RAPPLER and Sun.Star Publishing, Inc. signed Friday an agreement to share election-related stories as part of efforts to help voters prepare for and make better choices in the May 2016 elections.
The agreement, the first between these two organizations, paves the way for a more comprehensive coverage of the elections, drawing on each other’s strengths online, on social media and in print.
Maria Ressa, Rappler’s chief executive officer and executive editor, signed the agreement in Cebu with Julius Neri, Jr., president and general manager of Sun.Star Publishing, Inc.
“We’re looking forward to working with Sun.Star and engaging communities that they’ve established in over 15 years of its online existence; as well as understanding the issues that matter to the communities they serve,” said Ressa.
“Sun.Star looks forward to an exciting partnership with Rappler as we strive to provide Filipinos worldwide with the best election coverage possible,” Neri said.
Rappler is a Manila-based social news network committed to sparking community engagement and digitally-fuelled actions for nation-building. Sun.Star began publishing its daily newspaper in Cebu in 1982, organized a network of community newspapers in the mid-1990s, and celebrated the 15th year of its online home, www.sunstar.com.ph, in 2015. It also publishes Sun.Star Superbalita, a fast-growing daily in Bisaya; Bisdak Magasin and The Cebu Yearbook.
“We’re excited about sharing our political and elections coverage with Rappler’s communities, and hope that we can help more voters find more clarity as we make important choices,” said Isolde Amante, Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief.
Nini Cabaero, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Network Exchange, said that aside from the sharing of election content, “this partnership is about a joining of Rappler’s social media reach and Sun.Star’s focus on communities. Young voters and those in the provinces and cities will have their voices heard on a bigger platform.”
One out of every five voters in 2016 is below 30 years old, the Commission on Elections’ figures showed. Some three million of the 54.36 million persons registered will be voting in a national election for the first time.