Payola: Media's open secret

written by: Rem Lucio
(Aileen Tandang, Arnela Almirez, Gwen Kangleon)
Having been around for quite some time now, Payola is an ongoing practice in media. So what is Payola? According to history-of-rock website, Payola comes from the words “pay” and “Victrola” (an LP record player), and entered the English language via the record business. Payola is defined as the illegal practice of record companies paying radio stations and disc jockeys to play particular songs in their stations.
According to Ernie Dela Cruz, who used to work under the Advertisement/Promotion Department of Vicor Recording Company, “Some radio stations receive payola with the station manager, some would go individually (straight to the DJs). Recording companies give out payola as part of promotions of songs. Binibigyan nila ng plugging list (titles of songs) yoong mga announcers na tumatangap ng payola para yoon lang yoong patugtugin nilang kanta.”
Payola comes in different forms. It usually comes in forms of cash or “good time treats”. Good time treats referring to free passes to hotels, restaurants, dinners, dinners, events etc. Even guns are given for protection. The lowest rate of payment one receives for a write-up is 20,000 or 30,000. It depends on the company a media practitioner works for. The amount goes higher if you are a big time reporter.
In the US, Payola goes back as early as the 1920’s. It became more apparent in the 1950’s with the emergence of rock 'n' roll, the introduction of the inexpensive 45 RPM single, radio's shift to Top 40 music once TV commandeered drama, postwar prosperity, and the arrival of teenagers as an economic force. In this period, live performances were taken over by records. The easiest way for artists to gain exposure and sell their records, the labels needed to distinguish their songs from their competitors. Bribery seemed the best way to go thus record companies hired promoters to pay deejays particular amounts to play their records.
One example of Payola done in the US is when in January 1998, Flip/Interscope Records paid a Portland, Oregon radio station $5,000 to play one Limp Bizkit song 50 times over a five-week period. The band was able to generate enough interest to play a successful concert there. Other stations showed interest in their music, and Limp Bizkit broke into the music biz in a big way. However, the argument against pay-for-play, even if the parties are upfront about it, is that it allows big labels to buy their artists’ way onto the charts.
Payola is usually use either for a good purpose or a bad purpose. Either you write a negative or a positive feature on a particular person. It is for either for good publicity or bad publicity. It takes in many forms—apart from promoting songs, it is also done involving writers, editors and reporters to publish particular stories.
It is also done by the government as well. “Yoong mga commentaries, news programs, may mga politicians and government agencies ang nagbibigay para hindi sila siraan sa publiko,” says Dela Cruz.
For Ivy Manat of Ballyhoo Records, she carefully chooses which to receive. “Personally, if you will give me a certain amount, tapos sisiraan ko lang yung iba, di ko gagawin yun. Pero pag binayaran mo ko ng malaking amount pababanguhin kita, ggagawin ko yun kasi still positive.” Furthermore she adds, “Sa akin, ok lang na tumanggap ng payola. If I’m a writer or I’m a journalist, it’s ok na tumanggap ako pero as long as hindi ko sisirain yung tao. Kung i-buibuild-up ko siya ok lang, so kung naiinggit yung kabilang partido, magpabuild-up na din sya. At least hindi kita ida-down. Hindi ko sya titirahin pababa.” She herself has confessed to have done receiving Payolas but only to write good publicity on someone.
In some cases, there are some journalists who will continue to do bad write ups about certain people unless they are given money or “good time treats” in exchange. “May mga ibang journalists na sisiraan ka nila ng sisiraan hangga’t hindi ka nagbibigay. Tapos after mo magbigay mabait na siya sa iyo. Ireretrack niya yung mga sinulat nya and babawiin so nawala na yoong credibility mo. And magugulat yung boss mo bakit ganoon and palalabasin na lang niya may nakameeting siya na nagsabing hindi naman pala talaga sya ganun,” says Manat.
As long as there are people who give out money, there will be people who will continue receiving them. Most media people practices Payola but there are still a few out there who don’t do this kind of practice—those who stick to the ethical side of their careers. When asked if there’s a possibility for Payola to be eradicated from the industry, “No. The saddest part of it [is that] it will be worse, and it will stay forever. Media has lost [its] credibility because of this,” says Dela Cruz.

