Reiterates to uphold free press in times of crisis
Written by Chris Agustin
Not only writing school and local news but also national issues that should be reported and made known to the people has long been the “no-more” mandatory role of campus journalists all over the country. It is, therefore, their obligation to continuously uphold and exercise the freedom of the press amidst the pandemic.
Just today, July 23, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), the oldest, broadest, and the only existing alliance of tertiary student publications in the Asia-Pacific region laid a complaint about the violation of provisions of the Republic Act 7079, also known as the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Quezon City.
As the campus Press Freedom week has started, CEGP through its representing national deputy secretary-general Regina Tolentino, made this appeal to urge CHED for a thorough investigation of the violations that have taken place in academic institutions and provide resolutions and justice for campus journalists who face campus press repression.
“Student publications are always the subject of campus press repression, especially in the form of school administration’s manipulation that was intensified by no less than the Duterte regime through the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or the Free Higher Education Law,” Tolentino said.
CEGP has documented since 2010 almost 1,000 violations of the Campus Journalism Act including withholding of publication funds, school administration meddling with the publication’s editorial policies, content censorship, non-collection or non-mandatory collection of subscription fee, suspension and expulsion of student editors and writers, among others.
In March 2020, Kabataan Partylist, the sole representative of the youth in Congress, has renewed its push to amend the current Campus Journalism Act through House Bill No. 309 or the Campus Press Freedom Bill, as campus journalists continue to experience violation of their rights.
The role of a campus journalist is to be a “catalyst for change”. Campus publications are more important in today’s “new normal” where disinformation is rampant, especially in the digital landscape. Their intelligence, efforts, presence, and pen have the ability to make a change, to influence the masses, and to discuss issues relating to what is happening in their community.
Although the rights of campus journalists are being attacked and trampled on by the school’s administration and the government itself, nothing can stop student journalists from their duty in preserving free speech and expression, and press freedom.
TNC of the North, the official student publication of the University of Caloocan City for North campuses, stands with this initiative made by CEGP and the filing of a legislative measure to protect campus press as the worse state of press freedom in the current political climate under the Duterte regime has severely aggravated.
Further, TNC of the North also currently does not have its fund since the pandemic strikes. Thus, members of the publication have been using their own money to sustain the publication’s projects, and whatever the needs, they provide the best in their efforts.
Ergo, like our fellow campus journalists, we are calling out everyone to support such acts made by CEGP and continuously be vibrant against any forms of repression and violations to campus publication and press freedom. This pandemic hasn’t changed our role. We are called to serve people– the students, institutions, communities, and our fellow citizens.
TNC of the North 