Media Beats: An Intimate Look at Pinoy Weekly with Mr. Kenneth Guda

by lisztomenia

Note: You may also read this article by swiping the images above.

Established in 2002, Pinoy Weekly is a non-profit publication that strives to do what not many leading print media names have—bring to light marginalized communities and their uncovered stories. Handing out copies of their prints rather than selling them, the publication prides itself on being an independent and alternative media, with the organization having both a physical and online platform. Pinoy Weekly is recognized by media institutions such as  the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism, Gawad Agong, and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

Kenneth Roland A. Guda is a UP Diliman graduate under the Creative Writing in Filipino program, he had begun an interest in journalism through the campus publication, The Philippine Collegian. Mr. Guda had travelled across the country to cover numerous human rights stories, having actively volunteered for human rights and migrant organizations. One can see why he ended up as the current editor in chief of Pinoy Weekly, gaining his position in 2008 and staying strong even after 12 years. We have been lucky to be able to contact him and arrange an online interview to discuss Pinoy Weekly amidst the current situation in the country.

The tides of the government and COVID-19

Pinoy Weekly has been operating with a small number of members, with some being volunteers or working part-time. Though it seems that they are doing absolutely fine in producing their eye-opening stories, Mr. Guda explains that many of the challenges they face can be attributed to the size of their team. It’s much easier for bigger organizations to gain recognition, and with an editorial staff of around 10 people, the public’s trust in Pinoy Weekly has never been very high. Their non-profit model also does not allow them to have salaries like many media publications. Because they are not considered mainstream media, multiple times they have experienced difficulty in obtaining resources and information. Mr. Guda also says that weekly publications are not always accredited to be part of the press corps, and that they had to renew their media passes when covering stories frequently.

Numerous times has Pinoy Weekly been tagged as an anti-government, communist publication even though they are a legal, Securities and Exchange Commission-registered organization. Mr. Guda claims that the country’s political climate is intolerant of publications that criticize the current ruling bodies. This is especially apparent when their publication was confiscated in Pandi, Bulacan last July, under the allegations that their progressive and adversarial style of writing teaches the people to fight against the government. They have also faced physical threats when they cover provincial human rights stories as well as cyberattacks on their digital platform, Mr. Guda shares.

Now that COVID-19 has solidified its place in the country and its people for almost an entire year, Mr. Guda thinks that a whole new layer to the repression that they’ve been facing has been added. Covering stories has never been more difficult now that each publication has to register before the Presidential Communications Operations Office—and despite being promised that all organizations will be accredited, many of them have been discriminated from getting their accreditation. Mr. Guda even recounted that they were being given excuses as to why they are not getting their accreditation, such as not having printer ink to print accreditation patches.

But Pinoy Weekly continues to fight against all these odds, choosing to stand their ground and defend themselves rather than bending over. Mr. Guda and his team make it a point to file appropriate cases against government and police officials. They have filed complaints in the Ombudsman for the confiscation of their copies and the raiding of their offices, as well as on the Commission on Human Rights regarding the red-tagging of organizations just like them.

“To heck with that, we don’t need that, we have our rights as media practitioners… we would invoke our constitutional right to press freedom.”

As a further response, the organization’s staff has also been training to protect themselves from physical harm when they go out into the field. Not only this, but media, internet, and digital security training has also become a must. They have built a strong network of support both domestically and abroad to expose the mistreatment of press freedom. This support system also lives within the Pinoy Weekly team itself, with Mr. Guda stating that they lean on each other for support and practice solidarity amongst themselves through this.

Keeping up with the digital shift

On another note, given that the organization started out as a print publication, one might think that they would have scrambled to keep up with the recent digital shift—this wasn’t the case for Pinoy Weekly. Mr. Guda’s faith in the relevance of the print industry had never faltered throughout the years. After all, he claimed that digital and print are not in conflict. It is a conviction that stems from the publication’s viewpoint that there are communities who still need direct access to news. There remain various areas without access to internet connection, nor the means to obtain the resources they need to acquire information. It is also for this very reason that they freely distribute their print copies. With that in mind, they persevere with their weekly releases, maintaining 80% of their focus on their print operations.

