Module 3: The Professionals and Practitioners in The Discipline of Communication

Disciplines and Ideas in Applied Social Sciences
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph
S.Y. 2020-2021 First Trimester Grade Level/Section:

MODULE 3 – Soc Sci 12 Subject Teacher: MR LYNDON SANTOS
MODULE 3: THE PROFESSIONALS AND PRACTITIONERS

IN THE DISCIPLINE OF COMMUNICATION
In this module, you will learn about the ethical considerations communication professionals and
practitioners have in the performance of their roles and tasks. This module will also introduce you
to the exciting world of communication as a career that you may want to explore in the future.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.clipartkey.com/mpngs/m/30-308948_journalicons-journalism-icon.png
I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
a) define the roles, functions, and competencies of communicators and journalists
b) define areas of specialization in which communicators and journalists works
c) explain the rights and responsibilities of communicators and journalists
d) discuss the code of ethics of communicators and journalists
II. DISCUSSION
ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATORS AND JOURNALISTS
Maslog (2014) defines communication as the fabric that holds society together. It is through
communication that a consensus among members of the society is formed. Without communication,
people cannot agree on norms, behaviors and rules not can they communicate their desires, needs,
attitudes, and ideas-all of which lay the foundation of a society. We can look at communication as
having the following roles and functions performed by journalists and communicators. These roles can
be categorized into three;
A. POLITICAL ROLE
B. ECONOMIC ROLE
C. SOCIAL ROLE
Political Role- information that serves as the basis for the political decisions of leaders and the
public.
Disseminating information- gaining information about what happens on our

country and in the world.
Creating and reflecting public opinion- mass media’s power to influence

public opinion for or against government policies, administration, programs,
and other political issues.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://cdn4.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/10/13/political-speaker-icon-simple-style-vector-22651013.jpg
Watchdog of the government- The mass media checks and balances the
government to keep it from abusing its power
Economic Role- through advertising, people are informed of their needs and wants
as well as the products available in the market. It helps in promoting positive
economic attitudes, such as saving in banks and investing.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pngitem.com/pimgs/m/332-3329043_economy-deposit-icon-png-transparent-png.png
Social Role –help shape national culture
Popular culture- referred as mass culture or common culture; associated with commercial culture
which includes trends, memes, images, and fashion.
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

Entertaining and educating the public- offers a means of respite from life’s daily life
challenges and an instrument to educate the public; soap operas and comics,
internet and computer games, Knowledge Channel and Discovery Channel
Building a nation- mass media as the vehicle for promoting national values. Filipinos
are influences to think and act not just themselves and for others but for the country
PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pngitem.com/pimgs/m/153-1538910_social-engagement-icon-png-png-download-social-media.png
Developing a country and mobilizing people- by raising awareness and by

connecting all sectors of the society, communication empowers people to
participate in the country’s developmental efforts.
COMPETENCIES OF COMMUNICATORS AND JOURNALISTS
Spitzberg and Cupach (1984) identified three interdependent dimensions for understanding
communication competence: motivation, knowledge, and skills.
a) Motivation is the driving force for engaging in a communicative event.
b) Knowledge concerns with what communicators know and understand. It also means
having a plan of action toward the achievement of a communication goal.
c) Skills refer to the behavior or action being performed during the communication act itself
A competent communicator, therefore, is one who is motivated, one who know what and how to
communicate in a specific communicative event, and one who effectively makes use of verbal and
non-verbal communication to transmit his message.
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
1. Journalism (Print, Broadcast, Online)
- defined as the “practice of investigating and reporting events, issues, and trends to the mass
audiences of print, broadcast and online media” (Curtis, 2011, par.1).
- The oldest form of which is print journalism
- Practitioners in this field include journalists, news anchors, reporters, proofreaders, editors,
photojournalists, columnists and layout artists.
FORMS OF JOURNALISM
Advocacy Journalism
- Consciously frames stories and news narratives

as a subtle promotion of advocacies that can
give voice to the marginalized.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cnii4-

YfcjA/TFLlhOWAoXI/AAAAAAAAG6Q/tOHcgvtAHPU/s1600/a_time_cover_0809.jpeg
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

Broadcast Journalism
- Present on radio and television
PHOTO SOURCE: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4f/3a/c9/4f3ac960f53a31c3cfec2eb1b38d5226.png
Citizen Journalism
- Promotes active involvement of the public in

the process of the news gathering and delivery
- Still on debate as some contend that
professional training is still necessary and
important factor in effective practice in
journalism
PHOTO SOURCE: https://study.com/cimages/videopreview/it40yhusfw.jpg
Interactive Journalism
-Seen online or over the web

-Puts together the traditional elements of print
and innovative means of the internet
PHOTO SOURCE: https://i0.wp.com/farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4573849013_2d7483b51b.jpg
Photojournalism
- Utilizes images and photographs to tell the

story
PHOTO SOURCE:
https://www.nppa.org/sites/default/files/news_and_events/news/2007/03/images/BOP_JB_Forbes_000.jpg
2. Communication Education
- Some graduates immerse themselves in the industry to be a more effective educator.
3. Public Relations (PR)

