An ABS-CBN affair
Some of my collegemates and I attended the 2nd Pinoy [Youth] Media Congress at Miriam College the whole days yesterday and last Monday. It was really much more of an ABS-CBN propaganda event, really. I don’t mind. It gave us an insight into how things work in ABS-CBN, with all the icing of course. Almost the entire roster of ABS-CBN executives, from the Lopez siblings who own ABS-CBN, to Maria Ressa, head of news & current affairs, to all the heads of the different subsidiaries that make up the biggest media company in the country. It was a rare opportunity to hear them speak and promote their organization to representatives from almost all the mass communication schools in the country, and for us to have the opportunity to ask them questions ourselves.
I was surprised to realize how many hundreds of colleges and universities are teaching Mass Communication. There were almost a thousand student and faculty representatives at the Congress. With just a handful of media companies, how the hell can all of us be absorbed in the industry. With such a competitive environment, I can understand why some people can get easily frustrated with the prevailing trend.
The stereotype of Mass Comm students is that of one who wants to be a newscaster. Which can make me cringe, really. Hindi naman hayok sa camera ang mga nag-aaral ng say, Journalism or Film or Communication Research. That’s not even the path I want to take (as to what my plans are, I’ll share some other time).
Everyone disliked us there, by the way. They were so antagonistic against UP students. One time, one student from UE came up and asked the human resource panel, (it went something like), “Why do you discriminate applicants based on the school he went to? Bakit palaging taga-UP?! ‘Pag hindi taga-UP, mababa kagad ang chance?!” Then everybody roared in applause. As in, with the “whooo!!” and “yea!!” Sheesh. Then another student came up and said “Totoo bang mas matimbang ang [educational] background kaysa sa sipag at tiyaga?” What the hell. Everybody applauded again, like it was some anti-UP rally. Well, it’s probably really frustrating (for some) that majority of the media personalities you see on TV come from UP. But I’m sure they are all there based on individual merit and hard work, not based on school. It just so happened that they came from UP. The human resource person rebutted that everyone goes through the same application process anyway! If you don’t make the cut, it’s you, not the name of your school or others’. And these are people in front of the camera. I’m sure thousands of ABS-CBN’s five thousand employees aren’t from UP.
It might have not helped everyone’s animosity against us that our professor was very straightforward with his “fierce” questions directed at Gabby Lopez and Karen Davila. That was guts, man. Facing up to ABS-CBN executives, with labor issues and other issues with their programming. They were all valid points by the way. But when Karen Davila, who’s a UP alumna too by the way, calmly yet sarcastically answered back, everyone started applauding like it was some cockfight.
I know its chic and fashionable to criticize media with all their failures. But I have high regard for people like Maria Ressa, Luchi Cruz Valdez and Charie Villa. We have to be reminded that media is a business too. I’d personally cut them some slack for what they do. Different speakers repeated some things over the two-day Congress,
“We’re as frustrated as you! How we wish we could also give you Probe at primetime. But you won’t watch it, what can we do?!”
“It’s useless preaching to an empty church.”
“If you don’t like the program, turn it off and write to us.”
“If it’s such a bad program, why does it rate high?”
“We are not part of 80% of Filipinos who live in poverty. What you, or we, don’t like, they do.”
Basically, whenever they are criticized, they turn the table upside down and ask audiences the same question. “If you hate the program, why were you watching it?” kind of thing. Which I understand. We’re all slaves to market forces. It’s a delicate balance between providing audiences what they want and what they need. Give them what they need, like educational programs and documentaries, but they won’t want or watch it. Give them slapstick entertainment, but it’s not what they “need”. A balance has to be set.
Our professor said this though, “We have abused the audience-reason too much to justify bad programming.”
I hope the next Pinoy Media Congress could be sponsored by GMA.
Bianca Gonzales rocks, by the way! I just had to have my picture with her. I’m a Bianca fanboy now.