Payola: Media's open secret

written by: Rem Lucio
(Aileen Tandang, Arnela Almirez, Gwen Kangleon)
Having been around for quite some time now, Payola is an ongoing practice in media. So what is Payola? According to history-of-rock website, Payola comes from the words “pay” and “Victrola” (an LP record player), and entered the English language via the record business. Payola is defined as the illegal practice of record companies paying radio stations and disc jockeys to play particular songs in their stations.
According to Ernie Dela Cruz, who used to work under the Advertisement/Promotion Department of Vicor Recording Company, “Some radio stations receive payola with the station manager, some would go individually (straight to the DJs). Recording companies give out payola as part of promotions of songs. Binibigyan nila ng plugging list (titles of songs) yoong mga announcers na tumatangap ng payola para yoon lang yoong patugtugin nilang kanta.”
Payola comes in different forms. It usually comes in forms of cash or “good time treats”. Good time treats referring to free passes to hotels, restaurants, dinners, dinners, events etc. Even guns are given for protection. The lowest rate of payment one receives for a write-up is 20,000 or 30,000. It depends on the company a media practitioner works for. The amount goes higher if you are a big time reporter.
In the US, Payola goes back as early as the 1920’s. It became more apparent in the 1950’s with the emergence of rock 'n' roll, the introduction of the inexpensive 45 RPM single, radio's shift to Top 40 music once TV commandeered drama, postwar prosperity, and the arrival of teenagers as an economic force. In this period, live performances were taken over by records. The easiest way for artists to gain exposure and sell their records, the labels needed to distinguish their songs from their competitors. Bribery seemed the best way to go thus record companies hired promoters to pay deejays particular amounts to play their records.
One example of Payola done in the US is when in January 1998, Flip/Interscope Records paid a Portland, Oregon radio station $5,000 to play one Limp Bizkit song 50 times over a five-week period. The band was able to generate enough interest to play a successful concert there. Other stations showed interest in their music, and Limp Bizkit broke into the music biz in a big way. However, the argument against pay-for-play, even if the parties are upfront about it, is that it allows big labels to buy their artists’ way onto the charts.
Payola is usually use either for a good purpose or a bad purpose. Either you write a negative or a positive feature on a particular person. It is for either for good publicity or bad publicity. It takes in many forms—apart from promoting songs, it is also done involving writers, editors and reporters to publish particular stories.
It is also done by the government as well. “Yoong mga commentaries, news programs, may mga politicians and government agencies ang nagbibigay para hindi sila siraan sa publiko,” says Dela Cruz.
For Ivy Manat of Ballyhoo Records, she carefully chooses which to receive. “Personally, if you will give me a certain amount, tapos sisiraan ko lang yung iba, di ko gagawin yun. Pero pag binayaran mo ko ng malaking amount pababanguhin kita, ggagawin ko yun kasi still positive.” Furthermore she adds, “Sa akin, ok lang na tumanggap ng payola. If I’m a writer or I’m a journalist, it’s ok na tumanggap ako pero as long as hindi ko sisirain yung tao. Kung i-buibuild-up ko siya ok lang, so kung naiinggit yung kabilang partido, magpabuild-up na din sya. At least hindi kita ida-down. Hindi ko sya titirahin pababa.” She herself has confessed to have done receiving Payolas but only to write good publicity on someone.
In some cases, there are some journalists who will continue to do bad write ups about certain people unless they are given money or “good time treats” in exchange. “May mga ibang journalists na sisiraan ka nila ng sisiraan hangga’t hindi ka nagbibigay. Tapos after mo magbigay mabait na siya sa iyo. Ireretrack niya yung mga sinulat nya and babawiin so nawala na yoong credibility mo. And magugulat yung boss mo bakit ganoon and palalabasin na lang niya may nakameeting siya na nagsabing hindi naman pala talaga sya ganun,” says Manat.
As long as there are people who give out money, there will be people who will continue receiving them. Most media people practices Payola but there are still a few out there who don’t do this kind of practice—those who stick to the ethical side of their careers. When asked if there’s a possibility for Payola to be eradicated from the industry, “No. The saddest part of it [is that] it will be worse, and it will stay forever. Media has lost [its] credibility because of this,” says Dela Cruz.

Payola: Media's open secret

written by: Rem Lucio

(Aileen Tandang, Arnela Almirez, Gwen Kangleon)

Having been around for quite some time now, Payola is an ongoing practice in media. So what is Payola? According to history-of-rock website, Payola comes from the words “pay” and “Victrola” (an LP record player), and entered the English language via the record business. Payola is defined as the illegal practice of record companies paying radio stations and disc jockeys to play particular songs in their stations.

According to Ernie Dela Cruz, who used to work under the Advertisement/Promotion Department of Vicor Recording Company, “Some radio stations receive payola with the station manager, some would go individually (straight to the DJs). Recording companies give out payola as part of promotions of songs. Binibigyan nila ng plugging list (titles of songs) yoong mga announcers na tumatangap ng payola para yoon lang yoong patugtugin nilang kanta.”

