iWrite

LOOK | UPV Student Publications Face a Pressing Turmoil

The college publications at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) grapple with a grave upheaval marked by operational discord, financial strains, membership stagnation, and deliberations on the proposed establishment of a student-led university-wide publication.

READ HERE: https://medium.com//upv-student-publications-face-a-pressing-turmoil-98bac9807c8f

| The West Visayas State University (WVSU) College of Communication (COC) through its official student publication, The Mediator, hosted a forum titled “From Campus to Communities: Student Journalism for the people,” last January 24, at the D.N.D CO-working space in Jaro, Iloilo.

In partnership with Panay Times and the Public Affairs, Marketing, and Communication Office (PAMCO), the event featured FYT PH founders Voltaire Tupaz, and Atom Araullo, veteran journalists and documentarist, and the Managing Editor of CoverStory Jun Bandayrel, whose mission are centered to communities and the people.

One of the major focus of the forum was visual storytelling, which Araullo deepened as one of the essential mediums to deliver urgent messages quickly and effectively, that reminds audiences of realities and not just information, based on his insights from his experience in visual storytelling and documentary works.

On the other hand, Tupaz encouraged journalists to produce stories that reflect real life issues and can speak change, urging them to pursue meaningful narratives and adhere to ethical standards by verifying facts, respecting the dignity of their subject, and making responsible choices amid the temptations and pressure journalists face, even at the campus level.

Bandayrel also mentioned the relevance of supporting student journalists, challenges them to continue documenting local issues, and presented promising works of WVSU students published on CoverStory, recognizing that there is so much promise in the landscape of Journalism in the Philippines.

With attendees from different schools across Panay, the University of the Philippines Visayas university-wide publication iWrite, represented by Rian Ysabel Escorpiso and Roisa Joy, first and second year communication and media studies students, was invited to the forum, highlighting the event’s broad reach and relevance to student journalists in the region.

The COC believed that these events will encourage students to expand beyond campus reporting, connect with community issues more, and capitalized the power of student media in promoting awareness and change.

Words by Rian Escorpiso
Photos by Roisa Amonoy