Philippine Print Media PDF

THE NATIONAL PAPER Philippine Print Media Philippine Print Media is classified into broadsheets, tabloids, business, weekly magazines and monthly magazines. There are two types of broadsheets, national and regional. National broadsheets are newspapers that are circulated...

THE NATIONAL PAPER Philippine Print Media Philippine Print Media is classified into broadsheets, tabloids, business, weekly magazines and monthly magazines. There are two types of broadsheets, national and regional. National broadsheets are newspapers that are circulated nationwide or all over the Philippines. Regional broadsheets are newspapers circulated or distributed only to a certain region (for example The Freeman circulated only at Cebu, and Zambo Today circulated only at Zamboanga). Tabloids have a smaller format compared to broadsheets, and often focus on local-interest stories and entertainment. The leading tabloids in the Philippines are Abante, Bulgar, People’s Journal, People’s Tonight, and Pilipino Star Ngayon. The top three broadsheets in the Philippines, namely, a. Manila Bulletin - Panorama b. Philippine Daily Inquirer - Sunday Inquirer c. The Philippine Star - Starweek - publish their own weekly magazine which they circulate together with the newspaper. THE NATIONAL BROADSHEETS CURRENTLY IN CIRCULATION 1. Manila Bulletin - The Manila Bulletin (formerly known as Bulletin Today) is the country’s largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation. It bills itself as “The nation’s Leading Newspaper”. Founded in 1900 as a shipping journal, it is the second oldest Philippine newspaper. - Manila Bulletin was originally owned by a Swiss expatriate named Hans Menzi. The newspaper is currently owned by Filipino-Chinese business mogul Dr. Emilio T. Yap, who also owns the Manila Hotel and Euro-Phil laboratories. 2. Philippine Daily Inquirer - The Philippine Daily Inquirer was founded on December 9, 1985, as a weekly newspaper by Eugenia Apostol. The newspaper was instrumental then in documenting the campaign of President Corazon C. Aquino during the 1986 presidential elections and in turn the 1986 People Power revolution. Its slogan, “Balanced News, Fearless Views”, was incorporated in January 1986. - In 1994, a group headed by Mrs. Marixi R. Prieto bought into the newspaper. In the same year, Ms. Apostol retired as the founding chairman of the newspaper, and Mrs. Prieto took over her post. 3. The Philippine STAR - The Philippine STAR was founded on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Max V. Soliven, Betty Go-Belmonte and Art Borjal. The newspaper is the first national broadsheet to introduce color publication. - The Philippine STAR is the only Filipino national broadsheet that has an established circulation in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. The newspaper is the first publication to fully harness the power of SMS (“text messaging”) to gather opinions from its readers. These opinions are featured in a regular column entitled Inbox World. The concept was later copied by other broadsheets, as well as tabloids. 4. The Manila Times - Manila was in the midst of an uneasy peace and on the brink of another war when The Manila Times first hit the streets on October 11, 1898. Thomas Gowan, an Englishman who had lived in the Philippines for some time, published The Manila Times to meet the demand, from the men of the United States Army who had occupied Manila, for an American paper in Manila. Gowan hired a small printing press, Chofre y Compania, to put out the newspaper. - 1  5. BusinessWorld - BusinessWorld is the country’s leading business newspaper representing four decades of professional economic journalism. - BusinessWorld began when BusinessDay first came off the press on February 27, 1967. In its maiden issue, the paper pledged “competent and responsible reporting of the news”. The newspaper expanded its operation in the years that followed to keep in step with the growing business community, eventually making BusinessDay Southeast Asia’s first business daily. The company was forced to close down on June 5, 1987 due to labor problems. 6. Manila Standard Today - The Manila Standard Today was founded on February 11, 1987, when the conglomerate owned by the family of Spanish-American businessman Manuel Elizalde established the publishing company Standard Publications Inc. In 1989, the group of companies owned by the family of Andres Soriano III bought out the Elizalde group and renamed the company Kagitingan Publications. - In June 1991, the group of businessman Amb. Alfonso Yuchengco bought into the company and spun off the publishing company. It was incorporated as Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. 7. Malaya - Malaya was founded in 1981 as a Tagalog newspaper by Jose Burgos Jr., Malaya shifted to English when its sister publication, We Forum, was closed down by the Marcos Government in 1983 after it came out with a story exposing the fake medals of the former strongman. - In February 1986 Burgos sold the newspaper to veteran journalist, Amado “Jake” Macasaet, who was then Malaya’s business editor. 8. The Daily Tribune - The Daily Tribune is a daily English broadsheet publication founded in 1999. The newspaper is known for being critical of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, often supporting former President Joseph Estrada. - On February 24, 2006, the newspaper was raided by the police as part of the 2006 “State Of Emergency” in the country. The police presence remained until the suspension of the SOE on March 4, 2006. FUNCTION OF THE CAMPUS PAPER 1. Laboratory Function The school paper, as discussed previously, is a miniature version of the daily newspaper where all rights and privileges, including concepts and skills in journalism are practiced. With this, the school paper becomes an avenue of teaching budding journalists. It becomes a training ground for full-fledged journos someday. In fact, the many campus papers in Manila have become the steppingstones of the prominent Filipino journalists today. These papers include The Philippine Collegian of the University of the Philippines, The PNU Torch of the Philippine Normal University, The Varsitarian of the University of Santo Tomas and others. Neophyte writers pattern their new experience from the existing and past papers. 