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JOURNALISM AND READING BY HANS KHO

"Reading is an intimate act, perhaps more intimate than any other human act." Words, beautifully woven by none other than Harold Brodkey himself, from his article " Reading, The Most Dangerous Game." He was an American Short-story writer and novelist, famous for his command of the conversation, and words woven thematically complex to encapsulate his readers into his work. An in-depth read about his work "Reading, The Most Dangerous Game" dated 24th of November, the year 1985, would provide us a journey that would further prove how Brodkey can masterfully exhibit his command of words.

Reading is meticulous obscurity that brings together comprehension, viewpoint, opinion, and anything else that elicits a sense of sapient excitation like no other act. It's an exhilarating experience that intertwines an individual in such a way that even when a group reads the same article, narrative, novel, excerpt, and so on, they'll have different reactions, bringing the concept of a thematic expression of individuals to a new level from a single source. Brodkey, our author, expresses his dissatisfaction with a salvo of fascinating comments bolstered by his unrivaled skill and technique, all drawn from his boundless store. One of which stated how unimaginable it is to teach an introductory text in school further elevates the obscurity of reading to heights that were "supposedly" hampered by institutions that appear to perpetuate a placated manner of teaching that hinders the experience and reality that comes with reading. Grasping this concept prompts his proposal regarding a person's originality in reading to accommodate, satiate, and fill the bland and dull notion of school standards and so on. "Reading always leads to personal metamorphosis," and "A good book leads to alterations in one's sensibility and often becomes a premise in one's beliefs," are two of his statements that propagate his persuasive allures and debunks on how certain institutions "help" us understand and "consume" make-believe ideologies sprouting from a read, when, in fact, the read itself is the obscurity wherein a reader dives and drowns himself with the environment. It is genuinely obscure, for it is a pleasure of ecstasy and inebriation that they deem tasty and sufficient to their senses that easily elate the clamored commoners for the joy of euphoria and inebriation that they feel pleasant and adequate to their minds.

Journalism may have to be related to the challenges and significance that reading- as an art- has experienced.  “The crisis of journalism, therefore, includes both a diagnosis of a series of problems that journalism faces as well as an opportunity for all interested parties to apply their judgment to move forward”. Despite this, however, it has still paved the way to give media consumers an opportunity to be logical and critical in terms of their rationality. There were four crises that Journalism has to deal with:

1.       Time - The notion of ‘timeless time’ applied to journalism: 24/7 news cycle

2.       Money - The financial crisis of journalism may be up to an extent be attributed to the internet.

3.       Autonomy - The problem with journalism is that, in fact, it is dominated by the market, while in our media-saturated age, it tends to dominate other fields, such as science, law, politics, etc., dictating the conditions under which they operate

4.       Cultural Changes - Changes in news consumption patterns, e.g., steal quick looks at the headlines at several intervals during the working day.

What is the payoff for being a deceiving idiot in the imposition of a deceptive and well-crafted masterpiece, malevolent and harmful in its entirety yet attractive and convincing in its entirety? Brodkey describes it as "lying happiness," which I assume is the central theme of the book. The existence of a broad concept of writing keeps the reader docile and in check, as it is deemed by the author to be "swindled" away by capitalizing on the obscurity of reading and how an individual's imagination and cognition facilitates the mystery of word reception, to which even the indomitable will submits. Both the reader and the writer are heavily reliant on the joy and exuberance of a read. If a writer only writes for the superficial, he fails in his essence as a writer, and if a reader just reads in the most linear manner possible, he falls in his nature as a reader. The fluctuation, variation, and various spurs of ideologies are defined by an individualistic notion that a distinct sense of understanding can only grow when reading is free of distractions. As a result, a culture that promotes reading in the mildest way possible, in the form of academic resolution of written extracts, is highly supportive of a docile and dull society.