Payola comes in different forms. It usually comes in forms of cash or “good time treats”. Good time treats referring to free passes to hotels, restaurants, dinners, dinners, events etc. Even guns are given for protection. The lowest rate of payment one receives for a write-up is 20,000 or 30,000. It depends on the company a media practitioner works for. The amount goes higher if you are a big time reporter.

In the US, Payola goes back as early as the 1920’s. It became more apparent in the 1950’s with the emergence of rock 'n' roll, the introduction of the inexpensive 45 RPM single, radio's shift to Top 40 music once TV commandeered drama, postwar prosperity, and the arrival of teenagers as an economic force. In this period, live performances were taken over by records. The easiest way for artists to gain exposure and sell their records, the labels needed to distinguish their songs from their competitors. Bribery seemed the best way to go thus record companies hired promoters to pay deejays particular amounts to play their records.

One example of Payola done in the US is when in January 1998, Flip/Interscope Records paid a Portland, Oregon radio station $5,000 to play one Limp Bizkit song 50 times over a five-week period. The band was able to generate enough interest to play a successful concert there. Other stations showed interest in their music, and Limp Bizkit broke into the music biz in a big way. However, the argument against pay-for-play, even if the parties are upfront about it, is that it allows big labels to buy their artists’ way onto the charts.

Payola is usually use either for a good purpose or a bad purpose. Either you write a negative or a positive feature on a particular person. It is for either for good publicity or bad publicity. It takes in many forms—apart from promoting songs, it is also done involving writers, editors and reporters to publish particular stories.

It is also done by the government as well. “Yoong mga commentaries, news programs, may mga politicians and government agencies ang nagbibigay para hindi sila siraan sa publiko,” says Dela Cruz.

For Ivy Manat of Ballyhoo Records, she carefully chooses which to receive. “Personally, if you will give me a certain amount, tapos sisiraan ko lang yung iba, di ko gagawin yun. Pero pag binayaran mo ko ng malaking amount pababanguhin kita, ggagawin ko yun kasi still positive.” Furthermore she adds, “Sa akin, ok lang na tumanggap ng payola. If I’m a writer or I’m a journalist, it’s ok na tumanggap ako pero as long as hindi ko sisirain yung tao. Kung i-buibuild-up ko siya ok lang, so kung naiinggit yung kabilang partido, magpabuild-up na din sya. At least hindi kita ida-down. Hindi ko sya titirahin pababa.” She herself has confessed to have done receiving Payolas but only to write good publicity on someone.

In some cases, there are some journalists who will continue to do bad write ups about certain people unless they are given money or “good time treats” in exchange. “May mga ibang journalists na sisiraan ka nila ng sisiraan hangga’t hindi ka nagbibigay. Tapos after mo magbigay mabait na siya sa iyo. Ireretrack niya yung mga sinulat nya and babawiin so nawala na yoong credibility mo. And magugulat yung boss mo bakit ganoon and palalabasin na lang niya may nakameeting siya na nagsabing hindi naman pala talaga sya ganun,” says Manat.

As long as there are people who give out money, there will be people who will continue receiving them. Most media people practices Payola but there are still a few out there who don’t do this kind of practice—those who stick to the ethical side of their careers. When asked if there’s a possibility for Payola to be eradicated from the industry, “No. The saddest part of it [is that] it will be worse, and it will stay forever. Media has lost [its] credibility because of this,” says Dela Cruz.

An artist’s heart

One piece of hard-boiled egg and plain rice on a plastic plate is a lunch for Marcelo Quezon, one of the assistant teachers in a painting workshop at the Philippine Medical Women’s Association (PMWA) in Quezon City. On is right hand, after several hours of holding pencil and paint brushes, was a plastic fork used a spoon to feed himself.

The 26-year-old artist was not much different from the other artist in the place. One look at them and none would ever think that they are the makers of beautiful and striking pieces of paintings displayed at the Intellectual Property Building in Makati City. Together with the other artists, Quezon has been spending his time teaching other people learn the different techniques in painting such as oil, pastel, acrylic and watercolor. He likes every medium, but he says he excels most on pastel.

Being an artist requires a lot of passion in the field. Every stroke of his brush should show the strength of the story, every color created from creative mixtures should set the mood of a piece, and every final product should declare something essential. These are actually the idea they are trying to passed on to the next generation of painters, because these things distinguish an artist from an ordinary man. As Fernando Sena, the head teacher of the painting workshop said, “When a person uses his hand for work, he is a laborer; when he uses his hand and head, he is a craftsman; but when he uses his hands, head and heart, he is an artist.”

