Notes from the Classroom: My observations on how my students tackled the "State of the Philippine Media" assignment

Aiming to share some candid answers and insights from teaching journalism and communications.

Photo by Filip Mishevski on Unsplash

I’m starting this new thread to give you a peek into what’s happening in my classroom. I teach journalism, digital publishing, media as we know it, emerging alternative media, and other news-related topics, such as the role of social media, the rise of influencers, and media ethics.

In our third week of classes, I gave my students a group assignment. The objective was to interview at least two journalists or people working for a news organization to learn about the current state of media, its challenges, and its future. They had three weeks to find these sources and a set of guide questions to ask. It sounds easy, right?

Well, it wasn’t. Part of the challenge was finding two willing sources to talk to students. Next, they needed to figure out how to ask good questions that would yield answers. Finally, they were to write a lengthy report and discuss their findings in class. Simple, right?

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After reading through all the group reports, here are my top observations.

I saw common themes emerging from their reports. Some groups have done an excellent job of identifying challenges, while others have only scratched the surface.

1. Students Understand the Challenges, But Solutions Are Vague: Most reports correctly outlined the biggest threats to Philippine journalism—misinformation, economic pressures, digital disruption, and declining public trust. However, when it comes to solutions, many rely on broad statements like “newsrooms should innovate” or “journalists need to adapt” without specifics. This is where asking more questions can elicit specifics.

My Take: Instead of focusing on general advice, examine Philippine news organizations' digital presence. Look at their website, social media, or even their off-network content. For instance, Rappler’s membership model, Inquirer’s digital pivot, and TV5’s social media-heavy approach are strategies worth dissecting. What works? What doesn’t?

2. Lack of Business Perspective in News Sustainability: Many reports mentioned economic struggles but failed to explore journalism’s business side. Traditional media’s ad revenue is shrinking, but how are news organizations responding? Are they using paywalls? Branded content? Digital-first monetization? This gap in their analysis is concerning because journalism cannot survive without financial sustainability. Again, this could be explored by asking more questions and researching their business models and how they generate revenues.

My Take: A well-rounded report should focus on the editorial side and how journalism stays alive financially. They should examine funding models used by digital-first newsrooms here and abroad, which could rely on crowdfunding, donations, partnerships, subscriptions, grants, and other creative revenue sources.

3. Limited Exploration of How Newsrooms Are Evolving: Students acknowledged that the media landscape is shifting, but discussions on how newsrooms adapt often feel surface-level. There’s a tendency to say, “Journalists now use social media,”—but that’s old news. How are newsrooms using AI? How is data journalism changing reporting? How do reporters balance engagement with credibility? These deeper angles are often missing in these reports.

My Take: They should examine fundamental newsroom shifts, such as ABS-CBN's focus on monetizing YouTube or independent outlets using Telegram or other chat platforms to distribute news. Real-world examples can strengthen their arguments.

4. Misinformation is Discussed, But Media Trust Issues Are Not: Many reports focused on fake news, disinformation networks, and social media’s role in spreading propaganda. While this is crucial, they missed the more significant crisis: declining public trust in mainstream media (a topic discussed in class). The rise of alternative media and influencers who act as pseudo-journalists is also changing journalism for better or worse. Why do some people trust vloggers over news anchors? That question needs more attention and answers.

My Take: Instead of discussing misinformation, students should analyze trust-building efforts. How can journalists regain credibility? Are fact-checking initiatives effective? Investigating models like Solutions Journalism—which focuses on constructive news instead of just problems—could provide fresh insights. Who is making efforts to fight misinformation? What have they learned so far?

5. Missing the “What’s Next?” Perspective: Many of the reports felt like they were reporting what’s happening now instead of where the media is going. Students must think ahead: Will AI-generated news become the norm? Will short-form content (TikTok news) replace long-form investigative reporting? Will podcasts become the new op-ed columns? These forward-looking discussions are often missing.

My Take: Encourage students to research global trends in media (like how The New York Times successfully transitioned to a digital-first model) and apply those insights to the Philippine context. (To be fair, this topic is up next). Where will journalism be in five years? That’s the conversation we need to have.

My Final Thoughts: These reports show that students understand the problems but must work harder and ask more questions. One solution is to talk to more people–the right people—in the industry. As they say, journalism isn’t just about reporting facts—it’s about understanding the systems, pressures, and innovations that keep the news alive.

¹ Disclosure: This newsletter is corrected by Grammarly for misspellings and grammar. The ideas, however, are still mine and are products of original thinking.

1. Thanks to Grammarly for making spellchecks and grammar checks efficient.