IT’S (NOT) ABOUT THE MONEY, MONEY, MONEY: A STUDY ON THE COMMUNITY PRESS AND CENTRAL LUZON’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ANNE URIEL CAMARA GUIANG DANICA MAE MALLARI LACSON
COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
JUNE 2017 UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
ANNE URIEL CAMARA GUIANG DANICA MAE MALLARI LACSON
It’s (Not) About the Money, Money, Money: A Study on the Community Press and Central Luzon’s Economic Development
Thesis Adviser: Professor Reynaldo P. Guioguio, PhD College of Mass Communication University of the Philippines
Date of Submission 24 May 2017
Thesis Classification
F
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ANNE URIEL CAMARA GUIANG DANICA MAE MALLARI LACSON College of Mass Communication University of the Philippines IT’S (NOT) ABOUT THE MONEY, MONEY, MONEY: A STUDY ON THE COMMUNITY PRESS AND CENTRAL LUZON’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION
by
ANNE URIEL CAMARA GUIANG DANICA MAE MALLARI LACSON
has been approved for the Department of Journalism and the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication by
Professor Reynaldo P. Guioguio, PhD
Professor Elena E. Pernia, PhD Dean, College of Mass Communication BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
PERSONAL DATA
Name Anne Uriel C. Guiang
Permanent Address #12 Cireneo Compound, Tapuac District, Dagupan City
Cellphone Number +63 917 763 0082
EDUCATION
Secondary Level Fourth Honorable Mention, Francisco Q. Duque Medical Foundation Special Science High School, Tapuac District, Dagupan City
Primary Level Salutatorian, Creative Montessori Center, Tapuac District, Dagupan City
ORGANIZATIONS UP Journalism Club UP Subol Society UP ASTRUM SCIENTIS SORORITY VOX CMC 2017
WORK EXPERIENCE Intern, Philippine Information Agency, June to July 2016 Intern, GMA Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho, June to July 2016
ACHIEVEMENTS College Scholar: 1st Semester AY 2014-2015 and 2nd Semester AY 2015-2016 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
PERSONAL DATA
Name Danica Mae M. Lacson
Permanent Address 1400 Purok Pau, Calulut, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Cellphone Number +63 917 984 4169
EDUCATION
Secondary Level First Honorable Mention, St. Scholastica’s Academy, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Primary Level With Honors, St. Scholastica’s Academy, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
ORGANIZATIONS Tinig ng Plaridel
WORK EXPERIENCE Intern, Radioworld Broadcasting Corporation 95.1 RW FM, June 2016 Intern, PEPTV Channel 3, July 2016
ACHIEVEMENTS University Scholar: 1st Semester AY 2012-2013 College Scholar: 2nd Semester AY 2013-2014,1st Semester AY 2014-2015, 2nd Semester AY 2014-2015, 1st Semester 2015-2016, 2nd Semester AY 2015-2016 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This thesis was completed with the help and support of many people.
First, we offer our deepest gratitude to our GOD Almighty, the author of knowledge and wisdom, for His guidance and unwavering love.
For providing us with every bit of support they could give, we are forever grateful to our family, our source of inspiration and strength. Thank you for the patience, the encouragement and for being our inspiration since day one.
To the University of the Philippines and the College of Mass Communication, thank you for being a home and being a source of valuable knowledge. Our professors who guided us and taught us with honor and excellence, may our ‘thank you’ reach you.
This thesis will never be possible without the guidance of our advisers. To our J
199 adviser, Professor Diosa Labiste, thank you. And to our thesis adviser, Professor
Reynaldo Guioguio, we thank you for guiding us in this study, for your comments and assistance.
To our respondents, to the community newspapers that trusted us with their words, our sincere thank you. This study will never be completed without your help. May this help the community newspapers in the country to thrive and strive.
Lastly, to our relatives, friends and everyone who supported, helped and wished us the best for the completion of our college years through this thesis, thank you! DEDICATION
To my parents
Melchor and Gina Guiang
May this achievement complete the dream that you had for us when you choose to give
us the best education you could.
Love, Anne,
To my parents
Armando and Rowena Lacson
Everything was possible because of you.
And to my grandfather Dominador Mallari
May it reach you wherever you are.
Love, Danica. ABSTRACT
Guiang, A., & Lacson, D. (2017). It’s (Not) About the Money, Money, Money : A Study on the Community Press and Central Luzon’s Economic Development. Unpublished
Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
Media institutions, like community newspapers which have close links to the community, reflect the conditions of the society in which they operate that is along with is growth, community newspapers go along. Studies have shown how the economic conditions of the area can make or break a newspaper because of its production dependence on materials of production such as technology, transportation, raw materials and advertising revenues.
This thesis examines the effect of the economic development of Central Luzon to its community newspapers by interviewing journalists, publishers, owners and marketing managers of 11 community newspapers currently operating in the region. Interviews with stakeholders like Philippine Information Agency, Pampanga Press Club and Bataan Press
Club were also conducted.
Community newspapers in the region are affected by the region’s progress through advertisement revenue due to the increasing number of businesses. However, aside from advertisements revenue, economic growth in Central Luzon has minimal positive effect on the newspaper’s circulation, frequency and the paper’s number of staff and pages. viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Title Page i
Approval Sheet ii
Biographical Data iii
Acknowledgments v
Dedication vi
Abstract vii
Table of Contents viii
List of Tables xi
List of Charts xii
List of Figures xii
I. INTRODUCTION 1
A. Background of the Study 1
B. Statement of the Problem and Objectives 9
C. Significance of the Study 10
D. Scope and Limitations 11 ix
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 12
III. STUDY FRAMEWORK
A. Theoretical Framework 19
B. Conceptual Framework 21
IV. METHODOLOGY
A. Research Designs and Methods 22
B. Locale and Time of the Study 22
C. Respondents of the Study 22
D. Subjects of the Study 23
E. Data Collection Methods 23
F. Research Instruments 23
G. Data Gathered 24
H. Data Analysis 24
V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A. History and Profile of Community Newspapers 25
B. Common Features and Challenges of Community Newspapers 40
C. Community Newspapers and Central Luzon’s Economic Development 58
VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 64 x
VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 67
BIBLIOGRAPHY 69
APPENDICES 74 xi
LIST OF TABLES
Number Title Page
1 Date of Establishment of the Eleven Community Newspapers 57
LIST OF CHARTS
Number Title Page
1 Number of Pages per Issue of the Eleven Community Newspapers 42
Interviewed
2 Frequency of Publication of the Eleven Community Newspapers 43
Interviewed
3 Circulation of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed 45
4 Number of Staff of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed 47
5 Monthly Revenue of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed 49
6 Monthly Expenses of the Eleven Community Newspapers 51
Interviewed
7 Type of Ownership of the Eleven Community Newspapers 53
Interviewed
LIST OF FIGURES
Number Title Page
1 Central Luzon’s Geographical Distribution of the Provinces 5
2 Central Luzon’s Proximity to Metro Manila. 8 xii
3 Model for Critical Political Economy of Mass Media 20
4 Integrated Model for Critical Political Economy of Mass Media 21 1
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Community newspapers are vital form of media in a society. The presence of a newspaper is a key component of maintaining quality of life in an isolated city, town, barangay or village by promoting and increasing civic engagement in the community in addition to presenting readers with information on decisions affecting their community.
What defines a community newspaper is its strict focus on local news as compared to most daily newspapers, which focus on local content in addition to national and international stories.
A Southeast Asian archipelago’s geographic dispersion is a natural setting for community newspapers to thrive and for communities to continually prefer reading local news. In category of Asian newspapers, the Pakiran Rakyat which is located in
Indonesia’s third largest city and educational center Bandung, is bigger than most Asian provincial newspapers and one of the rare few which are owned by a cooperative of its staff members led by Sakti Alamsyah. It is both a financial and an editorial success with a viable economic enterprise, as well as, a respected mouthpiece of public opinion in West
Java. The paper today devotes 70 per cent of its space to editorial matter and 30 per cent to advertising, the maximum allowed by the government (Maslog, 1985)..
In the Philippines, community journalism remains glued to the geographic reference of the concept (Maslog, 2012). “Community press” was the chosen handle adapted by the Philippine Press Institute in 1970 to describe newspapers being published outside the National Capital Region. Author and media scholar Cripsin Maslog said, 2
“They used to be called as “provincial newspapers” to the distaste of editors. “Provincial” was a throwback to ‘promdi’, a Filipino colloquialism for persons or practices plucked out of the rural areas, thus unfairly perceived to be backward.”
The growth of community newspapering in the Philippines may be tied to there being critical change agents or opportunist facilitators. Some community newspapers are critical change agents in the sense that journalists — many of them with roots in rural communities — know what prevails locally and feel compelled to report these community-level developments. (Opiniano, Arcalas, Mallari, & Tuazon, 2014).
Nevertheless, and amid the prevailing weaknesses and challenges confronting community newspapers, Philippine community journalism is currently enjoying a window of opportunities from not just the Internet, but also from visibly felt local economic growth and the gradual increase of the middle-class in provincial communities.
