Campus journalism: a millennial definition

January 10, 2019 Educator's Corner

By: GERALDINE DUGUI-ES SUMIPIT
The signing into law of the Campus Journalism Act has become the avenue for students to practice and exercise the freedom of speech and expression through inking them in newspapers. Furthermore, campus journalism has transcended the formal education setting.
Schools in Baguio City are encouraged to publish their school publications at least once a year. These school publications serve as their tickets to join the celebrated press conferences. But the measurement of a paper is more than just looking at its headlines of achievements of students and faculty; acts of activism and criticalness; number of pages and papers published; and awards it has garnered from various conferences and competitions.
According to an essay “A Paper Larger than Life” by Romulo A. Bagacina Jr. of The Mountain Collegian, this is not how a paper is supposed to be measured. Campus publications, as stated in the essay, have resisted through time to accept the disparaging idea of many people that these publications are clumsy and amateurish if not lacking in depth. In addition, it was said that many campus publications have strived hard to evolve into paper that is not shallow and is worthy of a more favorable assessment in today’s popular culture.
Truly, campus journalism has evolved from covering events, interviewing, holding press works, spearheading campus press conferences, mentoring of peer journalists, immersing into communities to so much more. It has emerged as an effective tool to teach critical thinking as it exposes students to various social realities and challenges them to find creative means to address such concerns. This way they are able to contribute to the community and the society.
Campus journalism is important and it has a role to play.