Quezon’s simplicity in art manifests in his works. Most of his subjects are under the theme of “still life” where simple picture of fruits, a duck, a velvet cap and a pink Converse shoes hanged on the wall – all in made in pastel. Some of his works are also with an idea of nudity. Two of his paintings displayed in his exhibit portray a woman wearing two piece and another painting showing three children naked. But don’t think bad immediately. Quezon only showed his subjects’ backs.

For most people, paintings are products of someone else’s past time, but most painters count them as their source of living. Quezon’s works worth as much as P20,000. It could be a large sum of money for a single piece as long as it is sold, otherwise, it still adds nothing to a painter’s earnings. Since selling a painting is very unpredictable, some artists like Quezon have other jobs like teaching and modeling. None of them solely depends on painting as their only livelihood.

As we talked, he stopped eating occasionally, but the longest time he paused was when I asked what could make him stop his career as a painter. He smiled as usual and simply answered,

“‘pag wala na akong kinikita.”

Prince Charming’s Neverland

Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and all fairy tales princesses have in common – a handsome, gentle and brave prince charming. Every girl dreams of being like them, but as the story books close, those fairy tales remain to be plain fantasies.

From the simple, gentle and very modest images of women in those fairy tales, the reality now shows different women leveling up with men. Can you just imagine Cinderella and her Prince Charming doing the same job? What about if Rapunzel was aggressive enough to go down the tower and not lay down her long hair to be rescued? Will their Prince Charmings still be needed in the stories?

In our society, there are certain traditions expected from both men and women. Filipino culture tells us that men should court women and they must work harder. But now, courtship falls back on body language, a form of non-verbal communication understood by both sexes.

According to Allan Pease, author of The Definitive Guide to Body Language, what really turns men on is female “submission” gestures, which include exposing vulnerable areas such as the wrists or neck, as well as the leg twine (it involves crossing the legs and hooking the upper leg’s foot behind the lower leg’s ankle). Men typically make themselves look more dominant by taking up space and engaging in “crotch display” – thumbs hooked in pockets, fingers “pointing” at their genitals.

Present day Prince Charmings are not what fairy tales describe and tells them to be. They do not ride horses and travel through the woods, fight a ferocious dragon and rescue princesses from a tower. Some of them simply sit and enjoy their lives to the fullest. Why? Because every Prince Charming has a Peter Pan in them. They always want to go back to Neverlands where they can just fly and play and never grow up.

The Power and the Glory – Book Review

The real world and religion are usually portrayed to be inseparable. The church as a whole has experienced different persecutions and priests have received scandalous issues such as having mistresses and being gay. But in the midst of these problems, many priests still continue their duties in the church.

Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory tells the story of Father José, a native priest in Mexico who was compelled by the state and his cowardice to marry. When persecution became worse, he remembers “the gift he had been given which nobody could take away. That was what made him worthy of damnation – the power he still had of turning the wafer into the flesh and blood of God.” The whisky priest can no longer find the meaning in prayer but to him “the Host was different: to lay that between a dying man’s lips was to lay God.”

Graham Greene’s pessimism about the temporal world, derived apparently form his childhood memories and reinforced by is experience of the Depression of the 1930’3, was both intensified and made bearable by his religion. Catholicism was a major influence on his works.

He was also influenced by his experiences as journalist, which contributed to the remarkable topic of many of his novels. Works of this type include The Quiet American (1955), set in Indochina; Our man in Havana (1958), set in pre-Castro Cuba; and The Comedians (1966), set in Haiti of President Duvalier.

Greene also wrote short stories and a number of plays, including The Living Room (1953), The Plotting Shed (1957), and The Complaisant Lover (1959). He adapted several of his works for the screen.

A Cell of Cervical Cancer

Cells are what make a man completely human. They make up almost all our body parts inside out. They are microscopic packages of living material and we have billions of them. These billions of cells can inspire faith in life or ignite the fear of death. Cancer is definitely the most frightening.

Cancer respects no one. Everyone is subject to suffer this disease any time in his or her life. We have heard of rich and famous people suffer and die with the poor ones because of cancer. Men are most likely to develop lung and liver cancers, while women are most vulnerable to breast and cervical cancers.

It appears that cervical cancer becomes more alarming these years than before. The Internet and other reading materials offer more information about this disease simply because there are more cases of cervical cancer now.

Studies have found a number of factors that may increase the risk of cervical cancer. Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infection is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. HPV is a group of viruses that can infect the cervix. HPV infections are very common. These viruses can be passed from person to person through sexual contact. Some types of HPV can cause changes to cells in the cervix. These changes can lead to genital warts, cancer, and other problems.

Truly, cervical cancer is a threat for those who are too lackadaisical about themselves. But because of the busy schedules everybody seems to have, many almost forget to check on their own health. While the billions of cells in our body keep us working, we ought to be careful because it might be that one of those billions is a cell of cervical cancer.