These economic opportunities offer a favorable time for civic journalism, if practiced by community newspapers, to reconnect journalists with their communities. These provincial communities may continually resort to old ways in using media and in consuming news, as community newspapers then embrace innovative ways of producing and disseminating news. But one may wonder if there is a prevailing disconnection between the community newspaper and the community and its members. A ramification of this development, even with today’s penchant for civic journalism, is that audiences may not understand the community newspapers’ stories, or do not care about these stories
(Opiniano et al., 2014). 3
The number of Philippine community newspapers circulating in the archipelago has grown through the years with some publications recording more than a century in existence and those that are relatively new in the industry (Opiniano et al., 2014).
Out of 100 or so community newspapers in the Philippines, The Sunday Punch, is one of the established community newspapers in the country which is located in
Pangasinan. The Punch continues its strong sense of social commitment by providing information to the common man. According to an interview with Ermin Garcia Jr., the owner, the newspaper is involved in an independent ownership which is easier to operate compared to other types of ownership. The stakeholders do not need to put different interests. Garcia pointed out that, “Circulation is dependent on the content”. The Punch focuses on the interest of the readership that the newspaper can benefit from. He also shared that the readers themselves tell what exactly they want to read (E. Garcia, personal
Communication, April 28, 2017).
Seventy percent of the revenues of the Sunday Punch come from the advertisers.
A total of ten percent comes from the judicial notices and legal notices while some community newspapers consider these notices as their main source of revenue. Garcia said that some local governments cannot afford to subscribe so the newspaper is given for free just to keep the community involved (E. Garcia, personal Communication, April 28,
2017).
The Sunday Punch faced a lot of challenges because of the advent of internet but have grown more than ever with the newspaper adopting some changes like the changing its a lay-out and focusing more on image stories (E. Garcia, personal Communication,
April 28, 2017). 4
As a community newspaper, the Punch heavily depends on the content in order to maintain the revenue of the newspaper, the position of the newspaper vis-à-vis the community. Because if there is acceptance, then the people in the community will watch out for the news, content and opinion, then advertisers go for that newspaper. The Sunday
Punch really relies on their commercial strength into the market (E. Garcia, personal
Communication, April 28, 2017).
There are even more community newspapers that are members of the Philippine
Press Institute (PPI) in the second poorest region Eastern Visayas than in developed regions such as CALABARZON, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Davao. Levels of local economic growth in these poorer regions have not deterred publishers from publishing printed publications of all types which reveal that levels of local economic growth are not a stumbling block to the establishment of community newspapers
(Opiniano et al., 2014).
However, community newspapers are generally viewed dying as they suffer from several factors that contribute to their deaths. Maslog (1971) said that the view that community newspapers’ potential for national development was great, but this sector
“needs to be developed first” before such role can be fulfilled.
Despite dire predictions that print is dead, it’s still the backbone of many community dailies and weeklies nationwide (Knolle, 2016).But, aside from the changes in the newspaper business, the environment in which these newspapers operate continually change along with the times as developments and discoveries in technologies, new policies and administrations, consumers’ attitudes and the most vital factor, 5 economic stability (or instability), among others, take place. These changes in the environment also affect the operation of the media.
The focus of the study is the region in the Philippines with an interesting economic environment, the Central Luzon, comprises the largest plain of the country.
Based on the data from Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
Central Luzon is a region in the island of Luzon covering a total land area of 2,201,463 hectares.
Figure 1. Central Luzon’s Geographical Distribution of the Provinces
Source: Official Gazette. (2016). Bottom-Up Budgeting funds projects in Central Luzon. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from www.gov.ph 6
It is comprised of seven provinces namely: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales and home of several special economic zones as it is strategically located at the heart of Asia, accessible through Clark and Subic, two of the country’s leading international gateways. It has globally competitive enterprises given the low cost of doing business and the critical mass of transport infrastructure.
Central Luzon is a combination of towering mountains, extinct and active volcanoes, lush, verdant farmlands, and natural sea harbors. It is one of the leading growth regions in the Philippines. According to the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) Philippine Development Plan (2011-2016) MIDTERM UPDATE, “62 percent of the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is accounted for by the
National Capital Region, and its two adjacent regions, CALABARZON to the south and
Central Luzon to the north. Not surprisingly, these regions host the provinces with the lowest incidence of poverty (National Statistics Office, 2012).
The economy in the region remained robust. Inflation in the region sustained its low level for the whole year. Central Luzon remained the top producer of palay, chicken, hog, tiger prawn and tilapia.
Central Luzon became a major contributor in the Philippine economy. It is slowly but steadily transforming its economic landscape into a high potential investment destination. As a player in national development, its current level of development allows it to significantly contribute to the growth of the national economy.
Region III lies between Manila and Northern Luzon. It is composed of seven provinces, 12 cities and 118 municipalities. Its seven provinces are Aurora, Bataan, 7
Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. Its 12 cities are Balanga from
Bataan, Malolos and San Jose del Monte from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Gapan, Muñoz,
Palayan and San Jose from Nueva Ecija; Angeles and San Fernando from Pampanga,
Tarlac from Tarlac; and Olongapo from Zambales.
It includes all land area north of Manila Bay from the tip of Bataan peninsula on the west, and all the lands north of the Caraballo Mountains on the east. It is the longest contiguous area of lowlands, and is otherwise known as the Central Plains of Luzon. The region produces one third of the country’s total rice production, thus is also called the
Rice Granary of the Philippines.
Located adjacent to the National Capital Region (NCR), it has benefited from the
“spill over” from Metro Manila. Central Luzon’s proximity to Metro Manila affects the economic standing of the newspapers. It is a part of the National Industrial Core Region, together with NCR and Region IV or the Southern Tagalog Region. The Core Region contributed 70% of manufacturing value added in 1988. It has emerged as an alternative area for investment to Region IV, but is still overcoming the effects of the Mount
Pinatubo eruption in 1991.
In terms of population, Region III was the third largest region, containing 10.50 percent of the 76.5 million human beings of the country as recorded in Census 2000.
Located at the crossroads of Asia-Pacific, Central Luzon is one of the dynamic and vibrant regions in the Philippines. It caters to European and American business organizations desiring to penetrate Asia (DENR, 2017). 8
Figure 2. Central Luzon’s Proximity to Metro Manila.
Source: Global City Map. (n.d.). Central Luzon Map. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from www.globalcitymap.com
Central Luzon accounted for 8.98 percent of the country's Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in 2013. Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) grew by 4.30 percent.
Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing sector comprised 16.97 percent of the regional economy and it went by 5.37 percent in 2013.
According to Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Region III (2017), there are
55 community newspapers existing in Central Luzon. Out of the 55 newspapers, the researchers focus on 11 community newspapers from various parts of Region III to study and analyze their financial viability in terms of circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages, frequency and publication. The newspapers that were chosen by the researchers are: Bataan Chronicle, Bataan Peninsula Times, Central Luzon Business 9
Week, DahongPalay, D’Watchers Newspapers, NEWS CORE, Newshawk Newsweekly,
Punto! Central Luzon, Ronda Balita, Sun Star Pampanga and Tarlac Weekender.
An interview of these newspapers will provide an overview of the extent of the economic development of Central Luzon and its effects to community newspapers. From the interview, the researchers examine the effects of the region’s economic growth using six categories namely, circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency.
B. Statement of the Problem and Objectives
Community newspapers have risen and fallen through time due to several factors that affected their growth and survival. The economic environments of the places where they operate contribute to the increase and decrease of these papers. Recognizing this, the researchers intend to consider the economic conditions of the Central Luzon region and their effects on the community newspapers of the areas especially in terms of circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency.
Research Question
How does the economic condition of the region of Central Luzon affect the content, frequency and circulation of their community newspapers?
Objectives
● To trace the history and look into how community newspapers in Central Luzon coped with the times particularly on 10
● To know and understand the circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency of publication of Central Luzon community newspapers
● To compare the newspaper and business profiles of community newspapers of
Central Luzon with each other and with Sunday Punch which is considered as one of the most successful newspaper in Luzon
● To find out if the economic conditions of Central Luzon have affected the circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency of publication of the community newspapers in the region
C. Significance of the study
Mainstream newspapers dominate readership and given much focus, while community newspapers continue to thrive with competition, patronage and publication.
Community newspapers are vital in evoking a grassroots attitude and filling the void left by mainstream media in their coverage of the local communities. It seeks to educate and entertain, to inform and amuse, and to create a big tent under which its listeners can engage and challenge each other as well as their political leadership. These operations tend to be smaller, community-based and managed, with a reliance on local support that may include advertising but more often is reflected in donations and volunteerism.
It is important to know the underlying conditions in which the community newspapers operate to understand its operations, practices, circulation and content. If a community paper fails, it does not achieve its duty to choose stories that will help people make informed decisions because the primary role of journalism is to provide people with information to set them free. 11
D. Scope and Limitation of the Study
The study will cover the economic conditions especially the economic growth of
Central Luzon from 1986 up to present and how it affects the community papers. The study will consider how this factor affects the content, revenue, frequency and circulation of these community papers. The researchers intend to trace the history of the papers and how they have changed and coped with the times. The community newspapers mentioned in this study are those in printed form and published outside Metro Manila, in this study,
Central Luzon. The study will also compare the community newspapers of each province in terms of numerical growth or decline and patronage brought about by the economic factors of the provinces that affect the newspapers.