“Don’t sell news, don’t sell content because the people, they need it, they shouldn’t have to pay for it.”

Much of their complacency though, is also rooted in the fact that they are non-profit. Unlike other print publications which rely on revenues from advertising to sustain themselves, all of their resources come from funding agencies and other individual contributors who believe in the work that they do. Thanks to this, the pressure to attract readers has never been their main concern. But this is not to say that they don’t have their own fair share of troubles as well. In fact, when the printing cost in the country had suddenly spiked in 2008, Pinoy Weekly was forced to close down.

They were fortunately able to recover from this, and as soon as they did, they had also put up a website of their own. Because despite feeling unthreatened by the drastic changes in the media landscape, they do recognize that there is still a necessity for them to adapt in the digital age somehow. Since then, they have been taking baby steps in order to eventually penetrate the online scene and gradually make their presence be known.

Moving forward, editors and staff of the publication have been doing their best to “expand their capacity to publish and maximize not just the platforms that they already have but also the platforms they’re still trying to learn the ropes of,” as mentioned by Mr. Guda. Recently, they had experimented with podcasting in their attempt to connect with the younger generation. It was only last September when they released the first episode of their podcast on Facebook, entitled “Woke The Talk.”  They have also partnered with various organizations like Altermidya who have far more advanced practices in producing multimedia content, trying to learn from these colleagues. But to quote Mr. Kenneth, “beyond mastery of platforms, [Pinoy Weekly] aspire[s] for all independent or alternative media practitioners to fully master and embrace the art of storytelling.” The most important thing for them is to tell the stories of the people that need to be told, no matter what platform.

“Journalism is serving the people.”

It’s clear that for now, Pinoy Weekly’s immediate aspirations are to overcome the attacks on press freedom, and to gradually venture into the digital world in order to broaden their reach. They also have no plans to abandon print, the oldest surviving format of journalism, and believes it will continue to persevere. In the next few years, various things in the Philippine media industry will have changed. There’s no telling which challenges will continue to persist, or if new ones will arise. But whatever changes may occur, hopefully Pinoy Weekly will do its best not to stray too far from what Mr. Guda claimed to be the true essence of journalism—”to tell the important truth; to comfort the afflicted; to afflict the comforted.”

What you see is what you get: The ‘A’ in Aika is authentic

by lisztomenia

Responsible and adventurous. These are the words that came top of mind when half-Filipina, half-Japanese beauty and lifestyle vlogger Aika Agustin was asked to describe herself. Born on the month of April, she’s a true fire sign who loves trying out different things, and overall just having fun. She is a 21-year old Psychology major in De La Salle University Manila, currently residing in Japan, his father’s homeland. With over 26 thousand followers on Instagram and 23.6 thousand subscribers on YouTube, she’s easily one of the freshest online rising stars of her generation everyone should look out for.

The making of a star

Making videos has been a long-time dream of Aika’s. The idea to start her YouTube journey came to her as early as when she started watching videos in fifth grade. She mentioned, though, that she was too shy to make them at the time. It was only about a year and a half ago, during her birthday, when she decided to take that leap by creating a YouTube channel. Now she regularly creates content for YouTube, which she describes to be “a mix of everything.”

I was so young, and then I would just like connect with these girls, like, [do you know the feeling when] you watch them and then you know so many things about them, you feel like you’re best friends with them? That’s how I felt, so [I was like], oh my god that connection, [like] it’s so it’s different [because] you don’t really know them personally but you feel connected to them in some ways. So I guess I wanted– I wanted that connection with other people as well.”

From fashion and beauty to lifestyle, Aika shares freely on her channel whatever currently makes her happy. Although she revealed it wasn’t always this easy for her at first, because she didn’t really know how to talk in front of a camera. “But I guess it takes practice and it takes time, the more you do it naman, you’re gonna learn and you’re gonna get used to it,” she says. By consistently uploading every week and communicating well with the people who watches her videos, she has now been able to steadily make her channel grow further. On top of this, it also helped that the people around her were supportive, and she had friends who were into the vlogging scene as well.

