Media and Information Literacy

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People Media

Module 008 – People Media

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Identify the different people involved in media
2. Determine the characteristics of people media
3. Cite examples of the positive and negative effects of people media

People Media
People media is defined by Magpile (2016) as “the people who work in the media and the
members of the press.” These people are involved in the production of messages and media
for the public to consume. This lesson will discuss the different people involved in the
dissemination and production of media.
Magpile (2016) enumerated the different characteristics of people media. These are the
following:
1. Dedicated and passionate – members of the media have a great responsibility on
their shoulders for they must meet the expectations of a wide variety of audience.
People in media must be dedicated and passionate to accomplish their tasks and to
satisfy their audience.
2. Sociable and outgoing – media gets its messages from people so it is important for
people in media to meet and talk to people that could answer their questions. For
example, journalists covering events need to talk to the key people involved in the
event to create a story about it.
3. Respectable and trustworthy – Media must maintain its reputable image. People in
media are responsible for delivering factual information, because the public relies
on them for information.
4. Creative and dynamic - People involved in media must also come up with creative
and unique ideas to attract the audience’s attention. The masses typically view
media as a form of entertainment so media, to adapt to its expectations, must
become flexible for them to offer a one-of-a-kind perspective.

People in Print and Broadcast Media

The following list of people in the media is derived from Magpile’s list (2016) in her
book, Media and Information Literacy: Enhancing Education through Effective
Communication.
People in Print Media
The print media, as defined by Magpile (2016) is a form of media where messages
are distributed to the public through paper publications. The people involved in this
form of media are:

Course Module
 1. Journalists – Journalists are mainly involved in searching and writing the news.
They are thoroughly concerned about current events and even conduct rigorous
research on an assigned topic or beat before writing a news article. Their stories
are solely based on facts and the stories they write for newspapers and other
news outlets answer the 5Ws and 1H questions.
2. Writers and authors – A writer is anyone that is capable of writing a variety of
topics he/she is interested in or is tasked to write. Writers with a keen eye for
detail and mostly covers local and global news is considered a journalist. A writer
may also opt to write creatively or in a literary style, while some write about
topics within their field or expertise. These people are commonly called authors.
3. Editors – they are responsible in checking and looking over the writer’s work
before it is sent for publishing.
4. Layout artists or graphic artists – the layout artists or graphic artists are in
charge of the overall presentation of printed material from text to images. They
are in charge of thinking about the image or images that would best suit the text
of writers and how they can be arranged in a page before publication.
5. Photographers – these are people responsible for capturing images to accompany
written text or visually represent a concept or idea. Sometimes, they are even
tasked to create their own captions for these images to summarize what it
portrays for the audience to immediately know what the importance of the image
in the article.
6. Art directors – while layout artists are responsible for the presentation of the
published material, the art directors are in charge of mulling over the overall
concept of the material in terms of art, design and graphics.
7. Publishers – these are the people involved in the financing and handling the cost
of production to publish or print the publication.
People in Broadcast Media
While people in print media are involved in paper or printed publications, the
messages in broadcast media are distributed to the public through broadcast in
radios, televisions, and theaters. The people involved in broadcast media are:
1. Reporter – a reporter, similar to the journalist, is tasked to report on the news in
the field where the event has happened.
2. News anchor – Unlike the reporter, the news anchor delivers the news to the
public while inside the studio.
3. TV or program host – the television and program hosts are the ones facilitating
the flow of a program. They are in charge of hyping up the show for the audience
to enjoy.
4. Scriptwriter – The scriptwriter writes the script for the show which the people
who would be appearing in it would be following.
5. Director – The director, as one of the vital people behind the camera, solely
supervises and instructs the performers and hosts on how to act according to the
script provided by the scriptwriter.
6. Producer – the producer is in charge of financing the show or movie.

