also never get the
straight answers from newsmakers and sources so that
their investigative skills-they must really be
inquisitive–must be honed as sharply as possible to
make heads or tails of what politicians, crime
suspects, and assorted other sources dishes out to
them orally or in writing.
In paraphrase of what Fitzgerald said of their
investigation: what we basically just did was to find
who, what, where, when, and why ! [Exclamation point
mine] but that is exactly what reporters are supposed
to find out. And so many of them now just don’t. They
don’t take action.they take press releases and their
copy of the cartel-designated writer of the day’s
output. Then they add their by-lines.
Would it be too much to ask ourselves to believe also
what the U.S. attorney said his team realized–that
truth is the engine of justice [and in case of
journalism, bedrock journalism]? Unlike you, I believe
they don’t really enjoy writing news stories. It is a
just job to them that they mistakenly believe is
glamorous and powerful.
__________________________________
Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.
http://farechase.yahoo.com
—
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.12.6/151 – Release Date: 10/28/2005
Thanks Ed. Mas lo-tech ka pa pala kaysa akin.
You are right in a way about many of reporters today. But as long as there is one or two who do their job right,we should not give up. That’s why there are good editors like you to train them.
Ellen,
I lost my respect for most “Journalists” a long time ago when my father, the late Godofredo B. Senires, Sr., held a high-level position at the Bureau of Posts. A “respected” Journalist interviewed my father for a feature in a magazine. After a week, the Journalist called my father to inform him that the article was finished. And, just as casual as he can be, the Journalist asked for Ten Thousand Pesos (1965 Philippine money) so he can go and have the article published. My father didn’t have the money. No article was published. This may not have been illegal, but I found it an underhanded way to make a living.
Your honesty in your “Quezon City” stint is commendable and I am sure you have stayed that way all these years. Saludo ako sa iyo, Ellen.
Arturo
I don’t blame you, Arturo.
I’m aware of the corruption in media today. It has been said many times that media is the microcosm of Philippine society.
I’m dismayed by it and I feel sometimes that it’s a hopeless crusade to attempt to cleanse media of scalawags.
I feel that the only way I can do about the situation is not be corrupt and live up to the ideals of journalism.
I always tell government officials and non-government sources that one way they can help to have a professional media is not to bribe reporters. It takes two to tango.
Your father did right in not giving the money (wow! P10,000 circa 1965, that was big!). For all you know it was better that the article was not published. The fact that he was corrupt he might also be a bad writer.
I’d like to add to the comment of Ed Lacson about “press release” reporters. When I was covering Malacañang, there was a reporter from a major newspaper who would come to the beat at about 5 p.m. (because he teaches journalism in a Manila university!). When he arrives in the press office, the press room staff knew that it’s time for them to go home. Kasi 5.m. na.
By that time, so many things have happened in the Palace. He doesn’t care a bit. He would get the press releases, cut the Office of the Press Secretary letterhead, change the word “today” to “yesterday” and voila, he already has a story. Then he will fax it to his desk.
And he teaches journalism!
Ellen,
He was a “top” journalist. His daily column in the Editorial Section of the biggest newspaper in the country was read by both beer drinkers and coffee drinkers alike. My disappointment with him (because he used to be my hero jounalist) made me look at all journalists with a “cream and sugar” tinted glasses.
Arturo
Dear Ellen:
From what I read in this piece, I have a feeling our worlds are not too far apart. For one thing, you said you were in Malaya in 1983, and then you know Ed Lacson. Well Joe Burgos was the editor of Malaya in those years, wasn’t he? Joe was my classmate at Philets, UST. Ed Lacson was 2 years my junior. I belong to the class of Julie Yap Daza and Tere Orendain. My major though was really Philosophy in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, class 1961. I am a writer just like the rest of my class. How about you? I have a feeling you must be younger than me. If Ed Lacson is your contemporary, then you are indeed younger than me. I’m glad I read your column at Malaya. And I’m glad to have responded to you invitation for me to log in to your website.
It’s a small world, Emma. I”m one of the pioneers of Malaya. Joe Burgos was then the owner/publisher. I owe him my break in journalism. Ed Lacson was with Malaya before. He is now with Business Mirror, a new newspaper edited by Lourdes Molina Fernandez, also with Malaya before.
I’m 58 years old.
Ed refuses to learn how to blog. So he visits the site but emails me his comments. Hindi raw marunong mag login.
His e-mail address:elmanila55@yahoo.com
Dear Ellen:
Are you also from UST, Philets? I’m a bit scared to tell you my age but I know now I’m older than you. I’m probably as old or as young as the late Joe Burgos. Ed Lacson and my colleagues will know me as Emma Remo Roxas, Philets ’61.There were only 3 Philosophy majors in my class. Jaime Maidan Flores is one of them and myself. Thank you for giving me the email address of Ed. I’ll get it touch with him one of these days. I hope age has not diminished the fury of his laughter.
No, I came from an obscure school in Iloilo City, The Lincoln College although I spent three years of my highschool studies in Baptist school, Central Philippine University. Magulo ang buhay ko.
My boss. owner/publisher of Malaya, Jake Macasaet is from UST. So is another Malaya pioneer, Mario Hernando, our features editor.
My blog administrator has simplified leaving replies in this blog. I understand no need anymore for a password. Just register, name and e-mail address. Mabuti naman. That will encourage Ed Lacson to blog.
Hi Ellen,
Congratulations! At last, your own blog! Okay, okay, I’ll hurry up now.
Carol
You should Carol. Yuga is very helpful for not-so- techno savvy like us.
We need interesting and responsible insights of what’s happening in Mindanao.
Hi Ellen:
It does not really matter what school of journalism one comes from. A true writer does not need to be taught how to write. Look at Harriet Beecher Stowe, an ordinary housewife, who wrote her epic, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” from taking time off from her daily washing time. Yet this epic sparked the beginnings of the American civil war.
I did not go to UST to learn how to write. Because I already knew how to write even before I went to UST. I went to UST to learn how to think. Because that is what is important in writing. The content of what one writes must be impeccably right and a writer’s thoughts must be well ordered. This is why I majored in Philosophy. It was important to me even at an early age that I must know how to think, in order to know what to write. And in UST, and in my consequent masteral studies in Philosophy, I certainly was taught well, especially by my German mentors.
You have already shown so much good in your writings. What is more – you have courage! And that is a commodity many writers, even pseudo-writers do not have. On this score, I am proud to be in the company of my very good friend and classmate, Joe Burgos. Truth to tell, I never knew he had tremendous courage and daring. I thought all along, they (referring to my Philets group, including Ed Lacson), were just a bunch of “lasenggeros”. Edith, Joe’s wife, should read this accolade. More power to you Ellen and may the Lord continue to use you for His purposes. May you never tire to remind GMA that she has no business being in Malacanang. She is a first class usurper.
Thanks, Emma.
Yes, we should not be tired to remind people that Gloria has no business being in Malacañang because she was never elected president by the people.
dear ellen,
i am not a journalist and can never write an essay but no column or article of yours escaped unread by me. you are my hope for the future.
nice blog.
mercy
Thanks, Mercy.
wow! great blog