The study will use the Critical Political Economy of Mass Media Theory discussed by Denis McQuail in his book Mass Communication Theory in 2010. This theory is an approach to studying media whose focus is attenuated towards the ways in which media is produced, distributed and consumed rather than on analyzing the interpretations of the signs and symbols found within texts.
The researchers will interview journalists, owners, publishers, economists,
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) of Central Luzon and Press Clubs of the provinces and read literature that could give valuable information and overview of the economic situations of the region. Lastly, this study will make use of various related studies, both local and foreign studies, to serve as a guide for comparison and special notes.
The duration of the study is from August 2016 to May 2017. II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
A community is a social group of any size whose members reside in a physical or virtual locality, share government and/or have common cultural and historical heritage
(Martin & Davidson, 2014). In a community, there are political struggles which are the bedrock and spread of information and power struggle. The struggles of the oppressed classes in the community are the living foundation upon which communication process is built (Labiste, 2017). For the people residing in a community to be well informed about what is happening in the community, the mandate of the local newspapers is to inform them. Their main mandate is to make our citizens well informed so that they can make better decisions in life.
Community newspapers have been a subject of studies before. Theses, books and periodicals have tackled various aspects of community press such as its history, status, and survival through content and reception analysis, interviews with experts and historical studies, among other methods.
This chapter looks into related literature on community newspapers, focusing on its economic structure. This chapter also discusses the economic conditions of Central
Luzon which comprises the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija,
Aurora, Bataan, and ZambaLes, the research settings. This aims to further the understanding of the researchers on the community newspapers, particularly on the effects (or lack of) of the economic growth of the region on the community newspapers.
Community media, according to Ellie Rennie (1974) in her book Community Media:
A Global Introduction, has not been the subject of much academic research. Keith Stamm 13
(1985) had the same sentiment on community newspapers, particularly on the empirical study of its influences on community ties. Stamm (1985) cited the lack of clear theoretical framework about the influence of newspapers in community ties and the vague concepts of community and community ties as reasons why a “strong empirical effort has never gotten off the ground” in the subject.
The definition of “community” have yet to be clearly defined despite the presence of studies on the topic, which also offers various meaning of the concepts. There have been arguments defining community based on geography and municipal boundaries, while some researchers have argued on its multi-dimensional definition. Although efforts have been made to provide a single definition to the concept, reducing “community” to basic dimensions was not easy. Aside from the underlying dimensions of the concept of
“community”, “the lack of solid empirical referents for any preferred definition, even a multi-dimensional one” remain to be an obstacle (Stamm, 1985).
Rennie (2006) said “community can be used as a type of governance, an identifiable means to achieve certain political outcomes”, while Marcia Effrat divided the concept into territorial and institutional view. According to Effrat, community, in the institutional view, is a collection of institutions which fills the basic needs of its members.
The territorial view, on the one hand, put emphasis on the grounding in a particular place of an interdependent population (Effrat, 1974).
In the topic of community newspapers, the definition of “community” leans towards the geographical definition or territorial view of the concept. Morris Janowitz, in his article The Imagery of the Urban Community Press in 1954, defined an urban community press as a publication addressed to the residents of a specific locality or area of the 14 metropolitan district. Kristy Hess and Lisa Waller (2015) have linked community journalism to local newspapers serving small town and cities.
John Hatcher (2013) defined and categorized media oriented toward communities as community journalism, community media, grassroots journalism, community radio, alternative media, independent media, resistance media, citizen journalism, and NGO media. Various literature also equated local newspaper with community journalism (Hess
& Waller, 2015).
Community newspapers are alternative media. It is a journalism that is concerned and the least heard. Community newspapers points out the wrongdoing and the culprit.
Those journalists who are working the community newspapers are responsible for the production of meaning and the frameworks through which individual and collective actions, events and institutions cound be understood.
Janowitz (1974) also described a community press as an auxiliary to the daily press, not “commercialized”, not political or partisan, and an extension or reinforcement of social contacts. Howley and Forde also described the community media as an alternative to profit-driven media that caters to the “unrepresented” and “misrepresented” (as cited in
Hess & Waller, 2015).
Crispin Maslog, in 1988, defined a typical community newspaper in the Philippines as one usually published in a provincial capital and other cities with population between
50, 000 and 100, 000, and in 1993, as one operating in a big city with about 181, 000 people. He also described the community newspaper as a “small business enterprise” but 15 he also identified newspaper as “public service”, with its editors, reporters and columnists expected to carry a duty, “a public function identified with the public interest.”
According to Maslog in his 1993 survey, a typical Philippine community newspaper is an eight-paged weekly, in tabloid format, with a circulation of 2, 500 and printed in newsprint by offset (Maslog, 1993).
Maslog expounded that the prevailing dialect utilized by today's community newspapers is English, albeit some are consolidating it with their local languages, for example, Tagalog, Ilocano, Cebuano Visayan or Hiligaynon.
The varying definitions, categories and understanding of the community newspapers offered by past studies show the multi-dimensional character of community newspapers which is brought about by the unclear definition of the concepts surrounding it such as
“community”. It is also observed how Janowitz, Howley, Forde and Maslog offered contrasting view of the community newspapers, with Maslog identifying it as “small business enterprise” while Janowitz, Howley and Forde identified it as non-profit, not
“commercialized”. But all recognized the role of the community newspapers as a voice of the people in the rural areas and their important and critical work of the community press in fostering solidarity and aiding in national development.
Community newspapers are expected to fill in the gap of the metropolitan papers in reporting the local events and news in the community and to give vital information necessary in the development of the community. But the community newspapers continue to face issues and problems that hinder them in properly fulfilling this role. Factors that affect the operations of community newspapers were divided into internal and external 16 factors. Internal factors include editorial competence, quality, commitment, and ownership. External factors included those found in the environment such as the political, economic and social conditions of the newspaper operations (Maslog, 1993).
Communication is the sending and receiving of spoken or written messages between people and places. People communicate with each other by writing letters, sending telegrams, radio, television, computer technology, newspapers, magazines and pamphlets; messages can be sent by telegram, facsimile machine (FAX) and E-mail
(Electronic mail) for business, trade other services.
For instance, with the development in technologies, journalism, which initially began as official announcements, simple proclamations, and posting of decrees and pronouncements of rulers has evolved into various forms of media and has expanded its reach to a wider audience. The change in government and leadership also affect the press, especially its freedom, because with new administration, new policies and laws are also approved and implemented.
If a region or province is economically viable, the community newspapers or local newspapers will thrive (Beltran, Personal Communication, 2017)
According to Denis McQuail (2010), the media is part of the economic system with close links to the political system. He also situated media as part of the society and dependent on the society, recognizing that media institutions are affected by the underlying forces in the society such as political, economic and social conditions of area of their operations, and that each media institution differ from one country to another and change overtime. 17
However, according to Ellie Rennie (2006), author of the book Community Media: A global introduction, “Community media has received surprisingly little scholarly attention, even within the field of media studies itself,”. Community media is an area worth exploring for this very reason. There have been some dramatic changes in the newspaper business in recent years. The proliferation of the Internet has required newspapers to establish an online presence. Rising costs and falling revenues were exacerbated by the recent global recession (Sawisky, 2010).
Maslog (1993) has noted in his survey of the ten most financially viable and independent community papers in the country how population size, economic development, literacy rate, geographic location, and government incentives were factors for the success of these community newspapers.
Maslog (1993) said the population of the area is an important factor to support these papers when they were just starting. The economic development and geographic location are also interrelated wherein cities at the crossroads of commerce and principal commercial centers for their provinces contribute to the survival and financial viability of the paper as these cities attract more people as places of convention centers, tourist destinations and industrial centers.
In terms of the economic development of a particular community, geographic location is very important. In the case of Region III, Pampanga is the center of the region.
So Pampanga is a busy province that there are a lot of information the community newspapers could publish. 18
Professor and media scholar John Lent (1982) in his book Newspapers in Asia:
Contemporary Trends and Problems has cited the effects of the economic conditions where a media operates to the community newspapers. He presented cases in various regions and countries in Asia to show how a country’s economy has affected its newspapers.
Considering the 1973-1975 Great Recession that started in the West and has reached the East, Lent observed how advertising income of newspapers in Indonesia and Thailand fell short of its target in the particular period where the economy is struggling. The increasing cost of production has also pushed for an increase in newspaper prices which limited their reach. He also discussed how increase in import and export taxes affect newspapers as raw materials used in its production are usually imported to other countries such as its newsprint. Aside from this, he cited the importance of transportation and technology in the survival of community newspapers.
Lent’s study showed how the economic conditions of the society where a community newspaper operates can make or break a newspaper because of its production dependence on the materials of production such as technology, transportation, raw materials and advertising revenues. III. STUDY FRAMEWORK
A. Theoretical Framework
The researchers used the Critical Political Economy of Mass Media discussed by
Denis McQuail in his book, McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory in 2010.
McQuail, in his view of the Political Economy Theory, said “the media institution is to be considered as part of the economic system, with close links to the political system”, recognizing that various forces have the capability to affect the operation and content of the media (McQuail, 2010).