SINOngabaSIKAT?

From the syncopated strike on the snare, the funk beat of the bass guitar to the earsplitting sound of electric guitars and captivating vocals, bands make their names. Their instruments are their weapons and their music is their power. Bands have a special commitment with their passion that makes them feel they are one and unique. Sinosikat is one of them.

Along with all other blooming bands in our local music industry, Sinosikat is on its way to stardom. Composed of guitarist Nick Azarcon, Reli de Vera on drums, and Kat Agarrado their vocalist, Sinosikat started out in September 2004. Like all others, Sinosikat began wtih jamming sessions with whoever would like to play with them. Then they decided to form a solid rhythm section to complete their own band.

But it still takes something for a band to be one. It is defintitely not just the talents of playing the instruments and producing good sounds together – it is sharing the same visions, missions and priorities. From their jamming sessions, Sinosikat finally solidified four members with the same styles of music.

Aside from their different style of music, Sinosikat tickles their audience’s minds with their name. It is interesting because it can be interpreted in many ways when translated in Filipino – aside from the fact that its name has their vocalist’s real name, Kat. It could mean “who is famous?” (sino sikat?) or “who is Kat? (who is kat?).

Diiferent genres of music distinguish a band from the other groups. Some prefer the mellow style while others are identified with loud rock type of music. However, because of the people being more supportive of westernized taste of music, some Filipino bands develop a dilemma of their identities. They could be pinoy, but their music is not.

Few are proud to profess they are local. They make their music sound like an American. There is actually nothing wrong about it, besides, it’s their prerogative. Nevertheless, being a Filipino band should be a privilege to propagate local music and develop a sense of nationalism rather than a ticket to produce foreign sounds.

Sinosikat is one of the few. They profess they are local, and they are proud of it. What makes their music so Filipino is their experiences and the flavor of the songs. “The way the message is expressed, apart from the language itself and the nuance [sa] pagsalita is tagalog, pinoy na pinoy talaga. Hindi slang, hindi pinilit, hindi yo pare!” says Nick.

Their songs are manifestations of their sentiments because they write those lyrics themselves. Some of their songs like So Blue and Turning my safety off are confessions of emotions. “Song writing is very personal, you take a lot from yourself and you put it into the song, into the lyrics especially if you want to say something, you have to be able to satisfy yourself first then you’ll think its good enough for people to understand and appreciate.” shares Nick. The free flow of music plus the relaxing beat of the drums gives the listeners the feeling of sympathy and satisfaction of something upbeat.

Sinosikat’s music is products of their passion and finances. As a band, Sinosikat earns from some of their gigs. It is actually the earning process that makes a band struggle, yet it serves as a challenge for them to strive hard and reach their goals.

Four years of jamming and performing together, Nick, Reli, and Kat find themselves as a full-pledged pinoy band. They admit that maintaining a band is quite hard and that a band should not be satisfied just by the rhythm it produces. As how Kat explains it, “kung seryoso ka talaga, kailangan constant yung evolution mo as musician. Constant yung learning kasi pag nagstop, stop ka na rin.”

Movie Review- Capote

“You must be really desperate for your story…” thus said an imprisoned murderer to an award-winning homosexual journalist.

Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) was one eager journalist who wanted to write a non-fiction novel touching an angle about murders, after reading a newstory at the back of the New York Times. Having Kansas as the location of his subjects, he traveled there for an assignment from The New Yorker magazine.

Accompanied by his friend, Nell Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), Truman Capote started his research about the murder case in Kansas and found himself befriending two of the murderers, Dick Hickock (Mark Pelligrino) and Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.). Hoffman’s interpretation of Truman Capote’s role in the movie is exceptional. He has to project a very high-pitched voice to emphasize his being gay. Fueled by his desire to accomplish his assignment as a journalist, famous Truman Capote scheduled meetings with the prisoners in order to conduct first-hand interviews even inside their prison cells. His study about the case eventually became his classic novel, In Cold Blood.

Capote, released in September 30, 2005, is a movie about a veteran homosexual journalist who tried to write something so different during his time. He wanted to write a non-fiction that can be as compelling as fiction.

Directed by Bennett Miller, this movie was released seven years after his first project, the little-seen but much acclaimed documentary The Cruise. Together with his friend, an actor and a novice writer, Danny Futterman, Miller conceived the idea of writing Capote.

The film brings us back in November in the year 1959. Vast area of grass field with a single house standing in the midst opens the picture, suggesting an isolated and a melancholic mood of the story. Most of the scenes come in cold, a little background music, or none at all. Every scene is portrayed in a low-paced rhythm. It’s as if every movement has to be captured by the camera. Running for almost two hours, Capote used silence and dialogues to balance the movie.

