Media reminded: Raise standards higher

CEBU, Philippines-  “If there is a demand for lowering the standards, let us not give in. Let’s raise the standards even higher than that we know of.”

This was the message of Father Dan Domingo delos Angeles yesterday to the members of the media in Cebu in celebration of Press Freedom Week.

During his homily in the opening ceremony of the week-long celebration of the 21st Cebu Press Freedom Week 2015, Delos Angeles emphasized on the importance of delivering the truth, particularly at a time when technology has changed how news is conveyed to the audience. 

“It was technology that brought the rapid change, not media. It was technology that created a new specie of listeners called netizen. It was technology that brought the new medium, the social media. The loaf we have buttered has expanded and we have spread ourselves thin,” he said.

With this, Delos Angeles, who used to work for the media, reminded the journalists and broadcasters of their responsibilities and the kind of stories that should be delivered. 

He asked the media to remember the acronym “PANCIT” which stands for proximity, audience classification, novelty, conflict and crisis, impact and timeliness, as elements in the content of news.

“Pero bisan naa pa kay PANCIT, the best content that you could give to your news is Christ himself because he is the Truth,” he said.

“Jesus is the best content that we could put into our news so that the void that media and technology has created by expanding the horizon may be filled with Jesus from corner to corner,” delos Angeles added.

After the mass, the opening program immediately followed which had the Star of the Show competition where journalists and broadcasters from different entities battled in a dance competition.

Members of the Kapisan ng mga Broadcasters ng Pilipinas-Cebu Chapter won the first prize while The Freeman and Banat news team won second. Cebu Daily News came in third.

CDN also won as Star of the Parade followed by Sunstar/Superbalita and The Freeman/Banat News. KBP-Cebu Chapter was awarded as Early Bird delegates.

Meanwhile, Carlo Lorenciana and Mylen Manto of The FREEMAN were declared as second runner-up and third runner-up, respectively during the Mr. and Ms. Press Freedom 2015 held at Bayfront Hotel Saturday night.

 Lorenciana is a business writer while Manto is a court beat reporter.

 Victor Silva and Vanessa Lucero of CDN won as this year’s Mr. and Miss Press Freedom.

 First runners-up were Daryl Jabil and Jeandie Galolo of Sun Star Cebu while Roy Lester Gimenez and Irish Dale Leceña of the KBP were announced as third runner-up and second runner-up, respectively.

 The criteria for this year’s pageant were intelligence (40 percent), charm and beauty (30 percent), poise and bearing (20 percent), and audience impact (10 percent).

 The panel of judges included Eric Smith, general manager of Handuraw Pizza and co-convenor of Youth for a Livable Cebu; Miss Cebu 2011 Mia Ali Faridoon; 2015 Queen of the Philippines International Maria Paula Vegal; sales and marketing executive for Bayfront Hotel MJ Villarin; and world-class travel and fashion photographer, Erwin Lim.

 Lorenciana and Manto wore the designs of Lemuel Rosos during the casual and formal wear with hair and make-up by Ramil Solis.  (FREEMAN)