BEHIND THE VLOGGING LENS

In order to establish that connection with an audience she mentioned she longed for, YouTube seemed to be the most viable option for her. After all, she considered it the biggest video-making platform with a larger reach. With a following of thousands, she’s moving closer and closer towards her goal. However, that also means day by day she’s being more exposed under the public eye. Given this, she recognizes the power that content creators and online influencers have. She also addresses the importance of public figures like her to speak up about significant issues. While she respects that at the end of the day, it’s still up to influencers’ decision to speak up about important issues, she also believes that the platform they have must be used to be a positive influence.

When asked if the spotlight ever pressured her, she responded with no since she didn’t think her channel was big enough yet for her to feel that way. “Of course with social media you choose what you want other people to see so of course you won’t show them the other side, like [the] personal stuff. You can control what you put out there naman so that’s really good,” she adds. Fortunately, the audience’s feedback on her content seem to have been generally positive. Though there are a few negative ones here and there, she has learned to not let the people who try to bring her down affect her and look at the positive side instead.

While she has maintained her corner of the internet peaceful, there is no denying the fact that generally, the community of online influencers has had a tainted reputation of being problematic for a while now. When asked about it, she empathizes with other vloggers who have been under public scrutiny. As members of the community, she feels that the proper way for us to address the issue is to be more understanding of one another, and to always be careful of the things that we say.

“I guess with other content creators we have to remember that they’re also human. Like they go through different stages in their life and what you see isn’t always the reality of how everything is.”

THE NEXT BIG LEAP

Aika Agustin has only just begun, but a lot of things has already changed for her. Her YouTube journey so far has allowed her to be more confident in expressing herself. She’s also learned that “if you really want something you can do it as long as you put effort and hardwork into it. Even if you don’t know certain aspects of it now, there’s always time to improve and there’s always room for improvement.” Now that she has gained a lot of experience, she imparts these words to aspiring content creators like her:

“Just keep doing what feels good or what you like, and always be authentic with your audience, show them who you really are [because] at the end of the day, it’s not gonna be hard if you just, like, share what’s going on in your life instead of pretending and, just work hard. Just work hard, and do it for the right reason.”

Aika Agustin’s advice to aspiring content creators

Moving forward, she’s not too certain yet whether she would be pursuing her craft as a career. She’s also currently occupied by online classes which she mentioned she is able to balance with her YouTube career through the help of a good planner and time management. There’s also the pandemic, which fortunately didn’t really drastically affect her channel and content production at all. All she knows is that in the next two to three years, she wants to make more friends and keep telling stories about her life that others may relate to as well. What she truly just hopes for, looking ahead, is to establish that special connection with other people. Connections she will undoubtedly create, as long as she stays true to her authentic self.

Special thanks to Aika Agustin

Reality or a ‘Black Mirror’ episode?

by lisztomenia

Digital technology, at least when it first emerged, was greatly revered by society. It is a stepping stone towards a promising future with endless possibilities. Though like many radical ideas and inventions, there are a handful of doubts and fears surrounding the technological advancements we have made. One widely known irrational fear is the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to take over mankind, leading to the destruction of the world. It seems ridiculous when you hear it for the first time, but considering the impact of computers and other gadgets to our daily lives in the present, maybe we’re not too far off from it. With social media especially, due to the immense power it holds, it has been manipulated by people with ill intentions to serve their self-interests, thereby transforming it into a dangerous tool. Each day that passes, the world seems to become more and more like a Black Mirror episode, which can ultimately lead to our demise when left unaddressed.

The most important question we should ask ourselves now, is how do we prevent this from permeating society? Well, as with many social issues, awareness is key. Like marionettes, the only way for us to be able to cut the strings tying us to our puppet masters, is recognizing that these strings exist in the first place. There are people who continue to be left in the dark, and there is a need to enlighten them by exposing what is wrong.

