In another article I wrote in June 2003, I noted,

“Online journalism therefore cannot be expected to flourish if people were hampered by astronomical prices related to Internet access and low purchasing power. The poor state of IT infrastructure must also be considered since the Internet cannot be effectively maximized and appreciated by a broad audience.

“At this point, it is very important to break the myth that Filipinos are generally intimidated by new technology and that this is the drawback in online journalism. The issues, after all, are very basic and the problems confronting IT and online journalism in particular are fundamental. In a Third World country like the Philippines, the so-called digital divide should not be defined in terms of the -‘techno-probes versus the techno-savvy,’ but between the financially capable and the financially challenged.” (The Limited Reach of Online Journalism, Philippine Journalism Review, June 2003)

For a Filipino journalist, therefore, to be more effective in reaching out to the marginalized sectors of society, he or she cannot rely on online publications given their limited reach. This situation then presents a strong case for journalists straddling the different forms of media to broaden the reach of their outputs.

Mainstream and Alternative Online Journalism

Just like newspapers and magazines, there are mainstream and alternative online publications. Their orientation is mainly determined by the content and interest they espouse.

Online journalists must remember that their analysis matters to the audience and that their work must not only be confined to chronicling data and presenting the different sides of the story. A maldeveloped society like the Philippines requires a kind of journalism that upholds the tradition of La Solidaridad and Kalayaan in terms of depth of analysis and clear calls to action.

In the context of online journalism, the intended message can be either in support or critical of the status quo. Given that there are various interest groups in the country that seek the attention of online users, it is not surprising that there are online publications that are either mainstream or alternative in orientation.

The challenge therefore lies for the online users to discern the reliability of the information provided by online publications they visit as they seek analyses that can guide them in making sense of the national situation.

Conclusion

Compared to print and broadcast, online journalism is relatively new since Filipinos were introduced to the Web only in 1995.

There are problems besetting the design and layout of websites as form tends to overshadow the content. This situation can be rooted in the lack or even absence of knowledge in the principles of design and layout. In the same way, blogging has given rise to what is called “citizen journalism,” which must not be taken to mean that all bloggers are now automatically classified as online journalists.

Despite the advances in modern technology, particularly in telecommunications, there is still a need to go back to the fundamentals of journalism and the journalists’ basic task of shaping public opinion by giving the people information that they need. Bulatlat

Editor’s Note: This paper was presented to the CALABARZON Communication Convention held on September 25, 2006 at the Lyceum of Batangas in Batangas City.

 Save as PDF