Asian Center for Journalism executive director Luz Rimban paid tribute to the campus press during the 5th UST National Campus Journalism Awards on Wednesday, saying that publishing a campus paper is a “triumph of teamwork, time management” and a “triumph of truth seeking and truth telling.”
“Our campus papers affirm the role of the press: they tell us what are the most important stories, they help set the news agenda, and proceed to get to the bottom of things as best they can. [T]hat’s definitely no easy task but it develops a sense of responsibility and duty which you will carry all your lives,” Rimban said.
Last year’s winning campus publications Tinig ng Plaridel, Rebel Kulê and The Benildean won anew with entries addressing national and university issues.
The UP College of Mass Communication’s Tinig ng Plaridel bagged the Best In-Depth Story Award for the story “Lack of funding after free tuition law paralyzes student publications.” The story focused on the effect of the 2018 free tuition law on student publications, which previously operated on miscellaneous fees.
The Benildean of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde won Best Feature for the story “Marawi: A case of unity, identity and sacrifice,” which highlighted stories of people caught in middle of the Marawi siege and how they retained their cultural identity.
Rebel Kulê’s “Beyond Brotherhood” won this year’s Best Editorial. It slammed the UP administration for its inaction toward the fraternity, Upsilon Sigma Phi, and criticized the fraternity for the wasted potential in playing a more vital role in the university.
The finalists for the best in-depth story were “Untended Plot Rice tariffication sows unrest among farmers as farmgate prices plunge,” by UP Diliman’s Philippine Collegian, and “Faculty evaluation- An instrument for improvement or just another requirement by The Flame of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters.
“KADILIMANG BUMABALOT SA KAPASKUHAN: Parol sa ilalim ng lagim ng Tokhang” by De La Salle’s Ang Pahayagang Plaridel and “A speech therapist’s pledge” by The Flame were the finalists in the best feature story.
The finalists for the best editorial award were “Our father” by De La Salle’s The La Sallian and “Whispers in the silence” by the Ateneo’s The Guidon.
Rimban reminded young journalists to be “fierce, persistent, focused and diligent in studying whatever issue you are writing about, while all the while honing skills of critical thinking.”
Aside from Rimban, the panel of judges for this year were ANC anchor Christian Esguerra, Philstar.com Editor in Chief Camille Diola, Pulitzer Prize winner Manny Mogato and The Philippine Star reporter Alexis Romero.
Bands “Purples and Oranges” and “Where’s Ramona?” performed during the fellowship dinner and the awarding ceremony, which was held on the last day of the 21st Inkblots, the three-day annual national campus journalism fellowship hosted by the Varsitarian. L.M. Salen