This can be achieved by launching various awareness and information campaigns either on ground or through social media. Discourse on fake news and social media addiction must always be initiated and sustained to keep ourselves from being enslaved by technology. In addition, a media literacy program may also be incorporated within the educational curriculum, so as to guide students with their content consumption and interaction very early on. A deeper and more thorough understanding of how technology and digital media has affected our reality can help us formulate solutions or at the very least, prevent any negative consequences.

Enlightenment should be followed by action. I believe that much of the problems posed by the internet and social media comes from the fact that it is a literal sea of information, and it can be easy to drown in it. A flotation device which can help us survive is regulation—both in an individual and a societal scale. We must maximize all the online features available which can help us filter the content we deem harmful and toxic. Monitoring and tracking our data usage will also help us prevent technology from getting in the way of our real lives.

Though we have to acknowledge that there’s only so much we can do on our own. A lot of the problems in relation to digital media are also rooted in systemic issues and, therefore, can only be completely eradicated systemically as well. Perhaps one thing that can be done is for the public to put pressure on social media application developers and public officials to create safer online spaces which protect our rights.

Taking back control of social media is a daunting task and one that will most probably take an awfully long time. Thankfully, it’s not a hopeless case and we’re not going to be living in a dystopic society any time soon. We just have to be wary of the various consequences that comes with the rise of technology and the digital age, along with the way we interact with it. It may be a good idea to take notes from Black Mirror and the lessons it teaches.

Clarity of mind

by lisztomenia

My publishing professor surprised us today with an exercise he called the “15-minute term paper.” We were tasked to create a Twitter thread regarding our insights from our lecture in only 15 minutes. The moment he announced it, my body froze for a good 5 minutes. It’s nothing new for me. I usually buckle under pressure because my mind is only as clear as the skies on a rainy day. On top of this, I was sleep deprived, so while I certainly did listen to our discussion, my mind was still very unorganized. Despite this, I had no other choice but to push through.

I ended up composing the following tweets!

I’m not sure how these tweets may appear to other people, but I think it’s pretty evident that I simply wrote the thoughts that were top-of-mind. Under normal circumstances, though, I usually ponder on a tweet far longer. It’s probably because I care too much about what other people might think. I’m afraid to make mistakes, or be perceived as dumb. So I try to make sure that everything is correct and perfect before I put it out into the world. While it is generally positive that I think carefully about my words or actions, I just wish I would also have more courage to express my inner thoughts. That’s what I did today, but as expected, I couldn’t stop comparing myself to others. It seemed to me that my classmates’ threads were much more creative, articulate and cohesive.

I guess it’s precisely because there is so much going on in my head that I’m having these difficulties. When it comes to writing anything, for whatever medium it may be, clarity of mind is really important. It will allow you to focus better on the things that you need to think about and get done. Sometimes we have to mute our harsh inner critic, especially when it no longer helps us grow and develop healthily. This isn’t exactly a new realization for me, but one which I often forget, and thankfully this exercise reminded me of it. Well, for what it’s worth, the most important thing is that I tried nonetheless and that the words I spoke were sincere and true. I guess these two are enough starting points.

The age of social media: trials and tribulations

by lisztomenia
Credit: Imma Almourzaeva

Social media is one of the most important byproducts of the digital revolution. It has successfully altered the existing communication models and changed the entire media industry forever. It further democratized the media and provided the audience more opportunities to become active participants. While this is generally a positive development, it also has its fair share of downsides. Along with the rise of the popular medium also came a whole new set of challenges that the industry is confronting today.

Findings from a recent study suggest that there has been a change in the dynamics between publishing companies and advertisers. It is important to note that majority of the prominent media organizations in the country operate using a hybrid of the democratic and commercial organizational forms of media that were distinguished by Raymond Williams in his book. While they function mainly to be of service to the public, the revenues which they use to sustain themselves still comes mainly from advertisers and investors.