2. Documentation Function The paper also serves as a posterity tool of worthy and must-be-remembered occasions in the campus. This is why, many school publications writers practice submitting more than one copy to the campus library and to the archive section so that the paper becomes an evidence of what transpired in such a semester, a school year or a grading period. 3. Entertainment Function As a mini version of the national newspapers, where entertainment section exists, the school paper likewise showcases feature stories. Main purpose of which is to stimulate the soul and to feed the brain at the same time. Sample stories in the campus that entertain the readers include the experiences of a freshman, the most embarrassing moment of a senior, the ghost in Room Sampaguita, the shoe master along the corridor and others. 2  4. Developmental Function In a developing country like the Philippines, scholastic and commercial journalism has been given greater and nobler significance. The sources of new journalists are also the school. Journalists in campus publications are most likely to be the journalists of the future. The young journalist whose news deals with club activities, school elections and campus activities will eventually become a better one whose news deal with activities of the nation, national elections and national concerns. The developmental function of the campus paper does not only have implications on the young ones themselves but also on the school. School administrators and staff may reflect their performance on the school paper and see what improvements must be done. PARTS OF THE CAMPUS PAPER Whatever the type of paper it is, the parts and sections are similar to one another. Here are the major sections of a campus paper: 1. front page 2. news page 3. editorial page 4. features page 5. community development page 6. science and technology page 7. sports page Parts of the Front Page a. Nameplate - The nameplate is the engraved or printed name, logo or symbol of the newspaper. More (Alen than not, the nameplate also bears the scope of the publication, that is, the date when the articles were taken. It also includes the volume and number of the particular release. b. Ears - Ears are little boxes on either or both sides of the nameplate. Ears usually contain advertisements or announcements. c. Banner (Head) - The banner is the principal headline which is usually written in the boldest and biggest font. It is the title of the most important news of the day. This most important news is called banner news. The banner runs across the front page. d. Running Head - The running head is a type of head having two or more lines. e. Headline - Headline refers to any title of any news. f. Deck - A deck is a subordinate headline or head which is immediately placed below its mother head to give more information about it. g. Lead - Lead refers to the beginning of a news story. This means that a lead could be a word, a phrase, a sentence or even a paragraph. h. News Story - The news story is the whole story or a part of the whole story about the news which is composed of the lead and the text supporting and elaborating the lead. i. Columns - They are horizontal divisions of the parts or texts of a newspaper. The number of columns varies from one kind of paper to another, that is, a newsletter has a smaller number of columns as compared to a broadsheet. j. Column Rules - Column rules are vertical lines that indicate the divisions of the columns. In modern journalism, these lines are substituted with a space (a blank column rule). Space column rules or more formally known as sunken rules and are usually one em wide. With the advent of digital lay-outing, the printer may adjust the column rule easily and quickly. k. Fold - It is the imaginary horizontal line that divides the paper into two. The purpose of the fold is primarily rooted from the lay-outing rule that the fold should not overlay or run against the banner head. Should the fold run over the banner head, the layout is considered faulty. l. Byline - A byline is the signature, name or pseudonym of the reporter who prepared the news. It can be seen in various forms: by Ruben Balacbac, (Ruben Balacbac), R. Balacbac, or R.B. One common error in campus paper insofar as writing the byline is concerned is the inclusion of the colon between the preposition "by" and the 3 name of the writer. This style is now obsolete. Usually, the colon is deleted, thus, by Ruben Balacbac,not by: Ruben Balacbac. m. Box - Any news material enclosed by line rules is a boxed story. In this case, ears are special types of boxes because they are specially named because of their position. n. Cut - The cut is a metal plate bearing the newspaper's illustration. o. Cutline - A cutline is the text accompanying photos or other artworks. It is commonly known as caption. If the text above the photo shows, it is called an over line. p. Over line - It is a type of cutline written or shown above the photo. r. Hammer - A hammer is a type of kicker, but the difference is that a hammer is bigger than the headline. s. Credit Line - A credit line is a line given to pay respect to the source of the story or illustration printed. This is done usually for stories or illustrations