NUJP Gathers for Election Reporting Seminar 2010

OZAMIZ City - National Union of Journalists (NUJP) – Ozamiz City Chapter, is an organization which is dedicated to looking out for the interests of Filipino journalists and to maintaining media workers’ commitment to their code of ethics. The union seeks to achieve unity, integrity and dignity for the working press. The NUJP’s aims are to promote and protect the economic interest and social well-being of the working press, upgrade professional skills, uplift the standards of journalistic ethics, implement welfare programs for its members, and develop solidarity among all journalists.

Thus they organize consecutive trainings in election reporting. On October 17, Catholic-run dxDD radio conducted its special seminar on election coverage and news treatment, called “Election Reporting with the Perspective of the Church,” held at the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park in Libertad Bajo, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental. There are 44 participants composed of Archdiocesan Media Apostolate ( AMA) and the staff of the said radio station. The following day, October 18, members of NUJP Ozamiz Chapter gathers for Election reporting Seminar held in Technical Learning Development Center (TLDC) in Maloro, Tangub City There are 30 participants composed of all media practitioner in Ozamiz City, Tangub City and Oroquieta City.

The said seminar-training will focused on the media responsibilities on the upcoming national election slated on May 2010.

As an organization of media practitioners to help in educating citizens about election-related issues, and hopes that NUJP can reveal the ideas of the government in the full automation of the election process based on Republic Act 9369 known as an act authorizing the Commission on Election to use an Automated Election System in the May 11, 2010 National or Local Election and in subsequent National and Local electoral exercises. It is the use of an appropriate technology which has been demonstrated in voting, counting, and consolidation, canvass, and transmission of election results.

The said seminar was facilitated by NUJP Director and Treasurer Rowena “Weng” Caranza – Paraan, who design to facilitate media safety training on covering the 2010 election, knowledge on Legal Perspective Automation and election reporting.
On the other hand NUJP are calling on our colleagues to uphold the highest ethical standards possible especially with the coming election period and to remain independent, fair, balance and uphold these basic ethical principles to be worthy to be called journalists. The media and journalists should not allow themselves to be used as means of politicians to further their political agenda or to malign political opponents.

NUJP particularly deplore the wanton abuse of the airwaves by block-timers paid by politicians whose sole purpose is to promote their clients or demolish the adversaries of their patrons. Said media organization are alarmed that this early and months before the election season, programs specializing on personal attacks or praise for or against politicians already proliferate.

This is a slap on journalism and legitimate journalists and this kind of block-timers should harbor no illusion that we consider them as journalists. They are nothing but paid hacks. ( Mae Agot Delarmente)