Natatawa naman ako sa angst ng “other schools”. I don’t think it’s by chance that a lot of media personnel are UP graduates, I guess it’s the training you get since it’s a school with people FROM industry and is literally CLOSE to industry. And haller, it’s not just UP, I went to Star Cinema and they said their graduate demography is mostly UST/Areneow… and of course UP. ^____^
I agree that it’s merit-based that people get good jobs. But of course, the “quality” of your merit depends on your school. I don’t think companies (not just media ones) have school preferences in general, it’s just that some schools would tend to produce similar quality graduates, and if that’s the quality a company is looking for, obviously, they’ll end up hiring a lot from that school. Jeez… people are just so bitter. Sorry na lang at pumasa tayo ng UPCAT.
the congress sounded like fun! minus the pointless rantings of other students against our school, of course.
too bad you didn’t bring along volcorps members *ahem*.
where’s your picture with bianca?
you’re a repressed fanboy, too. Don’t be shy! ask for the picture. LoL
My sister is an alumnus of UP and according to her (she tried to find employment in GMA and ABS CBN) whaty she liked about TV stations is that they are all accomodating even with non UP graduates. Her line, whenever people say wow with her accomplishments in college, “wala naman sa school yan eh. Bat si K sa Tokyo University, masmatalino pa sa kin.” (binatukan ko nga)
PS pumapayat yung pisngi mo.
I wish I could have been there. I missed the first congress too, which was as eventful. Bitterness galore plus ABSCBN worship.
And they always wonder why some of us look down on them.
well, hi, just got this link from an email…
i’m from UST by the way… actually I was supposed to go to “pinoy Media…” but then I have to give up my slot because of some things… well, first, about the ‘bitterness issue’, I myself am somewhat bitter because I missed the UPCAT. Lucky for you, you’ve passed. I don’t think they’re bitter. They just want equality, I mean, my sister, from UP, got this experience where the human resource person asked all the UP, UST, ‘the great’ ATENEO (ok.), and LA SALLE graduates to put their application forms on one side and all the other schools on the other side..
it’ reality that these people prioritize these schools, probably they pay more attention to YOUR school. Well, we can’t blame them, even the students “LOOK DOWN” on us poor victims of discrimination.
i agree that that’s really unfair. but abs-cbn claimed they don’t do that. at naniniwala naman ako na yung mga nasa media ngayon na taga-UP ay nasa posisyon nila hindi dahil taga-UP sila kundi dahil may mga napatunayan sila. hindi rin wasto na mainis sa mga taga-UP dahil sa mga nakukuha nila.
I admit I wanted to go to this event ever since I heard of it. Guess I wasn’t too “active” or “noticeable” to be chosen as a “delegate.” That aside, I like your insights and how you present them. There really are vicious sides to these media networks, and it’s often appalling, especially when you hear or catch the dirt from the big honchos themselves. It’s a tough and ugly world. And sadly, that’s where we’d all be a part of and sucked into someday. Hopefully we change the way things are done. Little by little.
As for GMA-7 hosting a Pinoy Media Congress, I doubt they’d take it from ABS. But if they produce one, I’d like to attend both, wishing for more action and executives/personalities caught with their feet in their mouths. Call GMA-7’s “alternative” meet “The Filipino Media Congress”. Sweet. Just like “The Filipino Channel” and “Pinoy TV.” Hay. Them and their antics.
Kita-kits sa MassComm!
bikoy, san ung pictures with bianca? (ei, bianca is a blogger too!)
sorry for that coming out too negative…
uhm, i believe so too in your ideals… and somehow, someday, I hope that we, as future media practitioners, would be able to chnage the system that is already a norm today. goodluck.
people really loathe UP alumni. According to my sister, her workmates didn’t think that she’s a UP graduate… since she’s friendly and not the leader type of person, so they tell her all their sentiments and grudges with those people who’re from your school, kesyo mayabang daw, nagmamagaling, papampam… and she was like… yeah the line again… “wala naman sa school yan eh….” then she exited the mob (sniggering.)
PS about the primetime programs… I always think Mirada de Mujer is such a nice program actually…
I can see the UE guy’s sentiments, pero di ba, we really cannot deny that there are schools who really provide better training and education than other schools, thus holding on to that reputation. Kaya nga marami tayong nag-aim na makapasok ng UP di ba, kasi aside sa mababa ang tuition fee, we have the opportunity to be under the guidance of capable teachers. May makukuha tayong magandang training, exposure, etc. na mas angat pa sa usual stuff na nakukuha ng ibang estudyante. Kumbaga, when you mention prestigious schools such as UP, Ateneo, La Salle, UST, among others, kaakibat na noong pangalan nila iyong sinasabi kong top notch training etc. Extra points sa iyo iyon kung masipag at matigaya ka na (i.e. dean’s lister, active at several academic and non-academic organizations, etc.) tapos kilala pa ang eskuwelahan mo sa paglilinang ng mga estudyanteng nage-excell sa iba’t ibang field, in this case, sa Mass Communication at Journalism.