- A strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between
organizations and their publics.
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

- Communicating the good works of an individual to various audiences to build a certain image; it
aims to create a positive image for a company or an organization.
- Practitioners in this field include information officers, public relations officers, writers, web
administrators, photojournalists and spokespersons.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://reputationtoday.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Advertising-VS-Public-Relations.png
4. Advertising
- The nonpersonal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature
about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media
- Aims to convince people to change their attitudes and behaviors on ideas, products and services.
- Practitioners in this field include writers, editors, artists, producers, production assistants, marketing
strategists, and salespersons.
5. Media Planning
- This is directly associated with advertising because it entails
outsourcing to media agencies and finding the optimal
platforms where a product or service could be advertised
PHOTO SOURCE: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/-KJwxj39R9U2RkCWVqRXOwbDS5FbNF1cqayLP4wNK19hLh-
5RxRTu0dVN4dYQL_NX5pKbvb9eNloYULUAnLJIna64-aaUZOntFHUlCg-2e8wXQ3aywoRqSbQ7qKi6WSGieC-OhuR_m0u_Qdp14bbQ7oecpg
6. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
- An approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign,

through a well-coordinated use of different promotional methods that
are intended to reinforce each other.
- Promotional methods (advertising, PR, personal selling, and sales

promotion) must create an impact to their audiences.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.vlinkd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/shutterstock_593775194.jpg
7. Filmmaking
- The process of producing or directing motion pictures.

- Practitioners become involved in story planning, budgeting,
casting, shooting, sound recording and editing and finalizing the film.
- As filmmakers, they work as producers, directors, production
assistants, script writers, cinematographers, editors or co-editors, and
actors and actresses.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://64.media.tumblr.com/c9c3ce3cd7ac2c583b167678b7009df7/tumblr_inline_pe7a21iIDQ1reqer9_500.jpg
8. Theatre Arts
- This involves live performance of actors or actresses portraying a
sequence of scenes to tell a story, to be witnessed by a live audience.
PHOTO SOURCE: https://media.philstar.com/images/articles/arts3-huling-el-bimbo-musical_2018-08-05_16-44-09.jpg
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITES OF COMMUNICATORS AND JOURNALISTS
The freedom to communicate, as protected by the law, is not without its limitations.
There are six main limitations to press freedom (Malinao, 2004):
PHOTO SOURCE: https://pp.netclipart.com/pp/s/151-1517119_icon-of-hammer-gavel-and-doctor-rights-and.png
Libel. Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) defines that libel as a “public and malicious
imputation of a crime, or a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or
circumstance tending to cause dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or judicial person, or to
blacken the memory of one who is dead.”
A practitioner who defames verbally, on the other hand, may be charges with slander subject
to Article 358 of the RPC.
With the passage of the Cybercrime Law in 2012, defamation committed online has also
become punishable by law.
Right to Privacy. The Constitution, which protects the people’s right to free expression, also
guarantees the people’s right to privacy. In the Bill of Rights, Section 3, it states that “the privacy of
communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court, or
when public safety or order requires otherwise as prescribed by law.”
A practitioner’s right to free expression, therefore, does not allow him to disclose the private
affairs of an individual that may cause that individual embarrassment or affect his relations
with other people negatively.
Anti-obscenity. Article 201 of the RPC prohibits practitioners from proliferating immoral doctrines,
obscene publication and exhibitions, and indecent shows to safeguard public morals especially
those of the youth.
Copyright law. The law also prohibits practitioners from committing copyright infringement. This is to
protect intellectual property, such as books, periodicals, materials prepared for oral delivery (e.g.
lectures and dissertations), compositions, works of art and photographs.
Law on national security. Communication practitioners are prohibited from inciting people to sedition
or rebellion against the State. A practitioner commits sedition when he:
o incites others to rebellion;

o defames the government or any of its constituted authorities;
o disturbs or obstructs a lawful officer from performing his duties;
o instigates others to conspire and meet together for unlawful purposes; and
o suggests or incites rebellious conspiracies or riots (Malinao, 2004).
Contempt of court. Communication practitioners are liable to judicial contempt when they “directly
or indirectly impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice”. This happens when their
material:
o clearly shows tendency to impede the administration of justice;

o is directed toward the court and is not a report of fair comment upon an action before
the court; and
o it takes place while the case is pending or has not been decided (Malinao, 2004)
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

