2020. We need a clear vision of today for tomorrow, at least for the next 10 years.
The above image from Journalism Matters[1]says, “Celebrating the vital role journalism plays in society.” The website was created May 2019 by the News Media Association of London, designed by Senior – age doesn’t matter, but media does!
“Media,” says Siva Sivani Institute of Management, “become food to strengthen or weaken society[2].”
Ah, but this time, in the universe of Philippine media, age matters, and I mind it.
This essay you are reading now was triggered by 2 articles I have just read about a PH institution (I will not name it) written by 2 journalists, female & male (I will not name them either): (1) the news similarly insinuating that the PH Department of Agriculture, DA, under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie, was NOT advocating entrepreneurship, (2) likewise insinuating that Manong Willie needed advice to start advocating such!
My God. Both those journalists did not do their homework. Go Negosyo tells us that almost 2 years ago, long before he became PH Secretary of Agriculture, Manong Willie was already advocating agripreneurship (agriculture + entrepreneurship) for the ASEAN[3]!
It was the similar way those 2 news articles were written – the journalistic slant was in favor of the institutional origin of the story and did not consider the repercussions on the leadership of the DA.
It is old-style, careless journalism, and that is why I am advocating a new one: Inclusive Development Journalism.
I am thinking that old/new journalists must now write their stories in the context of Inclusive Development
In effect, I have been practicing earnestly inclusive development journalism since January 2007, starting as an international consulting writer for the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, when Manong Willie was Director General of ICRISAT, based in India. That was when I created the website iCRiSAT Watch (“Lead the flock, serve the people!”). When he retired as DG end of December 2014, I had already blogged 305 essays of at least 1,000 words each. Based in Manila, I enjoyed every minute of that long engagement.
Since then, I have blogged about 6 million words, some 97% of which are long essays of a minimum 1,000 words each. The love of writing has stayed with me because, when I write, I do not write for myself – I write for others in the name of Inclusive Development.
I first learned about inclusive development from ICRISAT’s strategy called Inclusive Market-Oriented Development, IMOD, where the food producers are in effect the merchants themselves, thereby enjoying all the values added along the value chain.
Inclusive development. Inclusive of the poor.
If journalists do not advocate for the welfare of the poor farmers, who will?
If journalists write only because they have to, shame on them!
If they write about science but do not make the common farmer appreciate it, why do they write at all?
If they write so that only their interests matter, who needs them?!@517
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