‘The day Bulatlat is no
longer needed will be a great day for Philippine media’
INDAY ESPINA-VARONA
Editor in chief
Philippine Graphic;
Chair,
National
Union
of Journalists of the Philippines
Congratulations to
Bulatlat on its fourth anniversary.
The concept of an alternative web-based,
news agency has come of age. While alternative often means a limited scope
of coverage, Bulatlat’s version sprawls across the Philippines’
unwieldy socio-political and economic landscape.
The news agency’s intrepid staff has given
depth to coverage of agrarian reform issues, labor unrest, constitutional
change and governance. It has also allowed those who would otherwise be
locked out or be downplayed in “mainstream” media, a chance to have their
voices heard.
The high level of professionalism in
Bulatlat also belies mainstream
perception of alternative news agencies going easy on the rules of ethics
and being nothing more than a mouthpiece for vested interests.
Bulatlat has shown, and I hope
others will learn from it, the best course for advocacy journalism –
incisive, thorough and of a quality at par or even better than mainstream
media. Indeed, there is no substitute for competence, which is why
Bulatlat has jumped from being a web curiosity to become a choice for
mainstream media that want to add depth to reportage.
As Bulatlat enters its fifth year,
it is my hope that the rest of Philippine journalism take the road less
traveled, so that one day this brave little band of media workers wake up
and realize their “baby” has lost its reason for being. It will be a day
both sad and glorious. The day Bulatlat is no longer needed will be
a great day for Philippine media.
Bulatlat: The
People’s Courageous Advocate BY LUIS V. TEODORO
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