Campus Journalism and Its Advantages

The Campus Journalism Act of 1991 is perhaps one of the strongest laws protecting the rights of the
youth, particularly student journalists, and preserving the integrity of student publications.
However, in many cases, many institutions do not follow these rules, or balatantly disobeys the law. And
we cannot blame them; being owners of the institutions editors belong to, they believe that they must
have complete control over the publications, even if the law provides otherwise. I would want my opinion
to be taken hypothetically.
There are many advantages to a free student publication: First, it trains the students on journalism and
provides an avenue to concretely practice truth, fairness, and balance. These are values taught better by
experience, and supplemented by the classroom.
Second, it provides check and balance for the administrators, the student councils, and the students.
Campus journalists and publications become the students eyes in things that the institutions hide.
Third, it safeguards democracy in the campus level. Campus publications, being an independent entity, is
accountable to nobody but its readers and protect democracy and freeedom of expression while
encouraging the readers to do the same.
Campus journalism is important, for it safeguards the halls and the posts of democracy and provides the
student readers a deeper perspective; things that happen under their noses. As journalists, let us help in
protecting its existence by enforcing the law protecting it.

Campus Journalism: Beyond the Competition Mode

According to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, in the fight against poverty and extreme hunger, the
advocacy should start from the young.
There is power in the pen and we highlight this in our school journalists and their publications. We enlist
their active participation in this advocacy because our young journalists know how to optimize the power
of communication.
Campus journalism serves as a means to strengthen the ethical values and encourage the creative and
critical thinking of the Filipino youth. It also helps in developing the personal discipline and moral
character of the young.
One of the most effective means of teaching students the basic and advanced writing techniques and
inculcating in them the values of work and fair judgment is campus journalism. It is a good training ground
or pool for future journalists or at least writers. Through the school paper, student writers are able to
develop their skills and enhance their craft.

Moreover, with campus paper, both the campus journalists and the target audience appreciate the role of
the press in shaping public opinion.
The public expects the teachers to mentor the students on campus journalism, even though some
advisers lack the skills to write even the most basic form of journalistic practice, news writing. Separate
training for mentors should also be conducted so that they, too would be equipped. Moreover, the
teaching of campus journalism in high school and elementary should go beyond the competition mode.
The holding of competitions to test the skills of school children on campus journalism might have worked
to a certain point but making the students practice campus journalism more might do miracles and fish
more youth to the craft of factual reporting. Students should be trained to write for life not for competition.
There is a wide room for creativity in providing more effective avenues for the young writers to practice.
With the advent of internet, advisers can use high school students having more time to be online to make
the blogs as medium for their writing skills to develop. There are many social networking sites with
blogging features where students can post their creative works. Besides, it provides more opportunities
for critiquing, and also pride and sense of accomplishment for the students. They become more motivated
to write when they see their work read by the public. Expectations have to be adjusted with regards to
quality of work but advisers can always provide inputs to their writers. It is imperative then that advisers
and student writers recognize the value of campus journalism. For the advisers, it is not a day's work they
have to get over and done with; it is an opportunity to grow professionally and personally. For the
students, it is not an additional academic burden but a tool that improves their skills and develops their
values.

Campus Journalism: Beyond the Competition Mode

According to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, in the fight against poverty and extreme hunger, the advocacy should
start from the young.
There is power in the pen and we highlight this in our school journalists and their publications. We enlist their active
participation in this advocacy because our young journalists know how to optimize the power of communication.
Campus journalism serves as a means to strengthen the ethical values and encourage the creative and critical
thinking of the Filipino youth. It also helps in developing the personal discipline and moral character of the young.
One of the most effective means of teaching students the basic and advanced writing techniques and inculcating in
them the values of work and fair judgment is campus journalism. It is a good training ground or pool for future
journalists or at least writers. Through the school paper, student writers are able to develop their skills and enhance
their craft.

Moreover, with campus paper, both the campus journalists and the target audience appreciate the role of the press in
shaping public opinion.
The public expects the teachers to mentor the students on campus journalism, even though some advisers lack the
skills to write even the most basic form of journalistic practice, news writing. Separate training for mentors should also
be conducted so that they, too would be equipped. Moreover, the teaching of campus journalism in high school and
elementary should go beyond the competition mode. The holding of competitions to test the skills of school children
on campus journalism might have worked to a certain point but making the students practice campus journalism more
might do miracles and fish more youth to the craft of factual reporting. Students should be trained to write for life not
for competition. There is a wide room for creativity in providing more effective avenues for the young writers to
practice. With the advent of internet, advisers can use high school students having more time to be online to make
the blogs as medium for their writing skills to develop. There are many social networking sites with blogging features
where students can post their creative works. Besides, it provides more opportunities for critiquing, and also pride
and sense of accomplishment for the students. They become more motivated to write when they see their work read
by the public. Expectations have to be adjusted with regards to quality of work but advisers can always provide inputs
to their writers. It is imperative then that advisers and student writers recognize the value of campus journalism. For
the advisers, it is not a day's work they have to get over and done with; it is an opportunity to grow professionally and
personally. For the students, it is not an additional academic burden but a tool that improves their skills and develops
their values.