I am not saying na wala nang kuwenta ang ibang schools, its just that it’s just how it works. That’s why it’s a big decision for everyone else graduating from high school kung anong school ang pipiliin nila kapag magka-college na o mag-u-university. Kung ang dalawang possible employees ay nag-apply na may parehong credentials, parehong mataas ang grades, etc. pero iyong isa ay galing sa, say, sa Harvard, at isang galing sa community college, sinong pipiliin mo, di ba?
I’m not sure kung magdi-disagree ka sa akin, pero sige lang.
And I’m not biased about my answer just because I went to UP din ha? ^_^
hey. i’m a student from miriam college. it’s true how “prestigious” schools are discriminated against just because they are preferred by some, or probably most companies. kahit hindi usual mention ang MC sa mga yan, mc students and graduates go through similar experiences. ngayon pa lang na hindi pa ako nagggraduate, may mga nagsasabi na na madali akong makakapasok sa mga media companies as compared to other students from other “less known” schools. it’s sad how people expect. they expect more from graduates of “THE schools” and less from those coming from other schools. it is a fact. but yeah, it still depends on quality. kung galing ka nga sa UP, UST, o kahit MC, eh kung hindi ka naman marunong makisama, walang laman ang utak, at puro pasikat at walang gawa ang pinapakita mo, of course, mas mannotice yung iba. it all depends on quality performance, no matter what school you come from:)
[...] ABS-CBN though, has its own plans up its sleeves I’m sure. Eugenio Lopez III, the company’s CEO, in the 2nd Pinoy Media Congress a few months ago, talked about development of non-linear content delivery over the internet and investing in HDTV broadcasting technology. They’ve lit up their transmitter tower quite nicely, for a start. Hehe. [...]
[...] This thing ABS-CBN is doing, going around Mass Communication colleges in different universities, is obviously, a systematic public relations campaign coated as say, a campus tour regarding youth involvement in nation-building (what with the upcoming May elections) or coated as a youth media summit, like the Pinoy Media Summit held at Miriam College where student representatives from all the communication schools in the Philippines were invited. There’s nothing wrong with it really. It’s quite ingenious actually that they are conducting all these to woo “future media practicioners” into their fold, while they’re in school. They even sent the “Tres Marias” (Charie Villa, Maria Ressa, Luchi Cruz-Valdes) of their News department to speak with us in UP last Monday. [...]
I think GMA-7 have their SINE TOTOO campaigns, though it is more geared on their news and public affairs show. But still, you got to see, hear and experience “working” in media.
About the “school wars,” here at ABS-CBN, i don’t think that is an issue because the truth, here at DZMM (where i am working), mostly are from PUP (im from PLM)! Pero, siguro plus points pa rin kapag galing ka sa UP, Ateneo or LaSalle.
Kip up your blog! Im having fun reading them…
Ciao!
WHO CARES IF YOU’RE FROM UP OR OTHER “RATED” SCHOOLS. LOOK AT THIS GIRL korina. SHE’S SO OVER RATED. SHE’S BLOODY BORING. JUST LOOK AT HER TALK IN ENGLISH. ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH OUR TIME. THE SAME GOES TO THIS GRANDIOSE GIRL kris. WE SIMPLY
DON’T WATCH ABSCBN SHOWS WITH THESE 2 stooges!
so what if you’re from UP,celine alalahanin mo pinahiya ka ni korina sanchez while you are asking her during media congress
When it comes to Media, I TRUST ABS-CBN!
wala talaga sa school yan.
But we cant deny the fact that school factor is also involve. But whats more important is malupit ang diskarte mo at magaling ka sa mga pinag gagawa mo.
I’m not a graduate of any of those schools but i was able to work at GMA.
And i also have a schoolmate who works at ABSCBN.
So guys and gals… be you!!!! Galingan mo sa field na napili mo.
and pray a lot na sana matangap ka. Haha!
by the way… nag resign na ako sa work ko. teacher na ako ngayon.
why?
i dont know, maybe i want to share my experience to other students and maybe this is my calling!!! mwah to all!
natutuwa ako while reading this. nice