Frontline Pilipinas: Your kasangga for essential news

Audiences depend on media sources for news and information whether there’s an unprecedented event or not. They are always on the lookout for accurate and essential news stories they can use and trust day in and day out. TV5’s Frontline Pilipinas provides that (accurate and essential news) by living up to its name (being in the frontlines, where event-turned-news unfolds).

From the recent virtual media call, graced by the primetime evening newscast’s hosts Luchi Cruz-Valdes (also News5 chief), Raffy Tulfo and Cheryl Cosim, one could learn that Frontline Pilipinas presents “balita’t impormasyong dapat malaman (News and information that people should know),” said Luchi, who, along with her news team, will showcase “boses ng may alam at may pakialam. We want to share the knowledge and opinions of experts and the sentiments of the ordinary people.” This speaks of the kind of content viewers will consume.

There’s a voice of knowledge and authority that will enlighten audiences on the day’s hottest and developing stories. Delivering the essential news are Raffy and Cheryl with Ed Lingao for News ExplainED, Lourd de Veyra (Word of the Lourd) and Luchi (Reaksyon). They are everyone’s kasangga and kapatid for news and public service. All of them are banking on their years of experience in capturing and reading the news.

“Napakahalaga para sa isang (It’s very important for) news organization na magkaroon ng isang grupo na mayroong tinatawag na credibility (to have a credible group) kasi ang pag-de-disseminate ng information (because disseminating information) is not just about reading the news,” said Raffy. “You have to make sure na yung nakikinig at nanonood (ay) maniniwala sa mga sinasabi mo sa kanila (that your listeners and televiewers will believe what you’re telling them).” Doing that speaks of the source’s (news anchor) credibility and confidence.

“We are confident with what we are reading to you,” added Raffy, “reading from the teleprompter and telling that to the people watching us. We have that confidence for we know our field reporters, our cameramen and our researchers, we know who they are, and we know they will deliver.” That is to report essential news that Juan dela Cruz deserves to know.

Credibility, as Cheryl put it, is something journalists consider “sagrado sa amin at pinaka-iingatan,” it must remain untainted. “For so many years, I always make sure to verify, verify, verify all information,” she said, “especially now that people have intense interest in news because of the pandemic.” This is a way for anchors like Cheryl to deal with misinformation (fake news) and information overload. “Ito ang pangangalagaan natin sa Frontline Pilipinas na maihatid sa kanila yung mga tamang information, verified details and news.” As the news program’s “frontliner” or face, Cheryl said that she and fellow hosts also collaborate on the news content (they are also being consulted and asked to help the news team to get the source).

With that, Frontline Pilipinas presents news as it is. “News is essentially not a creative endeavor,” said Luchi, “hindi kami pwedeng magpaganda ng balitang hindi masyadong maganda o mag-ingay sa isang balita na medyo boring.” One may say that the newscast sees itself as a vehicle or messenger of news and information wherein all subjects and thoughts will be given “fair hearing.”

“We’re just a herald of news,” said Luchi, “talagang straight news kami.” Frontline Pilipinas trusts its audiences by giving them the space to make decisions for themselves and make sense of the news based on the facts provided. Also being shared during the press conference was that the news program is sensitive if (the articulation of) news leans on a particular side. Every night, what Pinoys can look forward to is a newscast that delivers information they  should know.

Catch Frontline Pilipinas weeknights at 6:30 and on One PH Channel 1 (available on Cignal TV) at 8.