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MOBILE MEDIA'S RELATION TO DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION by Hans Kho

The 2nd world war has caused damages and destruction from around the world. Civilians were harmed, or worse, dead. Certain countries were bombed. Civilization had been mutated, and may more. Intending to rise above the catastrophe and devastation brought about by the war, the countries that have been at peace have one goal - development. People will only achieve such a goal by recognizing the information and solving societal problems such as poverty. Hence, the rise of world information structure. This is where the importance of KNOWING the information, and solving problems have been vital in being a developed country. Aside from the fact that not all the information being delivered is considered correct and factual, the process of transmitting the information from one person to another has been a challenge. Hence, an imbalance of information flow occurred. To combat such an imbalance and be assured of the accuracy of information, communication paradigms, and information methods (such as problematique), definitions of development have been established from decade to decade. With that, development communication is necessitated. Development Communication grew in response to these societal problems when scientists found out that the said problems won't be solved right away without actually knowing the root cause of the dilemma. Such a cycle of the continuous flow of the issues is called "The Vicious Cycle of Poverty". In response to this cycle, development communication took place through the Problematique method. This is a method used to get to know the root causes of a particular problem. In the technique, development communication is inclined as you try to get INFORMATION and COMMUNICATE to answer the stated concern with the question "Why?". For example, I don't have enough income. WHY don't you have enough income? More symptoms of the problems such as lack of opportunities, low salary, high cost of living, etc., pop out. And as you continue the problematique method, you will be able to get to the root cause of the problem.

Development was not used by a lot of people before. In fact, "development" was only applied in the context of nations and societies after the Second World War. With the after-effect of the post-war era, that is the desired-goal or end-state for countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, etc. - DEVELOPMENT. In the first Development Decade, the said word was defined as the economic growth measured by the gross national product. This is also where underdeveloped countries are recognized as "developing countries." Come the second Development decade in the 1970s, and the term now had a deeper meaning - the improvement of the individual's quality of life. Man himself became the measure of development. Finally, the third Development decade was brought more on the realignment of global priorities, the establishment of infrastructures, education, agriculture, sustainable development, etc. Product was introduced in the first three decades discussed. After that, paradigms were used to analyze the "developing" countries. In the Technological paradigm, technologists and engineers believe that the lack of technological know-how is the cause of underdevelopment. It is based on the observation that western nations are rich because of their knowledge and access to modern technology. The next paradigm, the economic paradigm, states that underdevelopment is a function of monetary policy. However, the Structural paradigm said that underdevelopment would be changed through social order employing revolution or devolution. And lastly, the Value Paradigm believes that: to solve this underdevelopment problem, and we should change our values for the better and see to it that our children adapt and imbibe positive values associated with development. With everything said, all the decades, paradigms, and responses contributed to the evolution of Development Communication to attain SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. Whatever paradigm it may be, whatever decade you would consider, one thing is the same - we want to achieve an adequate DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION RESPONSE. Hence, we can say that "development communication response is the response is to see to it that the right information is provided at the right time and the right place.". It is to improve more and be efficient, effective in specific sectors such as health, education, agriculture, economic, etc., through making sure that information flows within the social systems. Development Communication has been successful in responding to societal problems. Since the post-war era, development has been the primary goal of countries up until now. Such communication has always been there to provide us correct information at the right time and at the right place. The problem is, what do we do with this information? We wouldn't be able to achieve development by means of development communication only. We also need to have strategic planning and actions from the people and, much more, the government.  The government needs to do something with the development communication that is being told to them. Through this, we will be able to solve the societal challenges one by one. To add, Mobile Media will play a big role in development communication. Being a tool of portability and personalization, such media will amplify the development the people seek and fight for.     

Being considered a third-world country, the Philippines still strives to rise above its own societal problems. I firmly believe that development communication hasn't been lacking in informing us of the current status of the country in different sectors and its addressing of societal problems that hinder us from development. It just depends on us, the Filipinos, and more importantly, it depends on how the government responds to it. The actual question is, will the government even react to it? Development communication is needed now more than ever, especially when our country right now is being manipulated with incompetence, lies, and false information. Mobile media will pave the way for this communication to happen. The revolutionary idea behind the mobile phone is that it provides a means by which people can communicate with one another regardless of their geographical location. With that said, if the government still continues to deprioritize development communication, the future of such communication in our country will be gone, together with development itself, however, from what I can see, since the national elections are near, and since a lot of people have been more aware and rational of the involvement of politics in our day-to-day activities. To me, there is a direct relationship between development and politics, and so, if we elect the officials who are more inclined to serve the country than just gaining mere power,  I can say that development communication has a progressive future, together with the development of our country.                    

