CITY OF BALIWAG—Bulacan media practitioners and government information officers lectured on news writing, straight news, copy editing and the significance of diligently-made press releases in the kick off of National University (NU) Baliwag’s four-day journalism seminar and workshop on Wednesday.
Dubbed as “Likhayag,” the talks and workshops are aimed to equip the students of the English Language Studies of NU Baliwag including its senior high school students who have shown interests and skills in journalism, news writing and public communication in establishing their campus first ever school paper.
Felina Gail Mar, program chair of the English Language Studies program of NU Baliwag had sent more than 20 college and senior high students as active participants.
NU Baliwag, established five years ago, in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide opportunities for education to the youth of Baliwag and other municipalities and cities in Bulacan, which offers Civil Engineering, Architecture, Psychology, Accountancy, Tourism, Hospitality Management, Senior High School and other courses has yet to have its school publication.
Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Correspondent of Philippine Daily Inquirer in Bulacan and publisher and editor in chief of NEWSCORE weekly newspaper and online news, spoke about media and journalism, basic news writing, ethics and responsibility and accountability. She also gave workshops to the participants.
Estrope currently teaches Communication and Media in Centro Escolar University in Malolos. She is also the president of the Central Luzon Media-Citizen Council.
Anton Luis Reyes Catindig, managing editor and layout artist of NEWSCORE lectured on the basic steps in layouting using In Design 2018 version. A 15-minute video presentation of the actual layout process which he prepared, particularly the front page was played before the attendees.
Pauline Bantigue, information officer II of the Bulacan Provincial Public Affairs Office (PPAO), lectured on the roles and functions of their office as a local government media. She delved on the importance and the audience of the press releases and statements their office makes and their difference with the articles written by the journalists and those that are being published or aired by media institutions.
Penafrancia Calderon-Capco, External Affairs Division Head of PPAO took over the afternoon sessions for her discussion on the conventional proofreading steps and techniques. She also conducted workshops for the participants.
Series of talks and activities are also scheduled in the next three day of the workshop, says Mar.
Estrope hailed NU Baliwag for its decisive move to establish its own school publication during this very challenging time because of the dwindling power of the traditional media brought about by the now dominating digital and social media.
