AS the elections draw closer, journalists are expected to deliver the truth and uncover the lies to the public. Last Nov. 8, student publications from different universities and colleges attended THE BEDAN HERALD’s annual inter-school forum, [M]ulat: Mag-ulat at Magmulat. This year’s forum focused on the role of campus journalists in the upcoming 2025 Elections. 

     In his opening remarks, Dr. Andres Ignacio San Mateo, Jr., Vice President for Academic Affairs, asked the attendees, “As a journalist, to whom do you owe your loyalty?” He reminded the student journalists that loyalty is to the readers,  not to politicians. He added that news must be accurate, balanced, and factual. 

     Bonz Magsambol, a multimedia reporter for Rappler, talked about elections reporting and his experiences covering the Senate for Rappler news. He recalled when journalists felt they failed to do their job during the last presidential elections, as some candidates preferred political vloggers, disregarding journalists. 

     Magsambol advised attendees to remember that journalists are no heroes, given that some things are beyond control. He added that the fight to reclaim our democratic spaces lives on, stating “Hindi tayo titigil hangga’t hindi natin na-rereclaim ‘yung democratic space na meron tayo.”

     The second speaker was Jacque Manabat, who worked with ABS-CBN for 17 years and was one of the first journalists to leverage TikTok for news reporting. She discussed how AI tools can be utilized in journalism: “We should master these tools, not the other way around. It will make our work faster, allowing us to focus on the ground and what is really crucial.” Manabat also recounts how dangerous social media can be when weaponized for political propaganda. She told how she bought a social media page to prove this. Politicians can purchase several social media pages online with a large following to have greater engagement in their campaign.

     [M]ulat’s special guest speaker, former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, graced the event with a discussion on the dangers of disinformation during the election period. He admitted to being a victim of propaganda in his younger years until he had to ask questions to see the truth. “The beginning of the end of our ignorance starts with our personal experiences,” he said, pointing to the fact that it takes a long time to unlearn false information.

     In his conclusion, Pangilinan emphasized the number of times when the youth started a movement against injustice, leaving a question for the attendees to ponder on: “Hindi aksidente ng kasaysayan na mga kabataan ang naging mitsa ng pagbabago. Handa ba kayo na tanggapin ang tungkulin bilang mitsa ng pagbabago?”

     “You have a social responsibility to make your space more useful,” Rhein Tuazon, a National Journalism Leadership Award recipient, stressed. She emphasized that the influence of campus journalists should not end inside the campus. She urged student journalists to make a move and start with casual conversations about how apolitical people must be approached. Before ending the talk, Tuazon mentioned that she is a victim of red-tagging; with this, she reminded the attendees to push through no matter what kind of intimidation would come.

     In his closing remarks, Juan Miguel Diaz (III-BSLM), project head of [M]ulat and TBH’s Associate Editor, encouraged student publications to launch their election coverage. He states, “As campus journalists, we have a unique platform to inform and engage our peers and community and uphold democratic values by fostering a well-informed student body." Aside from educating student journalists, the forum aims to further the campaign for cleaner and fairer elections.

     Subsequently, Diaz took the opportunity to invite the attendees to TBH’s next most significant event, the upcoming Press Conference in February 2025. 

     The event opened its doors for other university publications such as The Perpetualite from University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, The Templar from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, The Green Herald from FEU Alabang, The National from National University Manila, University of Makati Student Multimedia Organization from University of Makati, The Arellano Standard from Arellano University, The Makati Academe from CEU Makati, The Philippine Artisan from Technological University of the Philippines, Seton Notes from Elizabeth Seton School, and Pahayagang Bedista from SBCA. TBH also welcomed student publications who were official media partners, such as The Lasallian from De La Salle University and SBCA, The Shifting Gears, and The Bedan Chronicles. 

     Aside from student publications, thanks are given to Tatak Bedista TV as an official media partner, Beda.Comm, the Junior Bedan Marketing Association, and the Junior Bedan Law Circle as [M]ulat’s official network partners. The sponsors made the forum possible, notably Bene Park Cafe, I’m Hook’d, and CRS Food Products.