Campus Journalism College of Teacher Education

Module 1: Overview of Journalism

 Learning Outcomes
 Define Journalism
 Differentiate common media forms
 Trace the history of Philippine Journalism and Campus Journalism

 Scope and Limitation

Journalism is the act of gathering and presenting news and information. The term
'journalism' also refers to the news and information itself. It's important to notice the variety of
information media today. The news and information can be presented in many different ways,
including articles, reports, broadcasts, or even tweets.

As regards to its etymology, journalism comes from the Latin word, “diurnal”, which
means daily. That is why there is the word journal – daily register of one’s activities. Hence,
journalism is a communication of day-to-day information, whether through sounds, pictures
and words.

Journalism is a form of communication, but it's distinct from other forms. It is unique
because it's a one-way message, or story, from the journalist to the audience. It's most unique
because the message isn't the journalist's personal story or subjective thoughts. Instead, the
journalist acts as a conduit, narrating an objective story about something that happened or is
happening, based on his or her observations and discoveries.

Journalism's unique storytelling comes in the form of reporting. To report simply

means to convey the facts of the story. Even in editorials and reviews, the journalist is
conveying facts about the experience. The story can be analytical or interpretive and still be
journalism. In general, reporting comes from interviewing, studying, examining, documenting,
assessing, and researching.

 Media Forms
The term news media refers to the groups that communicate information and news to
people. There are three main types of news media: print media, broadcast media, and the
Internet.

Print Media
The oldest media forms are newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, and
other printed material. These publications are collectively known as the print media.

The Newspaper
Newspapers are the oldest and most traditional format for the
inclusion of journalism. They are regularly scheduled publications
containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and
advertising.

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The Magazines
Magazines are publications containing a variety of articles that are
generally published on a regular schedule, whether it be weekly, monthly
or quarterly. They usually take a much more relaxed format than
newspapers, with a more informal style of writing.

Broadcast Media
Broadcast Media are news reports broadcast via radio and television

Television News, including radio news, is known as news broadcasting

and is produced locally in a newsroom or by broadcast network. It also
includes additional material such as sports coverage, weather forecasts,
traffic reports, commentary, and other material that the broadcaster
considers relevant to the intended audience. Most major television channels
offer regular news broadcasts throughout the day.

The Internet
The Internet is slowly transforming the news media. There are now uncountable
digitalized number of information sources on the internet. Because of this, information is
easier and there are multiple sources to choose from for a balanced view of facts.

These make the scope of journalism to be very broad indeed, as almost every form of media these
days can be used as an expression of opinion or conduit of information.

 History of Philippine Journalism

Early Years

The history of journalism in the Philippines goes back to the 16th century, the same
period when England and Europe were starting on the proliferation of community
newspapers. It was in the year 1637 when the "Father of Filipino Printing", Tomas Pinpin,
launched the first Philippine newsletter called "Successos Felices" (Fortunate Events). The
publication was written in Spanish and contained a 14-page report on current events.

In 1799, following Pinpin's debut in printing, he again came up with his Hojas
Volantes or "flying sheets". It was titled "Aviso Al Publico" (Notices to the Public), which
served the Spaniards and had a role comparative to a "town crier."

Surprisingly, it took a gap of a little more than a decade before the first actual
newspaper, "Del Superior Govierno," was launched by Gov. Fernandez del Forgueras on
August 8, 1811. It was the so-called first regularly issued publication that reported
developments about Spain and Europe. It was also the first newspaper that included in its

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layout the name, date and place of its publication. Unfortunately, the paper only came up
with 15 issues within its years of operation from 1811 to 1832.

Due to the constraints of the church and government at that time, 35 years had
lapsed before the Philippine press continued on its development. From the first regular
publication, then came the first daily newspaper on December 1, 1846 called "La
Esperanza." The paper, edited by Felipe Lacorte and Evaristo Calderon, lasted only for
three years. However, it gave way to the birth of other dailies such as "La Estrella" in 1847
and "Diario de Manila" in 1848.

Diario's existence was significant because it monopolized the market a year after
its launch and became the government's daily organ in 1852. It was renamed to "Boletin
Oficial de Filipinas" which later ceased circulation by Royal Order in 1860. The paper
reappeared with Felipe del Pan as its editor and encountered another official decree that
led to its permanent closure on February 19, 1898.

There had been a surplus of newspapers but most of them talked about the same
issues and had almost similar formats. Until 1862, a Tagalog publisher, Mariano Sevilla,
founded El Catolico Filipino. It was considered the first Philippine religious newspaper,
unexpectedly not managed by the Church. It was also a paper which seriously dealt with
the problems of Filipinos.

Another first in the history is El Porvenir Filipino founded in 1865. It was the
newspaper that pioneered in two-edition dailies. Later it was followed by Revista Mercantil
which came out the same year.

