N.B. – This is an advance copy of my message for the launch of the 12th issue of Plaridel journal (where I am issue editor) on April 1, 2009, 9 a.m. at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) auditorium. It includes a call for the College to take a stand on important media and communication issues. If you want to view my video message, it may be retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOllFjQek84.
My current work as a visiting professor here at Hannam University makes it impossible for me to be with you today. The spring semester started only last March 2 and will end on June 19. I wish to thank Dr. Aleli Quirante, director of ORP, for working very hard in organizing the launch of this issue of the journal. I should also mention the hard work and dedication of our researchers, Irene Zamora and Lynette Quintillian, in proofreading, designing and laying out the journal, as they had so effectively done in the past issues. Their efficiency is the reason we have something to launch today, although the choice of date, April Fool’s Day, is Ma’am Aleli’s and mine, not theirs.
Anyway, I truly appreciate the warm welcome of my colleagues, or should I say my friends, at Hannam’s Linton Global College. The Korean and exchange students we have at LGC are generally well-versed in English and there is no pressure for me to learn Hangeul. I do realize, however, the need to learn basic Hangeul as I adjust to a new working and living environment.
The need to learn, relearn and unlearn is also apparent as we discuss media and communication. In the introduction that I wrote in the 12th issue of the Plaridel journal we are launching today, media and communication processes are as numerous as they are complicated. Just as the Philippine economy is said to defy basic paradigms of growth and development, Philippine media and communication systems are not easily explained by generally accepted theories. This situation is more apparent as one tries to use Western theories in analyzing what is happening in the Philippines. How can one explain, for example, the country’s having the freest press in Asia at a time when media killings are on the rise and there are pending bills in Congress that can compromise, or even kill, press freedom?
Our theme for this issue is media and communication discourse. This issue of Plaridel contains four articles that analyze the various facets of Philippine media and communication.
In her article titled “Learning from the News: Towards a Comprehensive Theory of Motivational Effects,” Clarissa David identifies important media and communication theories related to the understanding of news and notes the lack of research on the motivational effects of news. Shirley Evidente discusses how various Filipino journalists in Metro Manila use the press identification card in her paper titled “The Iconic Images of the Philippine Press Identification Card in Metro Manila.” Clarissa David and Jenna Mae Atun, in their article titled “Influence of Interpersonal Discussion on Contraceptive Use: A Study of the Philippine Case,” analyze the people’s behavior on contraceptive use through interpersonal communication. Jose Gutierrez III studies selected films of the late director Lino Brocka to know how the mothers are portrayed in his paper titled “Images of the Mother in Lino Brocka Films: 1970-1991.”
Aside from these four articles, Patrick Campos in this issue writes “Manuel Conde and the Filipino `Indie’ Cinema,” a critical review of not just the contents but also the significance of Nicanor Tiongson’s book titled The Cinema of Manuel Conde. By analyzing the book’s place in the various studies of Filipino films, his review motivates other film scholars to continue studying the body of work of other practitioners through the years.
I have also taken the liberty of reprinting in full the proposed consolidated bill on “freedom of information” by the Access to Information Network. In the wake of current debates on the proposed laws on “right of reply” and the “decriminalization of libel,” the pending bills in Congress on access to information must also be analyzed in the context of how media can better fulfill their role of disseminating important information to the public.
These outputs do not in any way provide all the answers to problems surrounding Philippine media and communication processes. But these can give interested readers an idea of how they can help change them.
And we all know that meaningful change is important in not just media and communication but also in society as a whole.
Even if this is not the proper venue to talk about the direction of our beloved UP College of Mass Communication, it is imperative that our College take part in the collective struggle for a better media. The College should lend its voice in the never-ending discourse on what kind of media and communication system we should have, especially now that there are blatant attempts by the powers-that-be, both legal and extrajudicial, to stifle press freedom and even permanently silence critical journalists.
The Plaridel journal, since it started in 2004, has been a venue for academic researches on various aspects of communication and media. We shall be forever grateful to Dean Nicanor Tiongson for starting this refereed journal. On the other hand, our current Dean Elena Pernia should be credited for having the vision to effectively market the journal so that it reaches a wider audience.
The future Dean of the College, who I hope is with us right now, should work very hard not just to continue the journal but to make sure that its themes and contents remain to be relevant. Unlike other journals that are too esoteric even for the ivory-tower academics, Plaridel has been known for coming up with scholarly articles that are usually written in a way that can be easily understood. It even accommodates articles and reviews in Filipino to ensure that interested readers can understand the author’s message.
Nawa’y nasa susunod na dekano ang haraya ng pagpapaunlad ng Kolehiyo sa konteksto ng pangangailangan ng ating bayan, sa konteksto ng paghuhubog ng opinyong pampubliko.
May the next dean have the vision for developing the College in the context of what the country needs, in the context of shaping public opinion.
In closing, I wish to share with you that here at Hannam University, change is happening in the form of strengthening ties with partner-universities in the Philippines, particularly De La Salle University and our very own UP. I was just informed that this year marks the 20th anniversary of Hannam’s memorandum of agreement with both DLSU and UP.
At the national level, this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Philippines. This is the reason 2009 is dubbed Philippines-Korea Friendship Year.
Let us make 2009 also significant for the College by making a commitment to not just continue publishing Plaridel, but ensuring that we lend our voice to making Philippine media and communication relevant, responsive and responsible.
Marami pong salamat at isang mapagpalayang umaga sa inyong lahat. Thank you and a liberating morning to all of you.