N.B. – This was published in The Lobbyist (July 12) where I write a column (Subtext).

There are questions worth asking as there are answers worth sharing.

Three journalists from the Philippines, Myanmar and Timor Leste interviewed me about the relationship between journalism and activism, as well as the pros and cons of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Scholarship program in Singapore and what’s in store for Timor Leste in case it becomes the 11th member of the ASEAN. Please find below my short answers.

I am currently doing a story on a journalist in Timor Leste who used to be an activist. My story will revolve around how activism affects a journalist’s practice of journalism. What are your thoughts on this? Wouldn’t a journalist’s activism affect his or her neutrality?

Neutrality is a myth in journalism because a journalist needs to make sense of the reality. And doing so requires analysis of the data. Without analysis, a journalist can never fulfill his or her duty to provide relevant information toward the shaping of public opinion, which is what journalism is all about.

In the context of activism, a journalist’s socio-political background helps in the formation of his or her analytical framework which, in turn, helps in the interpretation of data. Readers are assumed to be critical receivers of information so they can accept, reject or ignore a journalist’s analysis of social reality. In the marketplace of ideas, it is advisable for journalists to come forward with their analysis of issues.

A journalist should not therefore be faulted for having an activist background. After all, his or her progressive analysis, just like his or her conservative counterpart, is expected to stand public scrutiny.

What do you think of ASEAN scholarship offered by Singapore to nine ASEAN member-countries (http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/scholarships/asean/)? Do you think this results in brain drain for the concerned countries?

Studying in a foreign country allows students a broader perspective not only in terms of the course they are pursuing but also of the live they are living. By being exposed to a different culture, students learn how to be more sensitive to the needs of others and hopefully apply positive traits in their own lives.

Scholarships could be good opportunities to study abroad, especially for students who come from developing countries. Governments should encourage and help promote such scholarship programs.

To answer your questions:

1. An ASEAN scholarship should be comprehensive for students who don’t have the capacity to pay, which is true for developing member-countries like the Philippines and Myanmar. It should include not just full subsidy to cover tuition and other fees but also related expenses like food and housing. It would be good for the ASEAN to explore this possibility and make it available to poor and deserving students in all member-countries, including perhaps East Timor.
2. It could only be “brain drain” if scholars decide not to come back to their respective countries after their scholarship programs. It should be clear in the scholarship contract that the students should go back to their country and work there for a certain number of years. In the Philippines, we call it “return service” and it is standard operating procedure in many scholarship grants, especially for faculty members who wish to get higher degrees (MA or PhD) abroad which the home university subsidizes.

How would Timor Leste benefit from being a member of ASEAN?

If Timor Leste becomes a member of ASEAN, it could strengthen its “global identity” as an independent country. Its “external sovereignty” could be bolstered as the recognition of independence is all the more formalized.

Then again, Timor Leste should carefully study the consequences of adopting the ASEAN Vision 2020 and other ASEAN policies that are geared toward opening up markets. It should not rush membership in the ASEAN if the principles of liberalization, deregulation and privatization would do more harm than good to the economy.