imported or borrowed from other printed materials or people. The difference of a byline from a credit line is that a byline is usually a name, signature or pseudonym of the reporter within the newspaper staff, but a credit line is used for those which are borrowed or imported. Thus, foreign news and dateline news often have credit lines. OTHER IMPORTANT PARTS: A. Editorial Proper: The article that is the soul of a newspaper or magazine. It is an article that gives the conglomeration of opinions of the members of the editorial board on the hottest issue of the day. B. Column: A column is a recurring piece or article in the paper. It is primarily written by a columnist who is well acquainted with the subject. What differentiates a column from other forms of journalism is that a column meets each of the following criteria: a) It is a regular feature in a publication. b) It is personality-driven. c) It explicitly contains an opinion or point of view. C. Op-ed: An op-ed, abbreviation of opposite the editorial page (though often believed to be abbreviated from opinion-editorial), is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board. These are different from editorials, which are usually unsigned and written by editorial board members. Op-eds are so named because they are generally printed on the page opposite the editorial. D. Letter to Editor: Letter to the editor sometimes abbreviated LTTE or LTE is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern to its readers. Usually, the letter or the letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent through either conventional mail or electronic mail. The subject matter of letters to the editor varies widely. However, the most common topics include: a. Supporting or opposing an editorial stance or responding to another writer's letter to the editor b. Commenting on a current issue being debated by a governing body —local, regional or national depending on the publication's circulation. Often, the writer will urge elected officials to make their decision based on his or her viewpoint c. Remarking on materials (such as a news story) that have appeared in a previous edition or release. Such letters may be either critical or praising iv. Correcting a perceived error or misrepresentation. E. Editorial Cartoon. An editorial cartoon, also known as a POLITICAL CARTOON, is caricature containing a political or social message that usually relates to current events or personalities. F. Folio. Usually written on top of the page, this is composed of the page number, date of publication and name of the newspaper. Notably, this part runs through all the sections in the campus paper. Masthead. This is also called flag. It shows the publication's name, the volume and number of releases, the names of the staff and their respective positions. THE SPORTS PAGE The sports section of a newspaper features information on local sports events, like high school sports teams. College level sports are also covered in this section, both on a regional and national level. Often, sports pages in Philippine campus papers accommodate stories about intramurals and relevant national sports issues. Student writers may consider writing sports analysis, sports editorials, backgrounder, prophetic sports news and the like. 4  As regards reporters on other news beats, sports journalism involves investigating e story, rather than simply relying on press releases and prepared statements from the sports team, coaching staff, or players. Sports journalists verify facts given to them by e athletes, teams, leagues or organizations they are covering. SELECTION OF PUBLICATION STAFF There are common mind-boggling questions for the publication head or the moderator of the campus paper like: How are the editors and the staff members chosen? How long should they serve? How big should the staff be? Should they be paid? To whom are they responsible? First, there should be a moderator or an adviser who must possess the following qualifications in the order of their importance, 1) with a degree in journalism -bachelor, master or specialization, or one with a degree in English — bachelor, master or specialization. 2) with experience in newspaper work or one with more than ordinary experience in journalism or school paperwork. Other schools consider one who teaches social studies. This set-up is the traditional set-up of picking the adviser or the moderator. The Campus Journalism Act, has a different basis for choosing the adviser. Selecting an adviser is also optional for the tertiary level. For the traditional and beginning campus paper system in the DepEd, the principal or the head of the school, with the recommendation of the adviser may designate the members of the staff or may pick them through a competitive examination. The candidates should possess writing ability, leadership and previous experiences in school publication in such order. Whatever the criteria are in choosing the staff, the method should be systematic, objective and fair. Whether the editors and staff members are chosen through recommendation or competitive examination, the following pointers are recommended: 1 The candidate should have at least one year residence. 2. The candidate should not be in the probation list 3. He/she must not have any disciplinary case against him/her, because there is a likely chance for him to drop or to be suspended. 