ASK YOURSELF: IN YOUR OWN WORDS, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THE SAYING
“A communicator’s right to free expression ends when it violates the rights of others.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
PHILIPPINE JOURNALIST’S CODE OF ETHICS (1988)
I. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to
distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and to
correct substantive errors promptly.
II. I shall not violate confidential information on material given me in the exercise of my calling.
III. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news, photographs and/or
documents, and shall properly identify myself as a representative of the press when obtaining any
personal interview intended for publication.
IV. I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private reputation unless the public
interest justifies it. At the same time, I shall fight vigorously for public access to information, as
provided for in the Constitution.
V. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties; nor shall I
accept or offer any present, gift or other consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my
personal integrity.
VI. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.
VII. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on, or degrade any person by reason of sex,
creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and ethnic origin.
VIII. I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven otherwise. I shall
exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they
may not unjustly lose their standing in society.
IX. I shall not take unfair advantage of a fellow journalist.
X. I shall accept only as tasks as are compatible with the integrity and dignity of my profession,
invoking the “conscience clause” when duties imposed on me conflict with the voice of my
conscience.
XI. I shall conduct myself in public or while performing my duties as a journalist in such manner as to
maintain the dignity of my profession. When in doubt, decency should be my watchword.
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

III. ASSESSMENT
WRITTEN WORK #3 (25 points)
MATCHING TYPE. Match Column A with the concept in Column B that correctly identifies each
number. LETTER ONLY.
ANSWER COLUMN A COLUMN B

1. “I applied as a production assistant to be able to teach film- A. Journalism
making better.” B. Communication
2. finding media agencies that can be a platform of advertising of a Education
product C. Public Relations
3. using Instagram as a way to communicate the good works of an D. Advertising
actress. E. Media Planning
4. commercials F. Integrated Marketing
5. print, Broadcast and Online Communication
6. assuring the impact of promotional methods G. None of the above
7. 24 Oras is an example of ________. A. Advocacy Journalism

8. Bayan mo, Ipatrol mo is an example of ________. B. Broadcast Journalism
9. A form of journalism that gives voice to the marginalized C. Citizen Journalism
10. Journalism that is seen in the web D. Interactive Journalism
E. Photojournalism
11. The Buzz interviewed a celebrity in conflict with an actor. A. Ethical

Afterwards, they expressed that their program is open with the other B. Unethical
side in expressing their other side of the story.
12. Romina wrote a column mentioning an institution with facts that
they were guilty of tax evasion.
13. Daniella, a reporter, is friends with the Mondragons. They invited
her for lunch and gave her Gucci bag for being a good and loyal
friend. Days after, Daniella received a confidential information that
the Mondragon family is one of the biggest syndicate in the PH. She
did not cover the story because she believed that it invokes her
conscience and asked the informant to disclose it to another
reporter.
14. Cassy had been a journalist for 10 years. A scoop in Japan
Nuclear Bomb came in and was given to Marga, a fresh graduate.
She talked to Marga and explained that she can cover the story
better given the experience and seniority. Marga agreed.
15. Cardo was tasked to cover the war in Marawi. He decided to
capture the Soldiers’ Quarters in an angle that covers the food
supply to represent the hardship of the soldiers to fight for our
country.
16. Alyana broadcasted on National TV Flora’s complete name, a
17-y.o student, who was brutally beaten by her teachers in order to
ask for help from Gabriella and DSWD.
17. Bea memorized a famous quote. She decided to use it as a
tagline in her TV show Chikka Second.
18. Merly blurred the eyes of her 5 y.o witness and made sure she
was comfortable. She was willing to stop the coverage if the child
decides to do so.
19. Virgy, a writer, disclosed herself as a Guidance Counselor to the
victim of a teacher-student rape in order to get the full story.
20. Carmel gathers all the data she accessed and decided to put it
in a locked cabinet before leaving her office.
21. Fae refused an order of covering a news because she believed
she will be subjective in reporting it.
22. Ecka believed that being a journalist is a 24/7 job. So wherever
she is, in or out of office, she covers a report even when alone.
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:

23. Yoshi published the evidences found in a drug arrest done in

Tondo.
24. Patricia believed that the Ampatuans did the massacre so she
used their name in her story
25. Erwin covered the story of an alleged rapist and used the word
suspect.
IV. ADDITIONAL REFERENCE/S
YOUTUBE VIDEO: Cheche Lazaro On Why Press Freedom Matters | Esquire Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUYz5mnm6lk
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE JOURNALIST’S CODE OF ETHICS
https://philpressinstitute.net/journalists-code-of-ethics-2/
V. REFERENCE(S)
Abadingo, L., (2018) Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.
Arcinas, M., (2016) Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences. Quezon City: Phoenix
Publishing House, Inc.
Cauyan, J., Brillon, C., Quilicol, R., (2017) Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences. Quezon
City: Vibal Group, Inc.
Cleofe, M., Liquigan, B., Madrigal, C., (2016) Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences.
Makati City: Diwa Learning Systems Inc
Sampa, E., (2019) Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences. Quezon City: Rex Book Store,
Inc.

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Disciplines and Ideas in Applied Social Sciences

Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

S.Y. 2020-2021 First Trimester Grade Level/Section: