June 2010 - Chapter Three:

Citizen-aided news in the Philippines

>>> PDF Download: Citizen-aided news in the Philippines [548 KB]

The Philippines is hoping for new possibilities with the election of Benigno Aquino III as president in 2010. A unique part of the election was the spread of new forms of citizen participation in the news making process that this chapter discusses. Aquino was sworn in 30 June 2010. He won by a landslide margin of 5.7 million votes in the May election, well ahead of his closest rival Joseph Estrada. The former president secured 9.5 million votes despite being ousted in 2001 and convicted for plunder.
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“Change is not revolutionary but gradual,” Ressa said. Media has converged. In some countries, all forms of news come from one combined newsroom. Audiences have also converged, in the sense that they will go anywhere in search of the content and information they need to live their lives. “Convergence represents a cultural shift as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and – more importantly – to make connections. We are changing the way we think and interact,” Ressa told the Asia Media Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
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A small but important player in the 2010 election was VERA Files – vera means truth in Latin – an online site published by six well-respected veteran Filipino journalists: Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, Booma Cruz, Chit Estella, Jennifer Santiago and Ellen Tordesillas. The site’s slogan “Truth is our business” is a breath of fresh air.
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>>> PDF Download: Citizen-aided news in the Philippines [548 KB]

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