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UAAP SEASON 81 COACHES

The UAAP Basketball Tournament is one of the most-awaited events in Philippine Sports. Its high-caliber players who grace inside and outside the court, all teams are on fire, eyeing the title in the league – the Championship title. It's safe to say that all eight teams know that their attitude of wanting the crown is undoubtedly not enough, but hard work and dedication are. Rigorous training and thorough conditioning – both physical and mental -have been done. Now, the question is, who will help the respective teams work on their way to the crown?

he man behind the reigning UAAP Season 80 Men's Basketball Champion, head coach Tab Baldwin believes that the preparation during the off-season gave so much advantage for the team to succeed. This preparation made them identify the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Blue Eagles, which paved the way for them to perform well in the last UAAP Season 80. On the other hand, Green Archer's head coach, Louie Gonzalez, said in an interview that he needs the team to understand his vision – given that he has a more structured system than before –because it will affect the players' decision-making skills. As he trains and prepares the team for the upcoming season, coach Louie says that he looks for the discipline and personality of the player as this is where his trust for the player grows. On the other side of the spectrum, the Adamson Soaring Falcons' head coach, Franz Pumaren, has a specific technique to surpass all challenges leading through the throne – bringing big guys inside for rebound. In an interview, the 5-time UAAP Champion coach said that he knows in himself that all the other teams are preparing for the Soaring Falcons' flight because they surprised everyone in a final four appearances in both UAAP Season 79 and 80 against the FEU Fighting Tamaraws. Moving the limelight to the Soaring Falcons' challenger in the final four,  Fighting Tamaraws' newly assigned head coach, Olsen Racela, pointed out that he learned a lot in the last season 80, explicitly referring to their match against La Salle and Ateneo. Ashe kept his optimism in the air for his team, he focused on maintaining the proper balance of the Tamaraws' offense and defense. Despite falling short in getting a final-four seat last season, UP Fighting Maroons' head coach, Bo Perasol, still thinks that the Vegas training camp the team underwent is a valuable tool for them to break any roadblocks on their way to the throne. Coach also reiterated that this training that they have had, which consisted of things that high-caliber players of the USA do, will hone the Fighting Maroons' skills in getting back the crown to Diliman. Now moving on to Manila's side of things, in an interview about their plans for the upcoming season, NU Bulldogs' new head coach, Jamike Jarin, bolted out the phrase: "We are gonna be competitive.". He also added that "sipag" and outwork are the keys for the team to have efficient gameplays for the next season. Mentioning "sipag," UE Red Warriors' head coach, Joe Silva accepts the challenge offered to him to be the new head coach and will be "masipag'' for the team's betterment. With Ateneo being his home for years, he said that leaving wasn't an easy decision, but this offer is a terrific opportunity to challenge him. Lastly, the former head coach of the DLSU Green Archers and now a Growling Tiger head coach, Aldin Ayo, make sure to adjust with each other's system – his, his coaching staff, and the player's – as they are new with one another. He believes that to bring the crown back to Espanya, the team has to improve individually, and collectively, the improvement as one pack will follow up.

It is safe to say that all the players have been working their hearts out in preparation for this coming season. All eight teams have their different ways of becoming the new season's kings. The basketball court is ready for the games. Everything has been said and done, and the question now is: who do you think will go beyond and defy the odds in the upcoming UAAP Season 81 Men's Basketball Tournament?

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NEW MEDIA ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL MEDIA POLITICS AMIDST THE PANDEMIC

Original Link: https://hanskhoblogpost2.tumblr.com/post/664014896007135232/new-media-activism-and-social-media-politics

In our battle against this Coronavirus, it is just right that we recognize and appreciate those who are at the forefront of the battlefield. However, aside from our front medical liners, let us not forget to acknowledge the moral triumph of those who work to help us get by from our day-to-day lives. Let us remember the MEDIA, which helps us be informed and updated of the current happenings. The MEDICAL & NON-MEDICAL STAFF in the hospital make sure that the hospital's environment is sanitized and free from any virus. Our FARMERS make sure that we have something to cook and eat every day amidst everything going on. And of course, the other SERVICE WORKERS make sure that we get to be safe and comfortable in our everyday lives.

