Knowing the works of media

EVERY now and then, students, mostly graduating ones, teachers and even employees from the local government units (LGUs) take time to visit the office of leading community paper Sun.Star Davao and get to learn first-hand how the print media work.

These educational tours or exposure trips organized by the different academic institutions and LGUs from Davao City and even outside of the metropolis would give participants added knowledge on the works of journalists, and they always make sure to include Sun.Star Davao in one of their stops.

Just last month, two groups from outside of Davao, one of them from as far as North Cotabato, visited the Sun.Star Davao at the Grandland Bldg. along R. Castillo St. as part of their learning process.

The visitors were warmly received by the Sun.Star Davao staff as soon as they arrived. The guests were first gathered inside the conference room where they were briefed on how Sun.Star Davao works as a community paper.

Of course, the discussion didn't end without the visitors asking relevant questions like how the avoid libel, or what media can do for the community aside from bearer of information.

They were then led to the newsroom where editors imparted on them the sequence the articles go through from encoding to the computer to editing and eventually layouting.

The visitors were then given a tour of the printing facility and they were amazed at how copies of the paper are printed in breakneck fashion.

"We are really thankful to Sun.Star Davao for showing us around. For giving us their time and sharing valuable information on how the print media work," said Melrose Trinidad Arig, city information officer of the City Government of the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), last August 10.

Arig brought along with her some 26 employees from the different offices of Igacos LGU. They also visited television and radio officers during their Davao tour.

"Sun.Star Davao was the only print media office included in trip," Arig said.

Students and faculty members from the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, North Cotabato also visited Sun.Star Davao.

Manap B. Mangulamas, group leader of the 4th year AB English students who came recently, said they had a great time during the exposure trip.

"On behalf of 4th year AB English and our faculty members, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude and we are very thankful for the untold acceptance and enlightenment that your office had shown us," Mangulamas said.

"It was truly be an honor to learn how mass media works and what were the importance of being an agent of change especially through the print medium. Extend our regards to the rest of Sun.Star staff," he added.

Mangulamas said they outlined a group evaluation of the trip and enumerated the significances and learning that they learned.

As English language students, the visitors from USM learned the principles especially in print media and the valuable of their contribution being a watchdog of the society, they said in their evaluation.

"We learned how the circulation department works from making the headlines, to forming the dummy, to encoding the news, editing, and all to the way to production area," the USM students said.

"We also learned how the journalists’ profession really plays the significant role to let the people aware on the social issues (either the positive or the negative)," they added.

During the tour, the USM students had generalized that print media, especially the local print media, are more effective than the national or international form or print media as they reach the grassroots.

"We are encouraged to write and consider it as a future profession in writing stories, news, articles and even pieces of information that mean a lot to the audience," they said.