Written by Ma. Mikee Piscos
SOGOD, Southern Leyte — Ten student-journalists and adviser of “The Tradesman,” the official student publication of Samar State University joined this year’s Regional Tertiary Schools Press Conference (RTSPC) last February 4-6 with the theme: “Pushing Development Forward.”
The student-journalists were educated about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and attended different journalism trainings in the said three-day convention.
“Campus journalists must understand who to vote for, organize their communities and evangelize,” said Maria Ressa, Rappler’s CEO and Executive Editor, as the keynote speaker during the #PHVoteChallenge: Eastern Visayas’ #TheLeaderIWant forum.
Journalism and communication professors from the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE) and Association of Development Communication Educators and Practitioners (ADCEP) Philippines spearheaded the mentoring sessions on various journalistic skills.
Dr. Serlie Barroga-Jamias, UPLB Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs and professor in development communication, talked about how campus journalists can expand to community journalism during her keynote speech in the awarding ceremonies.
Among the student-writers who won in the contests were: Ma. Mikee A. Piscos, 3rd Place- Investigative Writing (English); Ma. Jessa C. Pacoma, 1st Place- Investigative Writing (Filipino); Rhearose Q. Conde, 1st Place- News Writing (Filipino); and The Tradesman, 3rd Place- Best Short Film, respectively.
About 260 campus journalists and advisers from 36 schools shared their part in communicating about the Global Goals and strengthening the membership of the network of campus journalism in the region.
This year’s RTSPC was hosted by Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) and was organized in partnership with Regional Tertiary Schools Press Advisers Association (RTSPAA), Rappler, PACE and CampusJourn University Network.