4. The chief, associate, and managing editors should not hold other major positions in school organizations, especially in the student council or student government. The press is supposed to be objective and non-partisan. The most democratic way to select the staff is through a competitive examination followed by an interview. However, there are certain drawbacks. If there are no qualified teachers who will evaluate the entries in the competitive examination, the test will not be worthwhile. If a big number of students join the competition, the evaluation will take a long time. Another question is: In what phases of journalism would the test be? Newswriting, editorial writing, lay outing, or actual press work? If the test is in editorial writing only, is not that just one phase of the work? Because of these drawbacks, the adviser resorts to designation. The drawback here is favoritism. The choice of editors should be based on who obtains the highest average in the examinations and who possesses the most in personal qualities or traits like leadership, managerial skills, sound judgment and flexibility. Consequently, advisers should file and publish in the bulletin board the results of the examinations and the comments of the judges. How large should the staff be? A manageable staff should not be more than ten, as follows: (1) chief editor; (2) associate editor; (3) managing editor; (4) feature editor; (5) literary editor; (6) sports editor; and (7) reporters (one for each class-senior, sophomore, freshman). There are other members of the staff who may simply be appointed: the typists, the layout artist, the staff artist, the photojournalist and the circulation manager. How large should the staff be? A manageable staff should not be more than ten, as follows: (1) chief editor; (2) associate editor; (3) managing editor; (4) feature editor; (5) literary editor; (6) sports editor; and (7) reporters (one for each class-senior, sophomore, freshman). There are other members of the staff who may simply be appointed: the typists, the layout artist, the staff artist, the photojournalist and the circulation manager. 5 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PUBLICATION STAFF 1. Chief Editor - The chief editor supervises the editorial staff of the paper. Usually, he/ she writes the editorials of the organ after consultation with the members of the editorial staff. However, any member may write the editorial so long as he/she follows the guidelines in writing. Further, he/she edits all articles preparatory to submission of the same to the adviser for final editing and approval for publication. He/She likewise supervises the preparation of the layout, dummy of the paper and its pagination in cooperation with the managing editor and layout artist. He/She also causes the accomplishment of all assignments properly and on time. At times, he/she acts as the liaison officer between the editorial staff and the adviser, as he/ she also calls meetings of the staff. 2. Associate Editor - The associate editor edits the articles in cooperation with the chief editor. Also, he/she may be delegated to write editorials of the organ. He prepares assignments of section editors in consultation with the chief editor. Further, he/she cooperates in the preparation of the layout of the paper and paging of the same with the chief editor and the managing editor. 3. Managing Editor - Acting as the hand of the board, the managing editor brings articles to the press for typesetting. As such, he/she also checks articles for typographical errors. He/She prepares the layout of the paper and paging of the same in consultation with the chief editor. Finally, he/she proofreads galley proofs before these are finally approved by the chief editor, then by the adviser for printing. 4. Circulation Manager- As the nomenclature suggests, he/she is assigned in ensuring the release and distribution of the paper. He/She also guarantees the smooth flow of the passing of articles from reporters to section editors. He/She is assigned to oversee the flow of processes in crafting the paper. 5. Section Editors a. News Editor: Assigned as the reporter to cover events relevant to the school activities, he/she writes news articles on assignment from the chief editor or through his/her own initiative in consultation with the latter. However, his/her primordial job is to edit all news articles submitted by the writers preparatory to submission of the same to the chief editor then to the adviser. b. Filipino Editor. This is an optional staff function or position; nonetheless, his/her prime job is to write the editorial of the Filipino section. He/She also edits all articles preparatory to submission of the same to the Filipino adviser, for final editing and for publication. Sometimes, he/she causes the submission of all Filipino articles properly and timely. He/She may likewise act as a liaison officer between the Filipino staff and the chief editor. c. Feature Editor. The feature editor gives out assignments to feature writers. He/She then receives, and edits feature articles preparatory to the submission of the same to the chief editor. Sometimes, he/she writes regular articles or columns. d. f. Layout Artists. They take charge of designing and formatting all pages in the paper. As such, they label or properly identify all pictures made available for publication. It is suggested that they write using pencil at the back of every picture of the event to which a particular picture refers. They likewise help in the preparation of the layout of pictorial stories and make illustrations for feature articles. e. g. The Reporters. The life of the contents depends on the skills of the reporters. They secure the cold and raw facts of an assigned event and write articles out of the same. Moreover, they receive assignments from the section editors or board of editors and then accomplish the same properly and timely. THE PUBLICATION POLICIES A well-edited paper needs definite policies which may pertain to what it may print or to what the staff may conduct. Such policies may be posted on the conspicuous places like the bulletin boards in the staff room or they may be printed and distributed to the staff. 6