Definition of Feature writing

Feature writing is a kind of story writing slightly similar with news writing. It is underpinned by factual detail and news sense, but it is longer, more expansive and more personal than the news story. There is freedom to use own voice and personal experience.

Features should have more sources, background and context, and balance of fact against self indulgence. Melvin Mencher identifies some of the key characteristics of feature writing:

- activity: showing people doing things

- talk: let the subjects speak at length

- underwriting: let action and dialogue drive the feature

- motion: keep the piece moving forward

Features writing has more comment, analysis, color, background, and a greater diversity if sources than news stories and explore a number of issues at greater depth.

Feature writing is often marked out by:

-color: small details adding life to writing

-observation: description of people/events

-opinion/slant: writer or publication’s world view

-quotes: most features draw on original material/sources

-narrative: story telling

-dialogue/debate: discussion/argument

-context: scene setting

Other considerations:

-not news story, though may be built around it

-idea of ‘going behind/underneath the news’

-importance of knowing the style, content if the newspaper/ magazine you are aiming at writing for

-visual dimension: feature writers have ‘the biggest eyes in journalism’

-time: there is usually a much longer deadline for longer features due to production schedules

Some types of feature writing:

*issue based – canvassing views on one particular aspect of a subject.

*human interest- based on people, their life stories, not necessarily famous personalities.

*eye witness reporting- embedded journalism- being part of an event – detailing it

*personality/celebrity journalism- choice of subject down to their status, public awareness.

-profiles- detailed article on well-known/ interesting characters in the field

*trends- foods/restaurants, jobs, music, fashion, etc.

Source:

http://www.slideshare.net/john1306/feature-writing/

The School Outside the Walls (revised)

University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle University – who are still unfamiliar with these names? Prestigious and famous schools in the Philippines have raised their banner high enough. But prestige and fame do not constitute success.

The Manila Times School of Journalism is a school that is not so known to many. Some are familiar with the paper it publishes, but oftentimes they still ask, “Does it really have a school?”
The school is The Manila Times School of Journalism. Take out the “School of Journalism”, and that is the only name familiar to most of the people.

Established on October 11, 1898, the Manila Times has since been a witness to, and have been a part of the Philippine history. The Manila Times School of Journalism was instituted sometime in 2003. It is located at the fourth floor of the Manila Times building at 371 A.Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila.

Its dull and aged façade shows how long this building has been at service. It may not look very competitive against other colleges because of its population of less than a hundred, but this has gained some advantages. The administration knows every student and they have direct access with everyone. With all its facilities, such as the television studio, video cameras, radio booth, and its own national newspaper, the students have enough time to undergo their hands-on training.

“One of the reasons why I chose to study at The Manila Times School of Journalism is because it has its own paper and it operates on a trimester basis.” says Arnela Daniela Almirez, a current sophomore student of TMTSJ.

Of all the existing schools in our country, few are only offering a specialized course, and this is a plus factor for a student’s training. Schools should not imprison their students inside the four walls of a room, filling their minds with formulas and theories. They should let them have the first-hand experience of their lessons. A person’s prestige and success do not depend on what school he graduates from, but on how he is trained and on how he used his training after he gets out of school.

Essay: What makes me read an article?

Reading is a game-turned-passion for me. Books, magazines, and newspapers were my favorite things when playing, twelve years ago. I used them as props, scratch papers, and sources of pictures and cute letters for my scrapbooks. I only read when my mom was around because it was her instruction.

As a child, colorful and cute font styles used to invite me to read an article because it signifies a blithe and simple topic. I am a visual person. If it appeals to my sight, then it grabs my attention.

But the choices I made affect my manner of reading now.

Colorful and cute font styles or mom’s instructions are not enough reasons. Twelve years later, I read because I want to be a writer. I want the profession that the authors of what I read do. Now, the content attracts me more than the appearance. I include analysis when choosing what to read.

I always read an article’s lead and conclusion first before reading the entire story. Straightforward and captivating words at the start make me want to read the following sentences. If the statements capture my interest, then I will take time reading it.

I am growing up and my passions are starting to manifest. Fairy tales and short stories will always be my favorite, but reading more serious topics make me more competent. I still keep books, magazines and newspapers. But they are not there as my toys to give me additional fun, but as my tools to give me additional facts.

Assignment: “Raising the dead”

1. What captivates you about the story? How does he paint a picture for the reader? Cite the passages that are most compelling to you.

►The article is a good one because it does not just tell what happened – it shows. Noah Shachtman used appropriate words clearly, that is why it is easy to understand and imagine what he is saying. For me, the most exciting passages are the ones where the author starts to describe the scene. Examples are:

“Maybe the waters of Eagle Creek weren’t sickly greenish-brown, like rust and blood and industrial waste had been collecting there for two generations.”