The mass media institution was also situated by McQuail as part of the structure of society, and its technological infrastructure as part of the economic and power base, while ideas, images, and information disseminated by the media are evidently an important aspect of our culture.
McQuail also wrote, “The key to the unusual character of the media institution is that its activities are inextricably both economic and political, as well as being dependent on continually changing technologies.” The media, having its technological infrastructure as part of the economic and power base, is dependent on the economic capacity of its area of operation to support the continually changing technology and keep up with the times of changes in the economic atmosphere (McQuail, 2010).
Media institutions, like community newspapers which have close relations to the community of their operations and a publication addressed to the specific locality or area, are said to reflect the conditions of societies of which they are a part. McQuail (2010) 20 also discussed the relations between media and society saying, “Media are dependent on their society.”
Figure 3. Model for Critical Political Economy of Mass Media
Economic Region Economic Community Factors Pressures Newspapers
This model is inspired by McQuail’s model in his McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory, 6th Edition. 21
B. Conceptual Framework
The study is anchored on the idea that the economic condition where the media
operates affects the newspapers economic viability particularly in terms of its circulation,
revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency.
In this framework, economic factors and pressures in Central Luzon that may
have influenced the economic viability of the community newspapers are enumerated.
Under economic factors, population, gross regional domestic product, industries and
proximity to the capital (Manila) are listed.
Figure 4. Integrated Model for Critical Political Economy of Mass Media
Population Circulation Gross Revenue Community Regional Newspapers in Central Luzon Expenses Domestic Central Luzon Product Number of Industries Staff Proximity to Number of the Capital Pages
This model is inspired by McQuail’s model in his McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory, 6th Edition. IV. METHODOLOGY
A. Research Design and Methods
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of economic conditions of the community newspapers of the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. A quantitative data analysis was conducted for this study. The circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency of publication of the newspapers mentioned in this study were examined using qualitative approach. Respondents were interviewed via e- mail, face-to-face and phone call.
B. Locale and Time of the Study
The study was conducted in Central Luzon, one of the main development areas in the Philippines. Region III lies amongst Manila and Northern Luzon. Regarding populace,
Region III is the third biggest locale, containing 10.50 percent of the 76.5 million individuals of the nation as recorded in Census 2000. Situated at the junction of Asia-
Pacific, Central Luzon is one of the dynamic and energetic locales in the Philippines. It obliges European and American business associations wanting to enter Asia.
C. Respondents of the Study
The key informants of the study were journalists, editors, owners, publishers and marketing officers of the Central Luzon-based community newspapers. The Philippine
Information Agency, The Pampanga Press Club and The Bataan Press Club were also interviewed.
D. Subjects of the Study 23
All of the 55 community newspapers were contacted for interview regarding the circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency and publication of the newspapers. The researchers received 11 responses of community newspapers that still exist up to this day, and are subjected to interviews on their newsroom staff.
E. Data Collection Methods
Interviews were conducted to supplement the study and to enable the researchers to obtain in-depth information regarding the community newspapers of Central Luzon.
The researcher conducted an interview with the publishers and/or editors/staff of the 11 community newspapers to get their profiles. The object of study can be all sort of recorded communication (transcripts of interviews, discourses, protocols of observations, video tapes, documents and others).
The qualitative method (interviews) helped identify the issues and factors that affect the circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency of publication of the newspapers.
F. Research Instruments
The interviewees were asked on the circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency and publication of the newspapers that are mentioned in this study. The questionnaire for the journalists, editors, owners, publishers and marketing managers, as well as for the Philippine Information Agency, Pampanga
Press Club and Bataan Press Club is situated at the Appendix A of the thesis. 24
For the qualitative part of the study, an interview was conducted, and was answered through face-to-face interview and some were answered through email and phone responses. The aim ofthe interview is to know the viability of the community newspapers and whether the economic condition of the region affects the circulation, revenue, expenses, number of staff, number of pages and frequency and publication of the newspapers. The actual interviews were conducted from March to May 2017.
G. Data Gathered
The data gathered from the newspaper publishers and/or editors and staff were the landscape of the community newspapers. Under this were the history, newspaper and business profiles as well as commonality and differences with other community newspapers.
H. Data Analysis
Data gathered from the interview was coded, transcribed, and analyzed by the researchers using the qualitative interview approach. Only two coders – the researchers, were employed during the interview and the analysis of data to ensure accuracy. V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Region III listed 55 community newspapers in Central Luzon on its media directory. A request for interview has been sent to all these newspapers via SMS and e-mail. After several follow-ups through SMS and phone calls, only 11 of the 55 positively responded to the request. A total of 11 journalists, owners, publishers and marketing officers from community newspapers in
Central Luzon namely Bataan Chronicle, Bataan Peninsula Times, Central Luzon
Business Week, D’Newswatchers, Dahong Palay, News Core, NewsHawk Newsweekly,
Punto! Central Luzon, RONDA Balita, Sun.Star Pampanga and Tarlac Weekender were interviewed for this study. PIA Region III, the Pampanga Press Club and Bataan Press
Club were also interviewed.
The discussion is arranged in three sections – the History and Profile of the
Community Newspapers, Common Features and Challenges of Community Newspapers and the Community Newspapers and Central Luzon’s Economic Development. The
History and Profile of the Community Newspapers section discusses how these newspapers came about and their newspaper and business profiles. The Common
Features and Challenges of Community Newspapers section consolidates these profiles and discusses the similarities and differences of the newspapers, as well as, the challenges the community newspaper industry in Central Luzon face based on the interviews. In this section, the 11 Central Luzon community newspapers were compared with Pangasinan’s Sunday Punch, one of the most successful community newspapers in
Asia (Maslog, 1985) which also served as the standard of a successful community newspaper – that it is economically viable. The last section, Community Newspapers and 26
Central Luzon’s Economic Development, looks into how the economic development of the region affects community newspapers by discussing the economic condition of
Central Luzon using the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region
III’s
The interviews were also arranged in alphabetical order using their publication and organization names. Out of the 14 interviews conducted, three were conducted personally, one via phone interview, while the remaining 10 were done via e-mail. Interviews were done in English and/or Filipino. One interview also used Kapampangan in minimal parts of the interview. Quotes from these interviews appear on this part in English and Filipino with translations provided in brackets Transcripts of the interviews in their non-translated form and as sent by the respondents through e-mail are provided in the Appendices section of this study.
A. History and Profile of Community Newspapers
1. Bataan Chronicle (Lourdes Levera, owner and publisher)
Bataan Chronicle released its first print out in the second quarter of 1996 as a bi- monthly newspaper with a focus on community development news. It was founded by a former professor at Tomas del Rosario College and Municipal Agriculture officer of then-Bureau of Agriculture in Bataan Lourdes “Lulu” Levera. According to the newspaper’s former writer Arnold Cajilig in his “The Brief History of Bataan Chronicle” article, putting up a newspaper that will cater the people of Bataan of fresh and qualitative news on various developments that transpired in the province was a dream of
Levera and her daughter Thess. Aside from being the owner, Levera is also the 27 newspaper’s publisher and a writer who maintains a column in the newspaper. Her family members like her son and daughters, granddaughter and nephew make up more than half of the staff. Levera also added that contributions from outsiders come once in a while, but the paper may not see new names in its line up soon as she wanted to keep the paper among family members.
The staff receives no monetary compensation for their work aside from a commission from advertisement revenues. Staffs have their own professions or “bread and butter” outside the newspaper.
The Balanga-based newspaper has since shifted its frequency beginning in the last quarter of 1996 to weekly due to increased in the reading public’s demand.
It also shifted from broadsheet size to a smaller paper size (A3 paper size) in 2014.
According to its publisher Mrs. Levera, the publication can no longer support the cost of printing broadsheet-sized newsprint. Because of this change, the number of its pages increased from four to eight per issue, reaching 12 pages during Christmas season. But despite the change in the number of pages, the space size remains the same. The number of articles usually ranges from 10 to 14, with most stories filed under staff columns. The front page usually runs two to four stories.
Bataan Chronicle enjoyed a circulation of 1,000 copies in its earlier years. However, the paper began trimming down its expenses by minimizing the number of print-outs to
500. It also Bataan Chronicle did not have its own printing press, however, at present, the paper prints out its own copies using a digital printer, which, said Levera, cost less. For 28
1,000 copies, the newspaper used to spend Php 5,000 at a local printer in Pilar, but with its own printer, it spends Php 1,000 to 2,000 per week.
Those 500 copies are then distributed for free at city halls, toda and barangays despite a selling price of Php 8.00 posted on its pages. Public service, said Levera, was her reason for not selling copies of the paper. “Kung ibebenta ko, mabebenta, pero ayoko nang pumunta sa ganun kasi ang objective ko kasi service sa tao (If I will sell it, it will sell, but I do not want to go into that as my objective is to serve the people),” she said.
Because of this, no revenue is gained from circulation. Most of its revenue is from advertisements and legal notices which sees an influx in December. According to Levera, the paper earns Php 10,000 to 50,000 from advertisements. Revenue from advertisements then shoulders the paper’s expenses such as printing, paper and ink, as well as utility expenses of their office space which usually amounts to more or less Php10,000.