Effects of People Media

Television has been one of the greatest influencing media in ages. It doesn’t come as a
surprise that with this popularity, hundreds of studies have been done regarding the
portrayal of various themes through the television.
 Media and Information Literacy
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People Media

A study by Andre Carol (2009), cited in Magpile’s book (2016), shows that themes of
television shows can influence children as one of their constant source of entertainment.
Ages 6-12 kids mostly watch programs focused on social relationships and learning.
One important role of people media has been evident in 1986, leading up to the first People
Power. Journalists have reported on the different sectors of society (the nuns, the students,
and professionals in their field) and how they are willing to risk their sheltered lives to
regain their freedom. Radio and television stations led the election coverage on former
president and dictator Marcos and Cory Aquino that could make or break the country’s
future.
According to Maslog (2015), there had been three sources for election results during that
time by different media outlets: Media Poll Count, conducted by the Kapisanan ng mga
Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), made the superquick count and was aired over most radio
stations and four television stations in Metro Manila (Channels 2, 4, 9, and 13); the super
slow count or the official count conducted by the Commission on Elections; the quick count
conducted by the National Movement for Free Elections and aired only by Radio Veritas.
The different counts showed different results and only the quick count showed that Cory
Aquino was leading the race. A survey conducted in Metro Manila around 1985 saw a boost
in the credibility ratings of Radio Veritas and alternative press. People chose to tune in to
this rather than the first two, which are believed to be government-sponsored.
At the height of the events in the 1985 elections, local and foreign journalists gathered at
Camp Aguinaldo where then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice
Chief of Staff Gen. Fidel Ramos withdrawed from their positions, declaring that they could
no longer support a government that did not have the mandate of the people.
On the same night, Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin has broadcasted an
announcement through Radio Veritas that mobilized thousands of Filipinos on to the
streets in front of and around Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo for the historical
nonviolent and bloodless battle.
These events are just some of the notable positive effects of people media, especially in the
time of Martial Law.
On the other hand, some studies show that profanity and obscenity through television and
movies have a direct negative influence on a child’s behavior or sense of morality. They
would think of vulgar words and bad behavior is normal or acceptable as it is seen on TV.
Former president Marcos has banned the popular anime series, Voltes V as it is promoting
violence in children. Some believed that it was banned because they could influence the
youth to oppose and revolt against the dictatorial government.
According to the National Television Violence Study, violence has been proven to be
prevalent in television. In various channels in America, the study has specified that there is
about 6,000 violent interactions shown on TV for each week across 23 channels.
Furthermore, the same study showed that the way television presented violence, it is
highly likely for the child viewers to be influenced negatively. Mostly, this is because most
television violence portrayed the victims’ almost realistic suffering and pain. One great

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 contributor to this influence on children is the role that famous people play on screen,
glamorizing the image of violence in the younger viewers.
Filipinos are avid viewers of TV, according to the audience measurement study done by
Nielsen in 2015, watching shows for 33 hours per week on average. In another survey in
2015, it showed that Filipino children are fond of watching television shows for more than
two hours of the recommended time. In line with this, a study done by the Philippine
Children’s Television Foundation in 2001 cited in an article by Ilagan for PCIJ (2016), found
out that half of the television programs broadcasted in Philippine TV contain violence.
Viewers may possibly encounter violent scenes every ten minutes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in response to the previous study, has said that
“media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence,
nightmares, and fear of being harmed.”
One of the moves of Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to
counter this harmful effect of violence on local TV is classifying television content into
three categories which are “G” for General Patronage or the programs suitable for any age.
“PG” or Parental Guidance are programs containing mild adult material that children are
allowed to watch, considering that they are under the supervision of their parents. “SPG” or
Strong Parental Guidance are for programs that the parents must actively supervise
because of the content containing serious subjects.
This has been the cause for the creation of Republic Act No. 8370 or the Children’s
Television Act wherein broadcast networks are required to give at least 15-minute airtime
daily for child-friendly programs. NCCT Secretariat, Desideria Atienza claims that both the
television networks and parents share the responsibility of what children watch and
process and apply in real life.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
Magpile, Christine Marie; 2016; Media and Information Literacy (Enhancing Education
through Effective Communication); Intelligente Publishing Inc.
Maslog, Crispin; 2015; Mass Media and People Power: A Brief History of Philippine Mass
Communication
Online Supplementary Reading Materials
The Effects of Television Violence on Children;
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/pi/advocacy/2008/kunkel-tv.aspx; September 18, 2017
Kids and violence on TV; http://pcij.org/stories/kids-violence-on-tv/; September 18,
2017
Online Instructional Videos
People Media; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am44z-TOPJI; September 18, 2017