“There are still some stories that I find myself really stumped, I do not know how to start it.”
After several years in journalism, this was the answer of Ms. Pia Arcangel, a broadcast journalist, when I asked her whether she still, at some point, confuse herself on how to effectively write news. Coming up with a good story is a tough job and this dilemma happens to everyone, she says.
Sometimes having information overload or maybe a writer’s block makes it even harder because one would not know how to start. As a television newscaster, Arcangel said it is really tough when there is so much she wants to say but then she would have to pack it in a short script. Especially in broadcast setting where news is limited to only a minute and a half.
This shows that even journalists doubt whether the style they use in presenting a particular issue is good enough or not. “But I always go back to the basics the – who, what, when, where, why and how,” she added.
Journalists are the channels through which information flows and they are the interpreters of events. This recognition, paired with the desire to influence, can produce good campaigning journalists who see themselves as watchdogs for the ordinary citizen.
Now, how do journalists judge news? How do they come up with news that is newsworthy? Basically, it depends on what is happening.
As we went through the informational interview, Arcangel anchored her answer with a current events issue – the story of the transgender who was killed by his alleged boyfriend. “The story is not just about the killing of the transgender but there are different angles like the story of the DFA and its effect and how is it related to the killing,” she said.
A news story is the building block of journalism. And to surface a good news story, it is important to be aware of what exactly is happening. Deciding which issues are vital and understanding such events. Ms. Arcangel even supposed that they have desk editors that tell them what stories they are assigned to, and sometimes they can pitch their own story. So, from the knowing the main events of the day, you find other possible angles and you’ll have a story.
Another aspect of news writing concerns news values. Do journalists still use theoretical basis in news writing? Yes. With plenty of experience and practice, one will develop a special awareness of what makes news. Sometimes called news sense, it is the ability to recognize information which will interest your audience or which provides clues to other stories.
About ethics, Ms. Arcangel regards it as an essential factor in the field of journalism. “It is very important to us especially because we want to uphold truth, honesty and fairness in journalism because that’s what really journalism is about,” she said. Also, as trained journalists she come from schools and institutions that taught her at a very early age on how important it is to uphold these values – what-to and what-not-to are important.
Another scenario was brought up, when asked how one must resolve the ethical dilemma of being a spectator covering a story when you could have helped out in a situation.
If you are covering an accident story, you do not tell the victim to stop and get a statement from him because you know that he is to be brought to the hospital, you don’t insist on interviewing him for the sake of the story.
“When we go there, the mind-set is that we are journalists. But you cannot take away the fact that you are also there as a regular citizen,” Ms. Arcangel said.
It’s not so much of the branding but, as we knew of GMA, they imbibe “serbisyong totoo”. Ms. Arcangel explained that it’s not just about reporting the news it is about of being service to others. She thinks people somehow forget that journalism is more than just a career. Journalism is a public service.
In addressing pressure and media bias, “well, it all boils down to the value system that you have. I don’t think that’s exclusive to journalist’s profession. The pressure and bias, it’s just a matter of knowing what your priorities are and making sure that you have a value system in place,” Ms. Arcangel emphasized.
As the media landscape changes, journalists cope with the alterations positively. Ms. Arcangel even considered Internet specifically the social media helpful in news gathering. With the time constraint, one can best gather information through social media and also listening to the radio because according to her these are the most immediate sources of information.
Journalists play a vital role in the democratic process. I have come to ask how does news media’s fixation on private lives of the political officials contribute to the good health of our government. In the first place, is it even important for the public to know?
“Actually it’s hard because there is a thin line between what we should know and what we do not need to know. It’s not so much born out of the desire for gossip, it’s more of the desire to make sure that our officials are living life styles which are appropriate for people of their stature,” Ms. Arcangel said.
She thinks if it as a result of being aware that there is so much corruption, things that happen under the table and behind closed doors that is why people get fixated. For her it is not wrong to begin with but one should also know where to draw the line. Because as journalists they don’t want to be accused of stepping over the line because of unnecessary information.
Journalism seems to be a very glamorous job, but is a very difficult job. One must decide whether to continue or not. You have to be prepared for anything. So, you have to really want it.
To be or not to be? That is the question. (30)
Immediately after the interview, I asked for a picture with her and tah-duh!
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