To be able to survive and win in this crisis, we need to have a collaborative effort. That is why we must help one another and leave no one behind. Like in one of our lessons in ethics, the Formula for the Kingdom of Ends states that each person is a part of congress. Hence, we all should work together to create a cosmopolitan society. In connection to this, our collaborative effort - from all the people around the country and the world - will surely help us find the light in this darkness. The moral triumph that is taking over in this crisis inspired us to stand together as one nation. More than this, such moral victory is one of the reasons why we never lose hope to humanity's ethical limitations. Let us thank these people who have been selfless enough to serve the country first and help other people before themselves. Indeed, we must be proud that there are still people like them who make sure that the welfare of others will be positioned in a good place. Although our government still spearheads incompetence and selfishness, let us not forget those who managed to do their task successfully and adequately. And though it might be disappointing to think the president himself is incompetent enough to take action on the situation at hand, let us remember that there are people who still stand up and continue to be leaders for their people. To add, let us not worry about such incompetence as it will be written in the history books during this time. The country needs its leaders the most; some have been selfish enough to think of their political interests instead of helping the entire Filipino people. On the other hand, we will let the future generations know that we have these unsung heroes during this time, who is an excellent example of Moral Triumph as they continue to help other people fight the crisis.

Let us recognize and give thanks to those who have continued to do the act of non-consequentialism, who continued to do morally good deeds and help the people, and not thought of those harmful consequences, for they are the real heroes in this battle. They are the savior of this crisis. And they will help us rise above the situation.

The immoral acts that the Duterte Administration has been doing since 2016 are not new to us. Personally, as a citizen of this country, I already have low expectations from this administration. In the middle of a pandemic, here goes the leader of our nation, ordering military force to shoot people dead when they defy the ECQ guidelines. To give context to the article above, Duterte ordered such because there had been a protest from the people of Sitio San Roque rallying because the local government hadn't reached their place for the giving of relief goods. Applying all the lessons I learned from my ethics class, Duterte's order to execute those who defy the ECQ guidelines is a perfect example of a moral breakdown.

If we are going to take a look at the happenings from March 2020 until the present, Social Media Activism or also known as New Media Activism, has played a big role in calling out the incompetencies of the government. It is a good thing that such a form of activism could be effective to a certain extent, but broader political changes are not yet accomplished.

The essence of morality is absent in such order made by a leader who, in the first place, must take care and protect the welfare of the people. Ordering the military force to shoot the people due to them defying the guidelines will never be a rational act. Quoting from a clinical psychologist, "In behavioral management, we focus on the FUNCTION: what is the purpose of their (in this context, the people of San Roque) action? That is to obtain food because they're hungry.". The point is, one must act upon the reason why another person has done a particular act, and I am sure that killing people just cause they went outside and protested because they do not have food is an immoral act. Such order made by Duterte falls under the disadvantages of the Emotive theory. Duterte ordered to shoot people without even considering why they were doing such an act or its motive. He just let his emotion take the best and worst of him and ordered to kill those who would defy the guidelines. To add to this, he let his emotions control and even threatened people to die once they disobeyed the guidelines. On a different note, Consequentialism can also be applied in such doing by Duterte: Without considering if your action is of rightness or wrongness if you defy the guidelines, there is a consequence waiting - death. You will not even be given a chance to give out the reason as to why you did such. All he cared about was that you need to be shot once you defy his rules. Regardless of the meaning of his statement is figurative or literal, you do not make death a consequence for just disobeying an authority when you defy such because you need help and just wanting to be heard. Another lesson that applies to this subject is Kant's formula for the kingdom of ends formation. Every single one of us in this world is a part of congress. That is why we must work together to make a cosmopolitan society, and not just kill those who do not follow without consideration.

Social Media and the politics within it played a significant role in allowing us to acknowledge what was lacking from the government. It was able to contribute by allowing the formation of public opinion and direct communication. As we say, media is the 4th state of a country. It serves as a watchdog. It is safe to say that new media (digital media) is still very similar to politics in the mass media age.

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PANIC CAUSED BY FAKE NEWS

Original Link: https://hanskhownm.tumblr.com/post/661662989312819200/panic-caused-by-fake-news

Reporting News plays a very vital role in the daily lives of people around the globe. Through News, we get informed about the current state of surroundings, the possibilities of a particular phenomenon to happen, and whatnot. News is like oxygen. We need News to get updated about social and political affairs, current, and what’s popping around the globe. ‘Knowledge is power,’ they say. That is why being informed is essential as it gives you the advantage of knowing and being informed.

