Orgs call to defend, uphold free speech on World Press Freedom Day

BY LOURENCE MARCELLANA

IN CELEBRATION of the 30th World Press Freedom Day, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Communication (PUP-COC) and the Southeast Asian Media Studies Association (SEAMSA) conducted a webinar, tackling the importance of press freedom in democracy and human rights amid the struggles of journalists.

The Communicator and PUP Journalism Guild also worked with the hosts to hold “Breaking Barriers: Journalists as Catalysts of Freedom of Expression” on May 3 via Zoom and Facebook Live.

The event featured Manuel Mogato of OneNews.PH, Kathyrine Cortez from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Archie Bergosa of ExplainED PH, and John Robert De Castro of The Catalyst.

The speakers stressed the importance of breaking restrictions journalists faced from practicing press freedom.

“The biggest problem now is the loss of credibility and public trust…But there is still polarization as the public do not trust the media when it comes to political stories,” said Mogato.

Bergosa mentioned that the blurring of narratives, weaponization of mistrust, and media downplay are all obstacles that journalists must face.

“We stand for journalists around the world, we condemn state killings, we stand for justice for those na inatake ng estado.”

Cortez recognized that freedom of information serves as the backbone of press freedom during the round table discussion where journalists need to strengthen their unity. Mogato furthered that their role is not easy as watchdogs.

Bergosa claimed that journalists are fighting for their credibility in social media since anyone can be bloggers or publishers that touch the biases of their audience without adhering to the strict editorial and ethical standards of journalism.

De Castro raised that other aspiring media practitioners were demoralized by the recent victory of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., emphasizing the roles of teachers and professionals in motivating the students to continue to fight.

“Nakikita ko naman sa pamamagitan ng campus publications na nagiging militant sila, progressive, and critical. The way ng pag-rereport nila, they are really challenging the status quo. I think that is a positive factor in shaping our future in media.”

They stressed that journalism requires a different type of commitment where it sees the collective struggle of media practitioners when they’re continuing their advocacy amid the obstacles.