“A few feet into the reeds, a golden retriever’s bloated corpse lies on its side, flies picking at its liquefying eyes and genitals. To the right, among rash bags and soda ups, sits a pile of brown and white deer fur, loosely attached to leathery skin. And everywhere there are mandibles and animal hips, femurs and skulls, hair clumps and bone chips. A roadkill graveyard.”


2. Who is the target audience for this publication? How does the story relate to them? Does the story appeal to other demographic people as well, and if so, why?
► Since the article touches a serious topic, which is about a crime, the expected audience would probably be the adults. The story is realistic and it also shows the experience of someone who is already working and earning. With these, the readers can relate to the story. However, Raising the dead appeals to other set of audience such as the youth because it involves the things which they can relate to such as the internet and other modern devices.

3. What “rules” did the writer break?
► Although the story painted pictures in a reader’s mind through his words, Shachtman must have loved to use more words. Because of that, he violated William Strunk’s rule 17, “omit needless words”.

4. How does the writer end the story? Why is it effective?
► The author ended the story with a direct quotation of the subject’s dialogue. He tied everything together as he gave a picture of what Todd Mathews was already like after the mystery was solved. It is effective because the words are striking and it leaves the reader’s emotion and interest still high.

Assignment: “Battle company is out there”

Does the writer hold your attention through a long article?
► No. The article is very long that readers almost lost the thought of the whole article. Unless someone is really into serious terminologies about wars, he could enjoy this article. The author was able to use vivid words to describe the situation. However, what makes me lose my attention while reading the article is its being too lengthy; thus, it makes the article more of a compilation of events and less of a feature story.

Quote the most vivid and visual statement.
► “Kearney could often sound cold-blooded, like when he’d march into the mess tent in shorts, improvising rap lyrics about killing bad guys. But then he’d switch to counselor, trying to salvage a soldier’s marriage, or he’d joke with a Korengali elder about arranging a marriage between his own infant son and the elder’s daughter to make peace. The performances steeled him against shouldering so much mortality. As he put it, ‘“The only reason anyone’s listening to me in this valley right now is cause I’m dropping bombs on them.’ Still, he wasn’t going to let himself shoot at houses every time is unit took fire: “I’d just create more people that hate me.”

Make a news story out the feature article. Maximum of 100 words.
► American soldiers set out for a war in Afghanistan against the Afgans on October, 2007. The war began seven years ago, when in late 2001, the B-52 symbolized for many Afgans, liberation from Taliban rule. Twenty-six year old, Capt. Dan Kearney led the American soldiers.
Kearney and the Battle Company were air assaulted into the insurgents’ backyard for a mission. It was called Rock Avalanche and would last about six days. One of its main targets was the village of Yaka China.

Assignment- The tragedy of Britney Spears

1. How does this article differ from the usual celebrity and gossip features? Does this article elevate itself from the typical celebrity and gossip feature?
- The article differs from the usual celebrity and gossip feature because it tells more news about the subject. This article written by Vanessa Grigoriadis exposed more about the former pop star. She gave more details about Spears' rise and fall from stardom. The new details truly made this article informative – not just a simple source for gossip. Also, the way it was written made the difference. The author used straight and vivid words, not just to describe, but also to show what happened. The article definitely is above the typical celebrity features because it proves to be more than just a profile.

2. How does the writer hold the reader's interest about a subject matter that is over exposed?
- Vanessa Grigoriadis was able to capture and hold the reader's interest although her subject is already overexposed through the use of words and the structuring of her sentences. The way she did those things in an artistic way. She kept the reader reading by leaving a suspense factor after every statement. It just makes the reader want for more information.

3. How does the writer appeal to the readers who are not admirers or sympathizers of this celebrity?
- The task of making someone interested into something he does not like is really challenging, and Grigoriadis handled it well. She did it by including some serious factors such as the name of the US president George Bush, and the tally of her record-breaking history. The writer simply, yet beautifully made this article newsworthy.

4. What voice does the writer use and does it work for the magazine's target audience?
- The author used an active voice to write the article. She gave some highlights which is more credible because she expound it from the facts she gathered about her subject. This made her article better than the usual celebrity feature, and I believe it has a nice style to attract magazine readers.