2. Bataan Peninsula Times (Mario Supnad, publisher and editor)
First published in 1991, Bataan Peninsula Times is a community newspaper published weekly and located in Balanga City. According to its publisher and editor
Mario Supnad, the idea of putting up a local newspaper in Bataan came outright after his graduation that prompted the birth of Bataan Peninsula Times.
At present, a minimum of 5,000 copies to more than 10,000 copies of a four to 12 paged newspaper are printed out every week which is dependent on the volume of readership and advertisement, according to Supnad. There is also no problem economically, he added, because there are regular ads that are “mandatory to be published”. Aside from subscription, legal notices from local courts and government 29 units are the newspaper’s source of revenue. However, he admitted that the newspaper experiences losses and “little gains” that they recover through advertisement and subscription revenues.
Bataan Peninsula Times is made up of “more on news reporting for the benefit of the reading public.” Its number of staff is around five to 10 personnel and writers, said
Supnad that never declined.
3. Central Luzon Business Week (Mina Cabiles, marketing officer)
The first and only business newspaper in Central Luzon, Central Luzon Business
Week was launched in November 9, 2005 with an aim “to provide substantial business news to the people of Central Luzon, as well as, to potential investors and locators”. It is published weekly by the Stotsenberg Media Productions, Inc. of the Lazatins of Angeles
City.
According to the newspaper’s marketing officer Mina Cablies, the idea to come out with a community newspaper began when Tarzan Lazatin was still mayor of Angeles
City. Lazatin, along with then-Sun.Star Pampanga writer Ivy Calaguas and another individual that Cabiles opted not to name thought of putting up the first business paper in the province since no other business paper exists.
The newspaper is circulated in Tarlac, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales,
Pampanga, Metro Clark and Metro Subic areas and enjoys a circulation of over 2, 500 copies per week that are sent through subscriptions, dealers and mail. An increase in the number of copies may be made, according to Cabiles, if a need to do so arises. However, since its establishment in 2005, the newspaper rarely increases its print-outs. She also 30 added that the newspaper does not earn anything from circulation. “Sa circulation, wala kaming kinikita. Actually, pinamimigay lang namin ‘yan for free (In circulation, we do not earn anything. Actually, we give out the paper for free),” she said. The selling price of the paper printed on its front page is Php 10.00, which increased from Php 8.00 in
2015. Cabiles said the increase in price is due to the increase in printing cost. Central
Luzon Business Week has 22 subscribers which include private companies and government agencies. The newspaper’s subscription rate is priced at Php 500.00 a year.
Most of its revenue is derived from commercial advertisements and legal notices from courts. Companies such as SM, SSS and those owned by the Lazatins are the newspaper’s usual advertisers. “Halos lahat ng income niya sa advertisements niya kinukuha kasi sa circulation, wala kaming nakukuha. Siya ‘yung may pinakamalaking bearing (Most of its income come from advertisements because we do not get anything from circulation. It has the biggest bearing),” Cabiles said. Legal notices contribute the most in the paper’s revenue which are priced depending on length and ranges from Php
4,600 to Php 26,000.
Central Luzon Business Week earns Php 30,000 to Php 100,000 in a month depending on the entry of advertisements. The newspaper’s revenue sees a spike during its anniversary, more than the election or Christmas season. Expenses, on the one hand, are around Php 50,000 which is dependent on the number of pages and the correspondents’ story contributions. Much of its expenses are on printing, amounting to
Php 9,000 a week. “Hindi ka pa kumikita nagbabayad ka na (You haven’t earn yet, you already have to pay),” said Cabiles. Currently, the newspaper has 12 regular staff which grew from less than five in 2005. According to Cabiles, the increase in staff is due to the 31 need for more manpower to handle the circulation of the paper. Four of the 12 staffs are writers. Central Luzon Business Week also has five correspondents who are paid per story published. It is also not open for hiring due to its limited financial resources, said Cabiles.
The newspaper is neither gaining nor losing in revenue. She said, most of the time it hit the break-even level. Despite being owned by a corporation, Cabiles said the newspaper is a “stand alone” as no funding is being given by the owners since 2014.
The newspaper is composed of eight pages on an average with half of its content on news and the other half on advertisement. The number of pages saw a decline from 12 during its earlier years until 2008, but according to Cabiles, the number of pages increases depending on the advertisements. She added that there was an instance that
Central Luzon Business Week reached 20 to 23 pages.
4. D’Newswatchers Newspaper (Florida Teodoro)
D’Newswatchers Newspaper is a weekly community newspaper situated in Malolos,
Bulacan which began its publication on February 10, 2008. The community newspaper is owned and published by Donato Teodoro. The newspaper, whose content was described by Florida Teodoro as “community information around Bulacan province”, came about because of Mr. Teodoro’s intent to serve his community and as a fulfillment of his childhood dream to be a writer.
The community newspaper is a single proprietorship and a family business which, according to Mrs. Teodoro, makes the newspaper self-sufficient. Although circulation, which range from 500 to 1,000 copies, greatly affects the newspaper’s revenue, judicial and legal notices contribute the most revenue to the newspaper. Advertisement fees from 32 business establishments also add to their revenue which amounts to Php 500,000 to Php
700,000 annually. “I think it’s a growth and upward trend,” said Mrs. Teodoro on the newspaper’s revenue since its establishment in 2008.
However, despite the growing revenue, the newspaper experiences more break-evens than gains due to increasing expenses brought about by inflation. The newspaper usually spends Php 250,000 to 500,000 wherein printing and labor costs take the biggest pie share. To address this, according to Mrs. Teodoro, they resort to solicitation of other printing works.
Since its establishment, the newspaper has also maintained its frequency of publication as per court requirement, but saw an increase in its number of pages from four to eight. The increase, said Mrs. Teodoro, was due to the growing number of stories and advertisement.
Four staffs currently comprise the newspaper. According to Mrs. Teodoro, their staffs are properly compensated such as they at least receive the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like PhilHealth.
5. Dahong Palay (Milo Salazar, editor and publisher)
Started in 1963, Dahong Palay is a weekly community newspaper located in
Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. It was established by Pedro Salazar with a financial help from his friend and then-Councilor Ben Sandoval. The newspaper was being printed somewhere in Manila. In 2013, Milo Salazar took over after his father’s death. “I assumed being the editor/publisher and we are the only registered owners of this newspaper,” he said, adding that Dahong Palay is their family’s “bread and butter”. 33
Circulation, according to Salazar, is not fixed but the newspaper usually publishes
400 copies per week which can cover the whole province of Nueva Ecija and neighboring towns. Most copies are mailed and others are “hand-carried” or “papel de abot”. Dahong
Palay’s main markets are government officials and employees, although, said Salazar, the newspaper caters people of all walks of life. Since its establishment in 1963, the newspaper saw an increased circulation in a steady pace, said Salazar, which he tries to maintain by “always being true to their clients and subscribers, maintaining good harmony with them.”
Aside from circulation, Dahong Palay relies heavily on legal notices for revenue which also accounts to most of the newspaper’s revenue. Commercial advertisements are rare. There is no fix amount of revenue earned, according to Salazar, but he recognized the big contribution of advertisements and legal notices in the newspaper’s survival. “You cannot survive this business without it,” he said. Printing costs, on the one hand, give the biggest bulk in expenses. The newspaper prints out eight pages per issue on an average which has increased since 1983 because of demands in the publication of ads and legal notices. “Not news,” said Salazar, adding that content “depends but preferably wanted news about development”. Although there is no fixed amount of expenses as it depends on the demands of copies to be circulated, the newspaper saw an increase in its expenses.
“Lahat naman tumataas (Everything increases),” said Salazar, “Effort, more effort.”
Dahong Palay was described by Salazar as a “one-man army” and is not open for new hires.
6. NEWS CORE (Carmela Reyes-Estrope, owner and editor-in-chief) 34
Established in October 2006, NEWS CORE is owned by former Philippine Daily
Inquirer (PDI) correspondent Carmela Reyes-Estrope “for advocacy journalism”.
According to Estrope who also serves as the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, her experience in PDI where her some of her stories were left unpublished and not used due to space constraints pushed her to start her own publication.
“I deemed the stories wasted and I can feel the frustrations of the people hoping their ordeals will be heard that’s why I decided to put up my own local weekly,” she said.
The newspaper is currently a “one man army” as described by Estrope aside from one or two relatives helping her out in the collection of payments from clients and in the paper’s marketing and advertisement.
NEWS CORE publishes weekly with 1,000 copies which are circulated in government offices of 21 towns and three cities in Bulacan and also distributed through subscription, postal mail and courier services. Despite the steady number of circulation in the past 11 years, Estrope observed that there is decline in people’s reliance on print media due to the presence of the internet and social media.
Circulation only contributes 15 to 20 percent of the newspaper’s revenue. The biggest revenue generator for the newspaper is court notices which sustain the weekly operations of the paper. “With court notices, it was about Php 500,000 to more than Php
1 million a year,” said Estrope. Due to the ongoing renewal of accreditation with the
Regional Trial Court (RTC), publication of court notices ceased beginning 2015 which resulted to a decline in revenue and losses despite earning revenues from advertisements and bulk orders from businessmen and politicians. “But today without that, only around 35
Php 50,000 to Php 80,000 annually,” Estrope said which is not sufficient to finance the
Php 6,000 weekly expenses of the paper that supposedly decreases because of the
“individualized system of running newspaper copies through purchasing one’s own newsprint, self-contracting for the plate of the newspaper, layout design and the printing costs”. However, gasoline and other transportation expenses add to the cost. Losses in revenue also prompt Estrope to fish out money from her own pocket to support the paper’s operations and to maintain the current number of staff which is two.