Credit: Print Power

Considering that the media has now been democratized, business owners no longer have to rely solely on media advertising. They now have social media which is a much cheaper alternative platform they can use to promote their own products and services. In turn, they also end up becoming competitors vying for the attention of the same audience that the media is trying to capture. This places a huge weight upon the shoulders of news and media organizations with limited resources and leaves them in a serious predicament.

Credit: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

The most imminent threat, however, is the multiple attacks being launched against the press. Because of this, we rank only 136th in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, which is very alarming. Unfortunately, the digital media landscape has a lot to do with this. The waging war both caused and resulted to the ‘weaponization’ of social media. The most widely used online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which used to be completely democratic spaces in which people can freely express their personal thoughts and exchange ideas, have now become a breeding ground for fake news. This issue has effectively sowed public distrust of the news and the media, tarnishing the reputation of journalists and prominent organizations. It has also put the lives of media practitioners in danger, who only seek to tell and side with the truth.

Now, more than ever, our society is in need of a flourishing media industry, and we cannot let it die out nor should we let our right to free speech be curtailed for whatever reason or issue. A free press, after all, is considered to be a cornerstone of democracy. The media serves as a basin of information and a channel for good communication which allows the broad masses to connect with one another. Without it, we will be left divided and in utter disarray. I believe, though, that for the Philippine press, which has a fighting tradition and is a product of a turbulent history, none of these challenges are insurmountable. Time and time again, the media shall rise, but it is crucial that the audience takes part and join in the fight, so together, we can hold the line.

The news and I

by lisztomenia

The news didn’t mean anything to me as a child because I never really understood it. Back then, my parents would usually tune in to TV Patrol over dinner, and I vaguely recall merely wishing it would end soon so I can finally watch the network’s prime time teleseryes like May Bukas Pa. The only time I ever concerned myself with the news was during typhoons, primarily because I wanted to know if there were any class suspensions. Who would have thought, that in the coming years, I would eventually develop a huge interest towards journalism, and the news would become a huge part of my life?

Today, I am now a Communication Arts major and how much I value news has increased significantly. I’ve gained a better understanding of the power that both the media and the news hold. Simultaneously, the rise of digital media has also pushed the field of journalism and the media industry as a whole to undergo a massive transformation. It changed our existing communication models greatly, for it allowed what used to be the passive audience to become more participatory, paving the way for the democratization of media. This is what I truly value the most with social media.

As I’ve mentioned, I used to rely on television in order to access news, but not too long ago I shifted to social media for my news consumption. It provides each one of us a democratic space, which allows us to be heard. We can now freely discuss news reports and issues that we deem important. It has returned the power of the people to actively contribute in shaping media and society. Hearing other people’s views and opinions has helped me in shaping and objectifying my own views, which clearly exhibits that it is also a space where we can interact and learn from one another.

Apart from this, it is also one of the most accessible mediums in the digital age, for it is relatively more convenient to use via our phones and laptops. News and information circulates rapidly within these sites, making it easier to distribute information. One downside to this feat which I noticed, though, is that I tend to get distracted by the multitude of content available online, which does not go well with my already short attention span. It’s hard for me to finish reading a news article in one sitting, and most days I don’t make it past the news headline. Because of this, I tend to favor posts with compelling images and videos that can sustain my interest.

While I use a variety of apps such as Facebook and Google News, the platform I utilize the most online is Twitter, for it seems to be a lot less congested than other SNS. It may have to do with the character limit for Tweets. In addition, it also has the “List” feature, which allows users to curate the accounts they specifically want to monitor on their feeds. I created a list of my own, which contains the accounts of my trusted online news sources such as Philippine Star, Rappler, PCIJ, ABS-CBN News, and many others.

But even with all these tools in social media that considerably make it easier for us to access news and information, I guess I still have a long way to go in order for me to be a more active news consumer. I realized that I don’t normally go out of my way to visit news sites on my own volition and usually just settle for whatever pops up on my timeline. I also put off reading often, which I justify by telling myself that I can always go back to them any time anyway. Reading regularly is definitely a habit that I need to build with commitment.