The School Outside the Walls

University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila and De Lasalle University – who are still unfamiliar with these names?
Every year, hunting for a good college is but a common craze for every student in the Philippines. Young people have filled their minds of idealistic college lives, and so they want to spend it in a prestigious university. Apparently, these universities always come to their minds first, probably followed by the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Far Eastern University (FEU), and the like.
But why is it?
The area of Metro Manila is almost crammed with different universities and colleges, which have mushroomed from different spots in the place. Most of them are named after a certain saint or some heroes a long time ago. Interestingly, some of these universities near Intramuros, such as the Lyceum of the Philippines and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, have maintained their nostalgic environment. They always refresh the people’s memories of our country’s history.
However, schools, a lot like people, also have their own “personalities”. Aside from their individual “missions and visions”, they also have their styles and their own designs. These schools also come with different sizes!
Also near the Intramuros area is a school that is not so known to many. Some are familiar with the paper it publishes, but oftentimes they still ask, “Does it really have a school?”
The school is The Manila Times School of Journalism. Take out the “School of Journalism”, and that is the only name familiar to most of the people.
Established on October 11, 1898, the Manila Times has since been a witness to, and a part of the Philippine history. The Manila Times School of Journalism was instituted sometime in 2003. It is located at the fourth floor of the Manila Times building at 371 A.Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila.
Its aged façade shows how long this building has been at service. People may see it as a small and old building. It may not look as something very competitive against other colleges because of its population of less than a hundred, but this has gained some advantages. With all its facilities, such as the television studio, video cameras and radio booth, the students have their hands-on training.
Of all the existing schools in our country, few are only offering a specialized course, and this could be a plus factor for a student’s training. A person’s prestige and success do not depend on what school he graduates from, but on how he is trained and on how he used his training after he gets out of school.

Love beyond the Golden Years

by: Rachel C. Barawid



From across a packed room, I noticed a woman silently crying in a corner as couples huddled close to each other and gamely danced to the music.
I approached her and asked what the problem was. Guillerma Kabache pointed to a couple in front of her and confided that he was her boyfriend. He broke up with her and was now dancing with another woman. Guillerma is 80 years old. Alberto Garcia, her 60-year-old ex-beau replaced her for someone four years younger than her.
Another love triangle almost came to a violent end. 72-year-old Querubin Apolion nearly engaged in a fight with Siony Ramirez over one man, 87-year-old Victor Fernades. Her jealousy could have caused some chaos had she not been taken home by her family.
True tales of love, jealousy and controversies such as these still abound at the Luwalhati ng Maynila, a home for the aged at the Manila Boys’ Town Complex in Parang, Marikina.
Never too old for love
Lonely and bereft of love, these elderly people who have mostly been abandoned by their families, find more than a home in this institution. They find love, happiness and fulfillment in the arms of strangers who share the same fate. Many of them, widowed or separated from their spouses, discover love the second time around. Despite being in their twilight years and confined in this institution, these people prove that it’s never too late or too old to fall in love again.
Of the 222 residents living here, eight are couples, according to Cita Riomalos, officer-in-charge of the Home for the Aged. She believes there may be more but may have chosen to keep their relationships a secret from them.
She said they are not prohibiting their elderly residents from getting into an intimate relationship with each other because it is still part of their basic needs despite their age. However, she disclosed that they were forced to prohibit too much intimacy due to concerns about the health of the residents, which may be endangered by overly strenuous physical contact.
The joys of loving
Nevertheless, Victor and 48-year-old Siony still manage to spend quality time with each other. After finishing their daily tasks at the institution, the couple finds time to chat, do things together, and reaffirm their love for each other. Despite being wrinkled and toothless, the tall and mestizo-looking Victor still has that suave character that has swept women --- one wife and five mistresses --- off their feet. But when asked about his wife, Victor said he has chosen to forget her and his children after their separation eight years ago. Victor would rather talk animatedly about his former jobs as a dance instructor and businessman from Davao selling various merchandise including pirated DVDs.
His partner Siony, on the other hand, is the youngest resident in the institution. She is still reeling from the painful experience of being separated from her children. Her in-laws took them away from her one day and she never saw them since then. She said that she misses her children very much and would like to return to their home in Tacloban, Leyte if she had the chance. Victor tries to ease that longing and sadness Siony feels by being more affectionate and amusing her with his incredible dancing stunts.
Stealing time
Alberto Garcia, meanwhile, tried to convince me that he did not have any relationship with the woman crying in the corner. "She is just a friend," he said mischievously.
Alberto has 14 children, four from his wife and the remaining 10 from 10 other women.
He gestured to 76-year-old Estrella Advincula who he said is his one true love. Both separated from their spouses, the two met and fell in love inside the institution and have been inseparable ever since. But since that rule on too much public display of affection was imposed, the couple had to make do with short chats and less time together. But when there are visitors, he reveals that he steals a few kisses and hugs while their caretakers are not looking.
"I like it when there are visitors because that is the only time I can hug and kiss my love," says this former male gigolo who worked as a macho dancer for 10 years.