The number of pages NEWS CORE enjoys also depends on the amount of advertisements and news available. The number of pages ranges from six to 12, but often settles at six pages that comprises of news, opinions and advertisements.
7. NewsHawk Newsweekly (Greg Refraccion, owner and publisher)
Started off as magazine-format newspaper composed of news features and photos,
NewsHawk Weekly first came out in early 1990s as a result of its owner and publisher
Greg Refraccion’s “strong craving to have my own newspaper.” To keep up with the
“mainstream newspapers”, Refraccion decided to change the paper’s size from newsletter type to the usual tabloid size in mid 1990s.
Refraccion said that community newspapers usually cater to the local government unit (LGU), the local police and village or barangay folks and the more local stories the paper carries, the more interest it receives from local officials and people.
The newspaper prints a total of 1,000 copies per issue and saw no growth or decline in terms of circulation. “For the NewsHawk, there is no such thing as ‘growth or decline’ in circulation since provincial papers are not sold on newsstand like national 36 newspapers,” he said. Because of this, community newspapers do not depend much on circulation for revenue.
Legal notices from RTCs and extra-judicial notices are usually the source of revenue for newspapers. Other revenue sources include advertisements from LGUs that “come in trickle and usually come during holiday season” and public relations (PR) jobs “which tend to affect the image and quality of journalism in a way.” These revenue sources cover the production cost and other expenses of the paper.
A bulk of the newspaper’s expenses comes from the printing of the paper which cost around Php 5,000 to Php 6,000 for 1,000 copies of a four-page, black and white tabloid newspaper which saw an increase from a more or less Php 3,000 for the same number of copies and pages and size 30 years ago. A colored newspaper will cost around Php 7,000 to Php 10,000.
Aside from covering expenses, advertisement also dictates the number of pages of the newspaper which usually comes out with four pages. “More ads, more pages,” said
Refraccion who also admitted that he remove “not-so-interesting news stuff to give way to more advertisements”. Although he assured that important stories must not be sacrificed.
NewsHawk Newsweekly is run by what Refraccion called a “one-man-army-team” that is practiced in most community newspapers. “Most provincial papers are run by
‘one-man-army-team’ who does the news gathering, lay-outing, editing, proof reading and finally fetching the finished product from the printing press,” he said. Although he welcomes contributors, Refraccion is not intending to hire other staff. 37
8. Punto! Central Luzon (Joanna Nina Cordero, marketing manager)
Punto! Central Luzon was established in 2007 by a group of Kapampangan professionals who saw the need for a local newspaper that is credible, fair, fearless and balanced. According to marketing manager Joanna Nina Cordero, the newspaper started as a national daily tabloid based in Manila which had a special section for Central Luzon news. “Atty. Gener Endona with his friends decided to get a franchise of Punto to be printed and circulated solely in Central Luzon,” she said. The newspaper is owned and published by LLL Trimedia Coordinators, Inc. Among the owners are Atty. Gener
Endona, Cordero and editor-in-chief Caesar “Bong” Lacson.
The newspaper used to be a daily newspaper which covers business and political news in the region. However, due to financial constraints and the need to sustain the business, it shifted to a bi-weekly basis in 2010. Punto boasts of 20,000 copies in circulation with 42 percent of its readers are from the AB cluster. Pampanga contributes
50 percent in circulation, excluding Clark which contributes 3,000 copies in circulation.
Aside from Pampanga, the newspaper is also distributed in Subic, Olongapo, Bataan,
Tarlac and Bulacan through newspaper dealers, news stand and subscriptions. Free copies are also given out to establishments such as coffee shops, hotels and offices. Asked to describe the growth of circulation, Cordero said it’s the same since 2007. “We have not decreased the number of circulation. We sustain it.”
Advertisements are Punto’s bread and butter, according to Cordero. “This is the life blood of the paper,” she said, “We make sure we serve our advertisers well and maintain or widen visibility.” Aside from a newspaper, Punto is also present online 38 through its Facebook page and website www.punto.com.ph which is under reconstruction to make it mobile-friendly.
A bulk of the newspaper’s expenses is printing cost. Currently, Punto has five regular employees and more or less 10 correspondents assigned to different provinces in the region. “We follow all government rules and regulations and pay monthly contributions and taxes,” Cordero said.
9. RONDA Balita (Manny Dineros Balbin, owner and editor-in-chief)
Currently owned by four individuals including editor-in-chief Manny Dineros Balbin,
RONDA Balita is a weekly newspaper in Bulacan that first appeared on March 9. 2015. It boasts a circulation of 1,000 to 2,000 copies a week that are distributed through subscription and delivery to offices. According to Balbin, there is no such thing as “trend in circulation” in community newspapers as they maintain the same amount of copies published in a week. But more copies of the paper are being read or bought during election period when politicians order copies of the newspaper to distribute to their districts.
Politicians and private individuals, said Balbin, are also contributing factors in the increase of a newspaper’s number of pages. “It is only increased once that certain issue of a community paper had orders coming from a politician or private individual,” he said.
Balbin’s paper prints normally eight pages, but at times, reaches ten to 12 pages. It has also maintained a weekly frequency of publication since its establishment in 2015 which is the standard for a community paper in Bulacan or any other provinces, according to him. 39
Three staff namely the printer, delivery boy and the person assigned in collection are employed by the newspaper at present. Balbin cited “low salary” as the common reason why employees leave. Writers and columnists, on the one hand, are paid per article submitted and are not considered as staff.
Much of RONDA Balita’s revenue is derived from court notices, extra-judicial notices as well as ordinances of LGUs where publication to newspapers is required.
Balbin did not disclose how much revenue the newspaper enjoy but said revenue is generated once a paper is authorized by the court to join raffle for notices which are equally divided or raffled among accredited newspapers in Bulacan. These notices, along with advertisements, cover the expenses of the paper which see printing cost as the biggest pie sharer. “The only time that a community newspaper is down when their accreditation is already lapsed,” he said. Accreditation from the court last for five years.
10. Sun.Star Pampanga (Jose Victor De Leon, editor-in-chief)
Began as Sun.Star Clark in November 27,1995, Sun.Star Pampanga is a daily community newspaper in Pampanga and part of the networks of newspapers owned by
Sun.Star Publishing, Inc. The Pampanga chain of the paper is owned by Laus Group of
Companies which, according to De Leon, makes the newspaper stable and sustainable.
The newspaper has a circulation of 2,000 copies which are distributed through dealers, subscriptions and special orders. Its usual markets are from the A, B, upper C and C classes that contribute to readership by “pasa-basa”. De Leon also recognized the role of the increasing readership as the contributing factor to the newspaper’s steady upward circulation growth. Circulation, according to him, generates 70 percent of 40
Sun.Star Pampanga’s revenue which sees an annual increase of 50 percent due to increased readership. However, he also pointed out advertisements from business firms which appear as traditional and native advertisements in the paper as the biggest revenue generator of the newspaper.
Along with a growing revenue and circulation, the newspaper also saw increases in its expenditures due to inflation. Printing accounts for its biggest expenses which are covered through revenues from advertisements and dealer sales. Sun.Star Pampanga prints a minimum of 16 pages and an average of 18 per issue. This number has increased from 12 pages because of the increasing number of stories, sections and advertisements.
The number of its staff, on the one hand, is maintained to 25 as per staffing policy.
Employees enjoy above minimum wage and benefits like SSS and PhilHealth.
11. Tarlac Weekender (Roldan Ramos, publisher)
Tarlac Weekender is a new weekly community newspaper, having started publication in May 2016. It was established by Roldan Ramos who also serves as the paper’s publisher. The newspaper is distributed in selected government offices on complimentary basis.
It has eight pages that are usually comprised of opinion and straight news. Ramos said that there is an intention to increase the number of pages and copies of the paper once the need to do so arises. Tarlac Weekender is currently made up of three part-time staff. According to Ramos, production cost is subsidized out of his own pocket and all part of start up capitalization. 41
He also added that local politics will always be a contributing factor in the survival of community newspapers.
B. Common Features and Challenges of Community Newspapers
Author and Professor Crispin Maslog (1987) in his The Rise and Fall of
Community Newspapers described the profile of a Philippine community newspaper as:
A typical Philippine community newspaper is as an eight-page weekly, in
a tabloid format, with a circulation of 2,500 and printed in newsprint by offset.
Maslog added that it is a small business enterprise, with a full time staff of four,
operating in a big city of about 181,000 people. Its volume of business yearly is
a little over half a million pesos, with a net profit of Php 140,000. It usually has
three or four competing newspapers in town, and therefore hardly makes both
ends meet. It is making a small profit at best, breaking even most of the time, or
losing money at worst.
Thirty years after Maslog’s survey, his findings still resonate in today’s community newspaper with little changes. In this study of 11 community newspapers in Central
Luzon, similarities and differences have been observed. Looking into the 11 community newspapers’ circulation, revenue, expenses, frequency, number of staff and pages, the researchers have noted that the profiles of these community newspapers in the region echo Maslog’s profile in 1987.
