Philstar.com's top editor urges campus journalists to use digital media with purpose

MANILA, Philippines — With changing technology and 2025 midterm elections approaching, adapting to digital media means utilizing it with a purpose grounded on truth, commitment and creativity, journalist Camille Diola said at the University of Santo Tomas on Saturday, January 11.

On the opening day of the 26th Inkblots, an annual campus journalism fellowship, Diola, chief editor of Philstar.com and Interaksyon, emphasized that speed and currency are vital. Still, the presentation and packaging of the report are also important in the digital space. 

About 61% of Filipinos used Facebook as news source in 2024, followed by YouTube at 45%. Meanwhile, the Philippines is among the top 10 markets for TikTok as a news source, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, released in June last year.

Diola urged news media practitioners to adapt to audience behavior and expectations.

“It's not really just about opening a website and then posting on Facebook. You have to step back a little bit and try to see how you can really make this thing work for the people who will receive the kinds of products that we're going to put out as journalists,” she said. 

In running a newsroom, Diola said the transition to a work-from-home setup during the pandemic was not complicated for Philstar.com as digitalization includes work processes, not just news delivery. 

“You need to be agile, you need to be mobile, [and] you need to be hybrid. No matter where you live, the newsroom will always be alive, because service is 24/7. On digital it's always on,” she said. 

Columnist Nestor Cuartero, who was among veteran journalists who lectured during the event, reminded campus journalists that their advantage over social media is the credibility to report.

“Remember that our biggest advantage over social media is the credibility that we wield. We must always aspire to maintain that and never ever lose it, the credibility of the mainstream journalism,” he said. 

Political journalist and "Facts First" host Christian Esguerra, meanwhile, urged fellowship participants to raise Filipino voters' standards by using digital technology as a "force for good" heading into the 2025 national elections. 

“Ito yung panahon na everyone is empowered, and you guys are living in the best and the worst of times when it comes to digital technology,” he said. “And I would like to focus on the best of times because you have a lot of opportunities to make use of your platforms.”

Attended by 300 participants nationwide, the 26th Inkblots is organized by the Varsitarian, the 97-year-old official student publication of the UST.