In the succeeding years there had been attempts to create a more liberal and mass
appealing press. The year 1887 marked the beginning of a more opinionated journalism in
the Philippines. It officially begun on April 1, 1887 with the birth of La Opinion. According
to historians, "it was the first paper to defy the friars and campaigned for the ouster of the
religious…"

Period of Revolution

In February 19, 1889 La Solidaridad came out as the "mouthpiece of the

revolution." It operated with its policies "to work peacefully for social and economic
reforms, to expose the real plight of the Philippines and to champion liberalism and
democracy." The staff of the paper was comprised of known personas like Jose Rizal,
Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Andres Bonifacio, Pio Valenzuela and Graciano
Lopez-Jaena. The later became the founding editor until he was succeeded by del Pilar on
October 31, 1889. The paper ceased publication on November 15, 1895 which was then
followed by the death of its second and last editor in the early 1896.

From the reformists' newspapers, the secret society of rebels or better known as the
Katipunan also came up with their own publication. They established "Ang Kalayaan"
(Liberty) on January 1, 1896. It was edited by Pio Valenzuela, Emilio Jacinto and Andres

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Bonifacio. Unfortunately, it only came out with one issue when a Katipunero betrayed the
secrecy of the paper. Nevertheless, its existence increased the membership of the society
to 30,000.

Other revolutionary papers that emerged in those times were El Heraldo de Iloilo
on January 1, 1898 and La Libertad on June 20, 1898. Also in the same year, La
Independencia was founded on September 3 by Gen. Antonio Luna and Fernando Ma.
Guerrero. It was staffed by then famous writers: Rafael Palma, Cecilio Apostol, Epifanio
de los Santos and Judge Jose Abreu. It folded up in January 1900 when the American
decided to stay in the island and Filipino bias presses one by one closed down.

When the Americans were slowly gaining control over the island several so-called
Fil-American War newspapers then cropped up. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, in his effort to
unify his armies, put up his own revolutionary organ called "El Heraldo de la Revolucion"
on September 28, 1898. Likewise, with the arrival of more American fleets on August 13,
1898, American editors aboard Admiral Dewey's flagship came up with the paper,
Bounding Billow. Succeeding the Billow, newspapers such as American Soldier, Freedom,
and The American also came to existence.

American Colonial Period

After the Spaniards' defeat from the Americans, English newspapers started to
circulate. It was lead by the Manila Times of Thomas Gowan which was established on
October 11, 1898. The paper was a response to the complaints of American soldiers with
the lack of a good English newspaper at that time. It encountered various changes in
ownership including then President Manuel L. Quezon who bought it in 1917 and sold it
after four years of possession. Two other foreign owners had the Manila Times before
Alejandro Roces, Sr. acquired it in 1927. Roces already running the TVT (Taliba-La
Vanguardia-Tribune) chain at that time then realized the unnecessary owning of another
English paper and so he closed it down in 1930. Also sometime in 1927 the son of
Alejandro Roces, Sr., Ramon Roces put up a magazine known as Graphic.

TVT then was considered the first newspaper chain in the Philippines. Its founding
was one of the highlight events during the 1920s and had bestowed on Roces the titled
"father of modern journalism." Manila Tribune was established by Roces on April 1, 1925,
with Carlos P. Romulo as editor.

Another American newspaper issued that time was the "oldest existing
newspaper", The Manila Daily Bulletin, established by Carson Taylor in February 1, 1900.
The paper started out as a shipping journal and later widened its scope in 1912.

Some time after 1930 with Herald and Tribune on tough competition for high
number of circulation, Sen. Vicente Madrigal, owner of the Herald, put up his own
publication chain called DMHM comprised of Spanish daily, El Debate, weekly, Monday
Post, Herald and Mabuhay, a Pilipino daily.

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Japanese Occupation

With the invasion of the Japanese most publications were shut down except for the
ones they used for their propaganda. DMHM was the first destroyed when Manila was
bombed. It was only TVT which was left to operate however it was controlled and
functioned as "solely for the benefit of the Japanese state" on October 12, 1942. The chain
together with Ramon Roces' Liwayway was allowed to be published regularly but under
censorship of the Japanese Imperial Army. The printing and distribution of the periodicals
were transferred under Osaka Mainichi Publishing Company,established by Manila
Sinbusya Corporation. The only papers thatexisted those times were that of TVT,
Liwayway, Manila Shimbun, Shin-Seiki, Bicol Herald and Davao Nichi-Nichi, all under
the control of the corporation.

With the side of the guerrillas they also came up with their own periodicals. These
were typewritten or mimeographed paraphernalias on 8 ½ x 11-inch paper edited by
journalists-guerillas. The publication served to empower the soldiers' and people's morale
and aid as counter propaganda against the Japanese.

Post Liberation

After the atrocities of the Japanese and World War II in general, Manila was freed
on February 3, 1945. At that time came a rapid proliferation of publications with most of
them simply printed like flyers or in single-sheets. Manila Free Philippines became the first
post-Liberation newspaper published by the US Office of War Information. The paper
circulated from February - September 1945.