Chart 1 shows the number of pages that each of the 11 community newspapers interviewed publishes every issue. Though some of these newspapers provided range on 42 the number of pages, the average and usual number of pages was taken into account in the chart.
Chart 1. Number of Pages per Issue of the Eleven Community Newspapers
Interviewed
The average number of pages of community newspapers in Central Luzon is still eight and in accordance with Maslog’s 1987 survey. The number of pages also increases depending on the advertisements present and not because of the increase in stories.
According to Manabat, this is to lessen the expenses in printing. “Kung wala namang advertisements bakit ka mag-12? Bakit hindi na lang eight kasi sayang rin ‘yung four pages. Magkano rin ‘yun? (If there are no advertisements, why will you do 12? Why not eight so as not to waste four pages? How much will that account for?),” he said. 43
Most of the community papers interviewed have maintained the number of pages they had since their establishment, while there are some that decreased the number of pages. It is rare, based on the interviewees, that a community newspaper increases its number of pages. Most of these newspapers are also in black and white aside from the front and back pages. Only Bataan Chronicle prints out a full colored issue every week.
Chart 2 presents the current frequency of publication of the 11 community newspapers interviewed. The chart is divided into four categories namely daily, bi- weekly, weekly and monthly.
Chart 2. Frequency of Publication of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed
Out of the 11, nine are published weekly. Only one is published bi-weekly and daily.
No community newspaper of the 11 is published monthly. The results of the interview show that even after 30 years since the Maslog survey, community newspapers 44 particularly in Central Luzon are often published weekly. According to Bataan Press
Club officer Rafael Viray, financial problems prompt newspapers to often publish weekly rather than daily to minimize expenses. Punto! Central Luzon used to come out daily but such frequency, according to its marketing manager, is difficult to sustain.
Chart 3 shows the circulation enjoyed by each newspaper. The researchers considered the minimum circulation based on the range provided by the interviewee since, based on the interviews, the number of copies printed out is usually at minimum and only in special circumstances that additional copies are printed out. In order to create a proper comparison, Sun.Star Pampanga’s circulation was multiplied by seven as it publishes daily, while Punto’s circulation was doubled as it comes out bi-weekly. No information is inputted for Tarlac Weekender as the respondent chose not to disclose it.
The maximum unit was set to 40,000 and the minimum was set to zero. The major unit in the axis was set to 2,500 based on Maslog’s profile. 45
Chart 3. Circulation of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed
Contrary to Maslog’s profile, most of the community newspapers interviewed have a circulation below 2,500. Only four of these newspapers recorded a circulation of 2,500 and above. Punto has the highest circulation with 40,000 copies in a week, while Sun.Star, which enjoys a circulation of 2,000 a day, has the second highest weekly circulation of
14,000. Bataan Chronicle, D’Newswatchers and Dahong Palay boast circulation below
1,000. 46
Due to high cost or printing, circulation of community newspapers which assures wide reach in the locality is limited between 1,000 to 2,000 copies which should be at least at 5,000 copies per week, said Pampanga Press Club member and iOrbitNews
Online editor-in-chief Arnel San Pedro. “News print is costly and the presses are charging more,” he added. The low circulation of community newspapers, according to
Viray, is because of lack of finances to support a daily issue and competent people to manage the paper. He added that decline in community readership due to people’s exposure to social media also affected the circulation
However, publishing weekly can also be problematic, according to Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) Region III Regional Director William Beltran. Marketing the paper becomes a challenge because of the existence of competition such as television and social media. According to him, an advertiser will most likely advertiser his product online or through TV as it is more immediate compared to a weekly publication.
At present, the usual circulation of a community newspaper particularly in Central
Luzon averages at 1,000 copies. Increases in the number of copies printed happen but are rare and usually occur only when a sponsor shoulder additional copies. Christmas season and election see an increase; however, this is not true in all of the interviewed community newspapers who do not increase publication during this season.
Chart 4 shows the number of staff of the eleven community newspapers interviewed.
The data presented is a mix of full-time and part-time workers as distinction was not made by most of the community newspapers interviewed. 47
Chart 4. Number of Staff of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed
Three out of 11 community newspapers interviewed said they are running the paper as a “one-man-army” such as Dahong Palay, NEWS CORE and NewsHawk Newsweekly.
That is one person takes the entire job in managing a community newspaper such as lay- outing, news writing, marketing, and the like. Among the eleven, Sun.Star Pampanga has the most number of staff which it also maintains because of company policy.
San Pedro admitted that community newspapers pay less compared to Metro Manila newspapers and some publications do not cover benefits such as SSS or PhilHealth for its employees. It also cited “to seek greener pasture” as common reasons of decreasing employment in the community newspapers. “Most of the local writers found employment 48 overseas. I, for a time, worked in the Middle East and United States as section editor just to make ends meet,” he said.
At an average, a community newspaper has around five or six staffs that are either full-time or part-time, not taking into account correspondents and contributors. They are also not open for hiring but are open for contributions.
“Community newspaper does not create jobs,” said Viray, “The publisher himself is the editor, advertisement solicitor, collector, news gatherer and columnist.”
Chart 5 presents the revenue that the eleven community newspapers receive in a month. The minimum revenue is accounted in this chart because it is usually the amount that these newspapers earn. Newspapers such as Bataan Peninsula Times, Dahong Palay,
NewsHawk Newsweekly, Punto, RONDA Balita, Sun.Star and Tarlac Weekender did not divulge the amount of revenue they earn. 49
Chart 5. Monthly Revenue of the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed
Much of the revenue of these newspapers is derived from advertisements. Among the sources of advertisements, legal ads such as judicial notices and memorandum that needed to be published in newspapers of general circulation take the biggest pie share in the revenue generation of community newspapers.
According to Viray, advertising is also dependent on the marketing team of the newspaper that also determines the fate of publication of copies. “An aggressive marketing team will make a difference in newspaper operations,” he said.
Community newspapers participate in “raffles” of judicial notices which are very helpful in financially sustaining the newspaper. According to Kapampangan journalist
Ashley Manabat, legal notices bring a lot of revenue for community newspapers. Legal 50 notices come in notices like foreclosure, adoption, change of name, inheritance and the like. Former President Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 1079 which revised and consolidated all laws and decrees regulating publication of notices, advertisements of public biddings, notices of auction sales and other similar notices required by Republic Act No. 4569, as amended by Republic Act No. 4883 and
Presidential Decree No. 795. The Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines also released a circular on newspapers’ accreditation in publishing these notices through A.M. No. 01-1-
07-SC. According to the decree and SC circular only accredited newspapers or periodicals may publish judicial or legal notices. Accreditation is valid for five years.
“Various community newspapers from Central Luzon cropped up in Pampanga, most of them only joining raffle of legal documents that needed to be published such as
Invitation to Bids,” San Pedro said.
The importance and role of these legal notices in the finances of community newspaper is best exhibited by NEWS CORE whose revenue decreased from Php 500,000 to Php 50,000 due to an ongoing renewal of accreditation with the Regional Trial Court
(RTC).
Viray also described the community newspaper business as unstable in the past years due to the proliferation of broadcast media and social media. Among the 11 community newspapers interviewed, only two, Punto and Sun.Star have their online equivalent.
It is through exploring online, according to Beltran, that community newspapers can cope up with the increasing competition. “ I think the best way for our community newspapers to cope up is to search through the waves of change also,” he added. 51
Chart 6 shows the expenses of the eleven community newspapers in a month.
Expenses in this chart are recorded at minimum as increase in expenses happens when newspaper increases the number of copies printed which is a rare occurrence.
Newspapers such as Bataan Peninsula Times, Dahong Palay, Punto, RONDA Balita,
Sun.Star and Tarlac Weekender did not disclose the expenses they garner.
Chart 6. Monthly Expensesof the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed
Printing cost takes a bulk of the monthly expenses of the 11 community newspapers.
Aside from Bataan Chronicle which uses a digital printer, not one of the 11 owns a printing press. Printing saw an increase in price throughout the years because of news print cost which also caused a decreasing trend on the number of pages of community 52 newspapers which has an average of eight pages. The number of copies is also trimmed down to accommodate the finances of the newspaper. Utility expenses such as electricity, water and office space also contribute in the expenses. Inflation, which is the percentage of annual increase in price level, also affects the expenditures of newspapers as it affects the movement of price levels of goods.
Three of the interviewed community newspapers said they are breaking even, while two said they are experiencing more losses than gain. Another two, on the one hand, said they see increases in their profits, while four did not comment on this.
After laying down the six categories in which the researchers focused on for this study, the researchers also looked into the type of ownership in which these community newspapers operate. Chart 7 presents the type of ownership of these papers, categorized into sole proprietorship, franchise and corporation since it was only these types of business that emerged during the interviews. 53
Chart 7. Type of Ownershipof the Eleven Community Newspapers Interviewed
Most of the papers are sole proprietorship, indicating the newspapers small operations and the personalized nature of community newspapers which Maslog has observed in his 1987 survey wherein 59 percent of his respondents were sole proprietors of the papers. The owners of the community newspapers interview are also journalists and correspondents of national papers like Carmela Reyes-Estrope of NEWS CORE who worked as Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI)’s correspondent. “Local publishers are mostly correspondents of national papers with no big-time financier,” said Viray.
