Notes at my desk

12:00 PM



I was cleaning my desk when I saw these notes of mine about Edukcircle. I thought that I may post a blog about it since I didn’t know what topic I should post for my blog this week. Well, I’ll never forget our Edukcircle experience last year. Honestly, there are lot of things we’re concerned about that day. What I really enjoyed that day was I got to spend my day with my blockmates for a day outside our university. A mini field trip! Though, it’s quite different. Still, we were able to learn a lot from the guest speakers that day. As far as my notes remember, hahaha here’s a glimpse of what we have learned that day.   

Ms. Sandra Aguinaldo lectured us about news reporting involving the minors. This lecture was merely about how media in particular should do in reporting news about the minors. Ms. Sandra Aguinaldo points out three goals namely to protect the rights of the children, protect the child from ridicule and embarrassment and protect the child’s well-being. She said that in their TV station, they follow a certain ethics that every journalist should abide. I have learned that indeed, every child needs an absolute right for privacy. I was able to understand that the children shall really not be taken or published or shown to the public in any manner especially those children who are involved in criminal cases or victims of different crimes and more. Also journalists must be careful enough in disseminating information because if a journalist accessed or disseminated records of a child, the journalist may be sanctified. A journalist must also be careful enough in interviewing a child. A child must be with a psychologist as well for them to be guided enough for whatever may be effect may happen to the child because of the interview. Another thing that I remembered that Ms. Aguinaldo said is that the journalist/s should discuss the issues surrounding the case than the personal circumstances of the child or the victim for it is like stereotyping. I think that dignity of a child must be really respected at all times. Children should be taken care of at all times for a person’s childhood is the main gate for the person in developing to become who he or she is when he or she grows up. It is his or her foundation in growing up that’s why it is really important for us to protect them and make their start good enough so that as they grow up, they’ll be stringer, better and in capable of many good things. Dr. Claire Thompson talking about understanding and working with children and trauma, honestly I got bored with it. One thing that made me bored is sometimes I don’t understand what she’s saying because of her very low and soft voice. But I have learned the PTSD which stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Some criteria for having a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are threat, intrusion symptoms, avoidance in different aspects, and negativism like in moods, reactivity and more. That is why children or minors that are victims of violent abuse, suspect of crimes, child soldiers, children in criminal environment, children with diseases like HIV / AIDS or any traumatic diseases shall not be identified. Dr. Felecitas Soriano talked about understanding children with challenging behaviour. Well, she mostly talked about parent and children relationship. With Dr. Soriano’s talk, somehow I was able to relate on what she’s talking about. Our parents are the first person who’s always there for us since we are children. And as we grow up, we get to discover more what are there in our surroundings or environment. We became more conscious with ourselves, with other people and with our surroundings that’s why somehow we detach ourselves from what keeping us to discover more what lies ahead outside. There are lots of behaviour a child might have. Depending on how the parent was able to raise their children and how the children are being influenced by others or being responsible enough. Dealing with different behaviours of a child is very hard. It takes full attention, time, care, and love for a parent to deal with their child or children. It is definitely not easy. Last speaker was Hon. Elissa Sarmiento Flores. She was named “tita judge” during the convention. For me, she was the most energetic speaker and most effective speaker of that day. She was able to capture the sleeping minds of the audiences. She talked about the rights of children as subjects of news items. Well, children are not bad in making them as a news item. In fact, everyone has the right to be heard and children are encouraged to have access to media. They can express their own opinions without enticement, but if a child is involved in any crime, it is not right for them to have their own opinions expressed. Another thing that I was able to understand with her lecture is that media is definitely a part for the goof rehabilitating recovery of a child. The media should also bring out the truth in any anomaly and government should also help in every way they can for the benefit of the people. It is also important to practice or exercise self-regulation. I think, having the Philippine Constitution and the Journalist Code of Ethics, it is really indeed complicated when these two are combined and serve as a guideline for the journalists in covering, writing and presenting reports. One thing that I like the most on what she said is that “Everything doesn’t need to be talked about”. I totally agree that everything doesn’t need to be talked about, instead there are only some things that are needed and that are necessary to talk about. It will help the people to have a better or peaceful relationship with one another. It is like the famous wordings “Less is more” although in news, we really need information, but I believe that we can still deliver great news without spilling things too much.

Minors who are below 18, victims of exploitation and conflict of the law should not be identified. Pregnant minors mustn’t also be identified especially when a journalist will conduct an interview with them and if it is about their pregnancy on their own child or children. Child labourers and other children can be shown or their identity can be shown unless if the child or children are in harsh conditions such as slaves, drug runners and more. Another thing is that there should be consent of parents or guardians. The consent must also be shown or given on camera as well. These are only some of the plenty things that we’ve learned in covering, writing and presenting news reports.

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