Kiss No Shoes: The Oppression of SPCP (My Previous School) Against Campus Journalism

Time to break the silence.

“To improve campus journalism, we must acknowledge that student publications are issued for the good of their audience, not to serve their respective institutions.”

— Stephanie De Jesus, former managing editor for print and probe of Hi-Lites, student publication of the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School

I was a student journalist in 2016 to 2019 — in a conservative catholic institution. After I graduated, I pondered and reflected on my campus journalism journey; am I or are we truly free back then?

There are three branches in a democratic government. These are legislative, executive, and judicial. But in a democracy, there is also the “4th estate”, which is the press. This means that one of the fundamentals of democratic state is to treat the press as a significant army of reporters, writers, photographers, to make democracy function.

But the tides are high in the Philippines — as always : one of which is the issue of press freedom and censorship. On a micro-level, the threat to press freedom also exists to sectors such as schools. Freedom of the press also exists on campuses, not just entirely living on a global scale. How is campus press freedom ,then, on the verge of collapsing?

Well, I’m not surprised that it is having a downfall for journalists in general. Because it is really a threat. And it has the ability to destroy the ivory towers of the tyrants. It has the intrinsic power to save democracy back to its pieces. However, it doesn’t mean I am in favor of attacking and manipulating the press. I am actually angry hearing this, even though it is expected to happen. Because firstly, I am in a conservative nation. Second, Duterte’s in power; he can manipulate the minds of the people — even laws, just like the Anti-Terrorism Law, which exacerbated the situation of press freedom in the country.

Let us then narrow down: what really happened back then?

I was a chief cartoonist of the Paulinian link, the official student publication of St. Paul College of Paranaque, and in the latter, I developed skills in opinion and feature writing. With me was Steph, the Editor-in-Chief in 2018 to 2019, while kuya Diego, in 2016 to 2017. I interviewed them about their past experiences, which proved then the systematic manipulation and censorship in our previous school, St. Paul College of Paranaque.

I first asked Kuya Diego, A former Managing Editor of the Animo; the student publication of the De La Salle University Manila in English, and the current vice president of the Archer’s Network; the official student broadcast media of the same institution: When you were the EIC, or during your whole stay in the Paulinian Link (the organization), have you felt the freedom to write in the publication?

“You know, honestly, there wasn’t much we could do back then during my time as EIC of PL (Paulinian Link). As you’re aware, SPCP is a private Catholic institution. And one of the hallmarks of private Catholic institutions is that they can be very conservative. This trickles down to things like the school paper and how it can maintain its sense of duty to deliver news that’s timely and relevant and truthful. I had not completely felt to express my opinions both as a journalist and as a student. (Because like you said), the admin was controlling the paper at the time. All of the stories were passed down to the moderator, and the principal will then check it. And if they read something that they do not like, they will remove it. Any attempts to argue will just get them mad. I remember having to pull out an opinion piece (I think) about Duterte at the time because according to them, it was too controversial. It is a difficult time to be a journalist if your superiors are not agreeing with your views and the nature of newspapers just like the PL.”

Then, I asked another question: If you could compare your experiences from st. Paul to DLSU publication, what are the major differences?

“DLSU is way more liberal and lenient with how we want to publish our stories.” He said.

He added that their writers and reporters of the both organizations he joined enjoys the freedom to express their socio-economic or political opinions with regards to anything. Even though the topic opposes the university or the country itself, they can still do that.

He then said, “I feel more natural working now as a journalist and media practitioner than before.”

Lastly, I asked: why is campus press freedom so important?

“Campus press freedom is vital as part of student-centric education. People read the news all the time, and if we teach students and children earlier on in life that it’s important to be educated and informed, then they will likely grow up to be a generation of progressive citizens. Campus journalism greatly helps with that, because it trains us how to look at data and know fact from fiction, from right opinion to wrong opinion. This wouldn’t be possible if there is no press freedom because it’s at the heart of every journalist.”

Meanwhile, I asked Steph, the former managing editor for print and probe in the Ateneo De Manila University Manila Senior High School, on her thoughts regarding campus press freedom and how we can elevate the status of campus journalism. She said:

“Press freedom is essential in abolishing injustices in society, and this should be practiced especially in campus publications since we, young journalists, should not learn to conform but to critique. In my recent experience, Hi-Lites, my senior high school publication, was relatively free and fearless in bringing truth to power than other Catholic campus papers. We wrote what we think were relevant news inside and outside the school without filter nor sugar-coating. During my two years in the publication, I learned to write undaunted for the school community and for my fellow Filipinos.”

She added, “To improve campus journalism, we must acknowledge that student publications are issued for the good of their audience, not to serve their respective institutions.”

Further, I gathered data from the recent situation of the school paper before the pandemic happened since the ones that I interviewed were not in the updated situations. I have learned that the student journalists of St. Paul weren’t STILL fully supported by the administration, which is headed by Sister Bernadette Padawel SPC. The other person that I interviewed, which they requested to be anonymous, said beside the ultra-conservative atmosphere of the institution, the school itself belittles the publication, because of the lack of support. Such as the unprovided time to improve their journalistic skills (e.g. limited campus press seminar). This should matter at the end of the day, because the students represented the school outside of the premises and garnered medals and awards, yet, they are still not being uplifted and rewarded.

There is still a culture of threat to censorship from the administration body that is experienced by Steph and Kuya Diego. Pre-pandemic, one writer experienced hesitation in telling a story about LGBTQIA+ issues. Imagine, stories being untold is a life living in fear. In my gaze, I also felt the same water killing my fire in writing, which reminds me that there was an office waiting to sanction me just in case I tried to act against their authority.

If people say that life starts out of the campuses, they are definitely wrong. Because oppression can also start in educational institutions, such as the repression and suppression of high officials in publishing newspapers or policy that progressively clogging the ability of a student to have homosexual affection. And these structural barriers are not pretending to be a phase; it will continue if no student challenges it. I would like to quote from an LGBT+ organization, ACT-UP, that “silence equates to death.” Death by means that we learned to plug our ears from the voices of the dead and to keep our eyes shut from reading relevant stories that can empower you or a community. By censorship and controlling the press means that it can carve a mentality to always conform and be a yes-person to those in power. How would you see the ills of society or your school, if you do not know how to dissent?

What am I fighting for? It is the future of the children confined in schools such as SPCP. If young students — the readers — would simply know that the publication isn’t separated from the administration, and just do nothing but to conform, and that they can’t see stories because it was abolished by a conservative sister, how could they be progressive students that can enable social transformation? You must acknowledge that as long as the press is there, you have a clear idea what principles you should embrace, what truth should be told, and what is happening in the world.

And this is also for the young journalists, not just in SPCP, but in the country, whether in the capital or on the verges of mountains, must learn to be fearless. Because they are one of the pillars of democracy. Yes, you can be scared, feel the tingles of horror, but never compromise your principles as a journalist. Never withdrew from the fight. Never.

Living and dying as a journalist is both a blessing and curse. And that is your service to your readers, the Filipinos, and your country, whether you like it or not.

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