In the Philippines, News can be categorized into two things – fake and credible News. Fake News is not new to us Filipinos. I suppose it isn’t even unique to others as well. With the evolution of media throughout the years, digital media has emerged and made communication easy. Digital media can also be referred to as “Online Media”. The term ‘online media’ prioritizes the element of connectivity or how they connect with other media, mainly computers, and more recently mobile telephones. Social Media played a vital role in making fake News rampant. Social media, being defined as a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content.” This just means that the platform could make communication easier, which in turn helps the consumer establish its own ideology. However, with the accessibility of social media, it’s easier for people to post anything and create anything that may cause harmful effects.

The negative effect that social media brings can also be related to the risk of technological determinism. Technology is the defining dimension of the media that overlooks how users shape them or the broader sociocultural and economic environment which produced them in the first place. Consumers of technology and social media may be exposed to the harmful side of the platform.

As they say, you can know everything on the internet. However, it is guaranteed that not all can be true and credible. Since then, fake News has caused a panic among the netizens because some can’t even distinguish which is false and true. Even just a hint of fake News can cause people to be panicking. Fictitious or contrived News is referred to as fake News. It's similar to making up a story or telling a lie without any reliable information or facts. Fake News is a false rumor that may not impact a small scale or a trivial topic, but can have significant consequences when circulated on a large scale or a crucial matter. Fake News can take many different forms.

Politics is one of the most common places where fake News may be found. When the elections approach, this type of News is most likely to spread. One of the goals of this type of News is to tarnish a politician's or a political party's image in the public's eyes. People with nefarious motives circulate such information to tarnish your reputation and help their party win. Others with self-serving or entrenched interests are accused of misleading people by spreading fake News in this way. The irony is that this kind of information spreads like wildfire and receives numerous comments, shares, and likes. Ignorant people are caught in the web of these stories. With this, being media and information literate has been part of our culture.

According to Matthew Arnold, the public mass is raw and uncultivated. Hence it needs to have a culture to police the disruptive presence that it has. You could compare it to the fake news culture that the Philippines has. There needs to be a catalyst to debunk all these lies.

Earlier I mentioned how social media played a vital role in the spreading of this fake News. And how this fake News, once passed across the media platform, can cause panic. In Marshall McLuhan’s work, he showed how to contain the seeds of a profoundly critical portrayal of the media’s social impact. Meaning, media can impact people in a way that can cause panic per se.  He consistently emphasizes how media can also shape and disorient how we, the public, create our way of thinking. That is why we must learn to be media and information literate to prevent such adverse effects of media among us. With that said, I am going to give you ways – that I learned from my MIL (Media and Information Literacy) Class -  on how to be information literate and spot fake News right away to avoid the panic that it causes:

1.       No identification

-          For an article to be verified as authentic, there must be a list of names of people accountable for the information it states. Otherwise, it might be a piece of fake News.

2.       Unverified Aggregation

-          Be wary of websites that copy (aggregate and curate) content nowadays.

3.       Article Submission News Sites

-          Make sure to be knowledgeable of the websites that give out information. Such providers must be credible. Examples of credible news websites are ABS-CBN News, GMA News, CNN Philippines, etc.

4.       News Trending Sites

-          Be wary of the sites that pick out selectively from viral and trending posts in the internet.

5.       Learn to Recognize Satirical Sites

-          Make sure to distinguish what’s humorous, irony, exaggerated information not to be a victim of fake News.  

The world is facing enough crisis. Do not put more fuel into it, be a responsible social media user. As citizens, it is our responsibility to help one another combat any form of fake News that might cause panic or harm to the people around us. We have to be information literate, and media literate. It might be challenging, but together, we will prevent fake News if we help one another.

REFERENCES

·       Storey, J. (2006). Cultural theory and popular culture. an introduction. Harlow: Pearson Prentice Hall.

·       Taylor, P. A., & Harris, J. L. (2008). Critical theories of mass media: then and now. New Delhi: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.

·       “EDITORIAL - Fake News in a Crisis.” philstar.com. The Philippine Star, March 24, 2020. https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2020/03/25/2003251/editorial-fake-news-crisis.