Some of the periodicals closed by the Japanese made comebacks but those used for
propaganda one by one perished. Those that disappeared included Philippine Liberty News
by Manuel F. Manahan, Manila Post edited by Abelardo Subido and wife Trinidad Tarrosa-
Subido,Manila Tribune edited by Vicente Albino-Pacis and a certain Morning Sun.

Those that were revived included The Manila Bulletin, further developed in 1947,
Philippines Herald, Manila Chronicle, started as "The People's Newspaper" and was later
bought by Eugenio Lopez in 1947 and Manila Times, re-established by the Roces family.
Likewise, Ramon Roces, son of Don Alejandro, also put out Manila's first afternoon
newspaper called Evening News. Furthermore, his Graphic, renamed as Kislap-
Graphic,Liwayway and vernacular sister
publications: Bisaya, Bannawag and Hiligaynon were also re-launched.

Martial Law

After more than three decades of free press, on September 21, 1972 upon the
declaration of Martial Law, publications were once again halted from their liberal
operations. Then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos issued Letter of Instruction (LOI) No. I which
contained the ordinance, "to take over and control or cause the taking over and control of
the mass media for the duration of the national emergency, or until otherwise ordered by

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the President or by his duly designated representative." Almost similar to the press'
situation during the Japanese Occupation, publications were put under government
supervision. Media entities were sequestered or closed down restraining their operation
unless approved by the MMC / MAC agency, which was tasked to regulate them. Editors,
publishers and activist-journalists were put into jail considering them as threat to the
administration. It was in this period when the likes Geny Lopez, Jr., Chino Roces, Max V.
Soliven, Luis Beltran, Teodoro Locsin, Jose Diokno, Benigno Aquino, Jr. and others were
detained at Camp Crame.

The only periodicals that continuously existed were those owned by Marcos'
cronies and relatives. These included Manila Daily Bulletin, then owned by the late Gen.
Hans Menzi who was presidential aide-de-camp, The Times Journal by Benjamin "Kokoy"
Romualdez, brother of then First Lady, Imelda Marcos, and The Daily Express by Roberto
S. Benedicto, who was a family friend.

Contemporary Times

When the Marcos' administration ended because of the first PeoplePower revolt,
the press was once again freed. There was an influx of periodicals which was a result ofthe
repression. As forthe case of Manila Times, Ramon Roces decided to revive the paper on
January 1986, registered under hisgrandson, Alfredo R. Guerrero. He also brought back La
Vanguardia Publishing Co., Inc. which was for his other grandson, Ramon R. Davila. The
newspaper came out February 5, 1986 with his cousin, Joaquin "Titong" R. Roces as editor-
in-chief. The Manila Chronicle was re-established with publisher Joaquin "Chino"
Roces and editor Amando Doronilla. The weekly, We Forum, also emerged with Jose
Burgos as its publisher. Present day newspapers such as Philippine Daily
Inquirer,Philippine Star, Manila Standard and even Business World were born during those
times.

 A Brief History of Campus Journalism in the Philippines

According to Jeus Valenzuela in the History of Journalism in the Philippine Islands
(1993) and John Lent in the Philippine Mass Communication (1964), the history of campus
journalism in the Philippines started when the University of Santo Tomas published El
Liliputiense in 1890.

However, Oscar Manalo, Narciso Matienzo, and Virgilio Monteloyola in Ang

Pamahayagan (1985) argued that the history of campus journalism in the country started
when the University of the Philippines published The College Folio, now The Philippine
Collegian, in 1910. They also added that The Torch of the Philippine Normal University,
The Guidon of the Ateneo de Manila University, and The Varsitarian of the University
of Santo Tomas were also published two years later.
Whatever came first, Carlos Romulo y Peña edited The Coconut, the official student
publication of the Manila High School, now the Araullo High School. It was published in
1912 and is now considered as the first and oldest high school newspaper in the country.

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In 1923, La Union High School published The La Union Tab, the first printed and
regularly issued high school newspaper in the country. Since then, high school newspapers
came out one after the other.
Among these were, The Pampangan, Pampanga High School, 1925; The
Leytean, Leyte High School 1925; The Rizalian, Rizal High School, 1926; The Coconut,
Tayabas High School, 1927; The Volcano, Batangas High School, 1927; The Toil, La
Union Trade School, 1928; The Samarinian, Samar High School, 1928; The Melting
Pot, Tarlac High School, 1929; The Granary, Nueva Ecija High School, 1929; The Torres
Torch, Torres High School, 1930; and The Cagayan Student Chronicle, Cagayan High
School, 1931.

In 1931, 30 out of 106 high schools in the country had campus newspapers
registered at the Bureau of Public Schools. In 1950, this number increased to 169; by 1954,
to 253; by 1975, to 500; and by 1986, to more than 900 newspapers in English and in
Filipino.

Bulusan, Ferdinand (2016). Campus Journalism within Your Reach. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.:
Metro Manila.

Rafanan, Anthony Miguel (2015). History of Journalism in the Philippines

Sparknotes Editor (2021). The Media.

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