Rappler senior investigative reporter Lian Buan delivers a lecture on election reporting during the second day of the Varsitarian's 26th Inkblots on Jan. 12 at the lobby of the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building. (Photo by Chloe Elysse B. Ibañez/ The Varsitarian)

LISTENING is crucial for journalists to connect with Filipino voters, a Thomasian journalist emphasized, urging fellows of the 26th Inkblots journalism conference to accept that Philippine elections are and will continue to be driven by emotions.

During her talk on election reporting, Rappler justice reporter Lian Buan encouraged journalists to reflect the emotional dimension of voters’ stories to better understand and resonate with them. 

“Whether we like it or not, Philippine elections are emotions-driven. We’d like it to be logic. In an ideal world, it should be a logically driven election, but it’s not. It’s emotions,” Buan said during the second day of the Varsitarian’s annual campus journalism fellowship.

Acknowledging voters’ emotional inclinations can lead to more critical reporting, she said.

“If we deny it, then we’re not going to cover it the way it should be covered. So, kung emotional ang [voters], matuto rin tayong maging emosyonal.” 

Buan, a UST journalism alumna, said politicians had outpaced journalists in tapping into the emotional aspect of the Filipino electorate, citing her experiences covering now-President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s campaign. 

She noted how the promise of “unity” and the non-confrontational approach of the Marcos Jr. campaign emotionally resonated with voters, who were coming off a “very exhausting” Duterte administration.

“Listen to voters. Listen to what their emotions are,” she said. Kaya madaling isubvert ang democratic election kasi, kapag na-capture na ng bad candidate ‘yong emotion ng voters, sa kanila na ‘yong election.”

“When you have identified the emotion that drives the voters at that time, let that emotion lead you to critical reporting,” she added. 

Buan encouraged campus journalists to use their platform to inspire Filipinos to vote courageously in May. 

“I hope that all of that results in good work so you help people not vote wisely — because people are wise, sometimes just their circumstances make them do certain things,” she said. “Help people vote bravely.”

Another senior Rappler reporter, Paterno Esmaquel II, delved into the importance of connecting with the audience, especially in religion reporting where a premium is given to the story’s humanity. 

“Journalism is about covering humanity, and our role as religion reporters is to bring out the humanity from different new subjects and relay that to a wider audience,” said Esmaquel, also a faculty member at the UST Department of Journalism.

“We need to speak to the heart, especially at a time when so many people are already losing hope.”

Philippine Daily Inquirer sports editor Francis Ochoa highlighted the intersections between sports writing and election reporting.

“[Sports writing] is naturally data-driven; its skills intersect with the needs of transparent and trustworthy election coverage,” said Ochoa, a former Varsitarian editor. 

He urged the campus press to leverage its proximity to the youth by injecting a more human touch into election reporting. 

“The proximity of the campus press to the youth gives it the advantage of putting human stories, faces, and voices to valuable datasets, particularly among the student population,” he said. 

Wrapping up the 26th Inkblots was Fernando Sepe Jr., a former deputy editor of ABS-CBN News who lectured on photojournalism.

“Having a solid foundation coupled with adapting to change allows you to adjust to the landscape,” Sepe said. “Viral or not, you should invest in the foundations of visual literacy.” 

Nearly 300 fellows gathered at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. lobby this year for the 26th Inkblots, the Varsitarian’s annual campus journalism fellowship that carried the theme “Campus Press as Catalyst for Truth in the 2025 Elections.”

This year’s Inkblots was capped by a fellowship night that featured a live performance from alternative pop group Any Name’s Okay and the awarding of winners in the 10th UST National Campus Journalism Awards. with reports from Carlo Jose H. Ruga and Amador Denzel M. Teston

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