When I try to imagine the media landscape without social media, it seems kind of bleak. Looking at it now, my entire journey of discovering and consuming news through social media has allowed me to find my own voice. Since the medium encourages our engagement with society, it has helped me understand how I relate with others and my surroundings better. It has also introduced to me the value of truth and how essential it is for each one of us. This heightened social awareness, urges me to develop my principles and morals every single day, so that I can become a better person.

How our encounter with digital media shapes us

by lisztomenia

Somehow, it’s often our firsts which seem to last the longest in our memories. Perhaps it’s because they mark the moments in which we go off course–when we try something completely new and different that completely impacts our lives. Apart from their longevity in our minds, we are often driven by them too. Our need to experience something fresh that would spice up the mundanity of life is something that keeps us going. Fortunately for me and the entire Generation Z, we came around in the midst of a pivotal era. As we were growing up, the digital revolution waged on, and it paved the way towards many firsts in various industries, and in turn, our daily lives. The recent technological developments gave birth to what we call the digital media, among many other innovations, which contributed to our unique childhood experience. We were given a glimpse of the no

Because I’ve gotten so used to the existence of everything digital–television, computers, smartphones, even clocks–and practically rely on gadgets every single day, I never really got the chance to look back at how it all started. So one late evening, I grabbed the opportunity to do so with my good friend, Rosita Marcelo, through a video call, and I’ve found that her experiences are not much different from mine.

My video call session with Ros.

I believe that for most of us, Generation Z’s, our very first encounter with digital media happened when we were just little girls and boys. This holds true for Ros, who used the computer for the very first time when she visited her dad’s office at the age of 7. She recalled how she felt amazed and curious at the time, and how the feeling was similar to seeing a new doll at the toy store. She badly wanted to try those Y8 games that always came up in her friends’ conversations, and the moment she did, she was “absolutely hooked.”

As children, unsurprisingly, our first bouts of engagement with digital media were mostly latched to entertainment. The internet served as a virtual playground for us which we can easily access at home. However, in our coming of age, how we see or value digital media in our lives also changed. As Ros grew a little bit older, logging onto social media became her new favorite online activity. “YouTube? Daily; Twitter? Every hour; Facebook? Not my cup of tea but yes!” she playfully told me. Being friendly is definitely one of her most apparent and admirable personality traits, so it came as no surprise to me when she explained that she loves interacting with her friends on these sites. The internet eventually became a platform through which she can socialize. Apart from this, she also mentioned that digital media became an educational tool for her, for it helped her in acquiring new skills and knowledge which she can apply in her daily life.

“I was always insecure growing up, but since digital media bridged the gap between my friends and I, as well as videos and posters about self-confidence and loving yourself, I was able to gain the former and perform the latter,” said Ros.

A shot I took of Ros in DLSU.

While her first encounter with digital media was generally positive, she regards its impact on our generation and society as a whole, bittersweet. She explained that although these innovations have provided an avenue for people to connect with one another regardless of distance, it may have also pushed us farther away from one another due to our tendency to be engrossed in the virtual world, thereby neglecting the physical world.

True to her nature, though, she still chose to highlight the self-enriching aspect of digital media in our conversation. Ros appreciates how it had brought about so many new experiences and opportunities for her peers, family, and everyone else.

“I know so many people who have started their own online business to earn, as well as others who are taking the time to learn new skills. It’s helping a lot of us reach our futures faster than we’ve ever thought,” she explained.

This aspect of digital media, for her, has helped our society progress faster. Undoubtedly, digital media has effectively impacted our lives, both on a personal and a collective scale. The power that the platform possesses lies mainly on the content that it houses, which the audience consumes, and how fast it can be circulated all around the world. It is, therefore, important to keep in mind that we must not use it to control nor should we allow it to control us. Ros shares the same sentiment and imparts the message below as a reminder to the public with regards to how they interact with digital media.

From this point forward, there will only be more firsts to come, especially with digital media, and it will further contribute in the shaping and reshaping our lives. And as we venture into these new places, we must be ready to adapt and remold ourselves along the way.

Special thanks to Rosita Marcelo.