Newspapers such as Bataan Chronicle, D’Newswatchers and NEWS CORE, though sole proprietorship in nature, are helped run by family members by working as writers or helping in the marketing operations of the business. Most of Bataan Chronicle’s writers 54 and staff are relatives of publisher and owner Lourdes Levera. According to Florida
Teodoro of D’Newswatchers, a sole proprietorship makes the newspaper self-sufficient.
RONDA Balita is owned by four individuals including its editor-in-chief Manny
Balbin. Central Luzon Business Week and Punto, on the one hand, are owned by corporations who do not affect the newspaper financially or its content, according to the interviewees. According to Manabat who also writes for Punto, the owners are aware of the purpose of journalism and let the newspaper on its own. “They are professionals¸” he said. For Mina Cabiles of Central Luzon Business Week, the newspaper receives no funding from its owner and left to stand on its own. She added that other businesses of the Lazatins who own Stotsenberg Media Productions, Inc., place ads on the newspaper which they also pay.
Sun.Star Pampanga is part of the Sun.Star Publishing Inc. and currently franchised by the Laus Group of Companies. According to its editor-in-chief Jose Victor De Leon, this type of ownership makes the newspaper stable and sustainable.
Although San Pedro noted that community newspapers, at present, have the same passion for service and sense of responsibility that early community newspapers had, they were often times also manipulated by “scheming businessmen and politicians” who also own most of the local newspapers like Sun.Star Pampanga of the Laus Group of
Companies which also owns CLTV36 and 95.1 RW FM.
According to San Pedro, community newspapers in Pampanga, which “chronicles events in the local scenes” and “seeks to inform the community”, began with the
Baluyuts’ The Voice and San Pedros’ (in which the respondent is a part of) Luzon 55
Courier (now Pampanga Newsweek) that both came out after World War II. Although newspapers exist during the Spanish colonial period, they have long-ceased publication.
Other community newspapers such as Headline published by the Pineda clan and a newspaper by the owner of food processing company Pampanga’s Best folded up due to absence of “editorial independence”, recognizing that despite the financial viability, editorial quality remains a factor in the newspaper’s survival which Beltran also acknowledged. “It’s the credibility of the media and the accuracy of report,” said Beltran.
Aside from viewing the profiles of the 11 community newspapers side-by-side with the profile Maslog observed in 1987, the researchers also looked into these community newspapers in comparison with Pangasinan’s Sunday Punch, which is one of the most successful newspaper in Asia (Maslog, 1985).
Sunday Punch was founded by Ermin Erfe Garcia, Sr. on July 15, 1956 with a group of friends who pooled Php 20,000 to set up Publics, Inc. that will publish the weekly newspaper. In its maiden editorial, Sunday Punch proclaimed its role in the community as a medium of news information and forum of public opinion and to stimulate public thinking on the basis of the objective of news reports. At present, Sunday Punch is owned and run by Ermin Garcia, Jr. as a sole proprietor which, according to him, is easier to manage. Family members also help in the operations of the paper which is also true to most of the community newspapers interviewed.
A sole proprietorship ownership gives the newspaper more leeway in its operations compared to corporations. Corporations provide more stability to the newspaper as more 56 finances are available for it through contribution to advertisements like in the case of
Central Luzon Business Week and Sun.Star Pampanga.
However, the type of business ownership of the paper does not really affect the newspaper’s financial viability as no funding is given to them by the owners. “Stand alone” as Cabiles said. Much of the finances of the newspapers still rely on advertisements which is also one of the reasons of Sunday Punch’s financial viability.
Garcia Jr. said they are growing in terms of revenue because of the presence of “Manila advertisers” like Toyota, PNB, Isuzu, San Miguel Corporation and Cebu Pacific.
Advertisers from the capital provide more income in advertisements compared to local advertisers, said Levera of Bataan Chronicle. The presence of advertisements from big corporations is very helpful in generating revenue. According Manabat, a big bulk of
Punto’s revenue is from “institutionalized ads” of companies like SM, Cebu Pacific and
Air Asia. The revenue these big corporations, which said Manabat amounts to Php
100,000 at the very least, give a newspaper is very much evident in Punto and Sun.Star which enjoy the biggest circulation and number of pages among the 11 newspapers.
Sunday Punch enjoys a circulation of 5,000 copies per week which saw no increase since its establishment 60 years ago due to the cost that increasing copies will bear. “Cost is prohibitive,” said Garcia, Jr. The newspaper has a bigger circulation compared to most newspapers interviewed for the study. But it has the same concern as other newspapers with increased expenses especially in printing. However, despite the increasing cost of printing, the newspaper increased its number of pages from 12 to 14 that reaches 16 pages. Its number of pages is also above the average eight pages. 57
Contrary to most of the 11 newspapers, Sunday Punch, said Garcia Jr., is gaining. It has also more staff compared to the average with seven staffs who are properly compensated with at least a minimum pay and benefits, he said. They are also open for hiring, which is not the case for the 11 newspapers.
The newspaper has been running since 1956 and has maintained its growth and financial viability which Maslog has already observed in 1987. Aside from Dahong
Palay which is the oldest of the newspapers interview with 53 years, most of the community newspapers are relatively new, dating back to no later than the early 1990s.
Table 1 shows the date of establishment of each of the 11 community newspaper.
Table 1. Date of Establishment of the Eleven Community Newspapers
Community Newspaper Date Established Bataan Chronicle 1996 Bataan Peninsula Times 1991 Central Luzon Business Week 2005 D’Newswatchers 2008 Dahong Palay 1963 NEWS CORE 2006 NewsHawk Newssweekly 1990s Punto! Central Luzon 2007 RONDA Balita 2015 Sun.Star Pampanga 1995 Tarlac Weekender 2016 58
Ask what is the secret behind the survival of Sunday Punch, Garcia Jr. credited it to commitment. Similarly, most of the community newspapers interviewed cited their commitment to publish the paper and sent forth their advocacy of public service to readers.
Based on the results of the interview, community newspapers in Central Luzon are mostly eight-page weeklies with a circulation of 1,000. They are small business enterprises of sole proprietorship, usually run by a “one-man-army”. They earn most of their revenues from advertisements in forms of legal notices and commercial ads. They do not rely on circulation and readership for survival. Instead, copies are given out for free or through subscriptions and mailing.
C. Community Newspapers and Central Luzon’s Economic Development
Composed of seven provinces namely Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Nueva
Ecija, Bataan and Aurora, Central Luzon comprises about seven percent of the country’s total land area or 2, 147, 036 hectares. As of the 2015 Census of Population, the region has a total population of 11, 218, 177 with the province of Bulacan recording the biggest population with 3.29 million, while Aurora had the smallest size of 214,000.
The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of Central Luzon posted a positive economic growth from 2015 to 2016 with 9.5 percent and is one of the ten regions recording accelerated economies. The region pegged a GRDP of Php 773.28 billion in
2016 which was primarily driven by the manufacturing industry, particularly from the manufacture of food, beverage and other transport equipment. Aside from this, significant revenue increases from the major industries namely agriculture, hunting, forestry and 59 fishing (AHFF) brought a double value compared to the 2015 figures. Central Luzon’s service sector also posted a growth in 2016 due to expansions in financial intermediation, public administration and defense and compulsory social services, trade and repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, personal and household goods, and other services. (PIA
Region 3, 2017).
The economic growth of Central Luzon has been evident with the existence of establishments like shopping malls, hotels and infrastructures like airports. “Central
Luzon is generally economically viable,” said Beltran, while Manabat described it as
“very healthy”. San Pedro of the Pampanga Press Club also credited the “vibrant” economy of Pampanga as a contributor to the growth of community newspapers due to the entry of more investors that turn into advertising clients for the papers. A growing economy for Viray is also means “more investments or locators, more advertising clients”. He added that a growing economy is a big factor to improve the newspapering business.
All the interviewees of this study recognized the booming economy of the region, particularly the provinces in which they operate. They also acknowledged the role of the growth to the growth and survival of their newspaper.
Levera of Bataan Chronicle admitted that Bataan’s economy has been helpful to the paper, also recognizing the improvement in the province as evidence by the growing number of businesses. According to her, there are more stories and more advertisers because of the economic growth. 60
Supnad of Bataan Peninsula Times also recognized the growing economy of Bataan which is brought about by the pour in of investments. “If the economy improves, it yields positive effects to local newspapers,” he added. He also acknowledged the contribution of politics in the economic viability of newspaper. “It contributes to the economic situation of local newspapers since some of the politicians resort to tapping our services to boost their propaganda.”
Mrs. Teodoro of D’Newswatchers also recognized the growing economy of the province of Bulacan, acknowledging the improvements it has underwent in the past 30 years and its effects to businesses, including community newspapers. Salazar of Dahong
Palay also acknowledged that Nueva Ecija’s economy is growing along with the times, a flow that the newspaper goes with.
Estrope of NEWS CORE said that the improving economy of Bulacan affect her paper’s operation as more companies exist which becomes marketing and advertising clients. De Leon recognized the growing the economy of Pampanga which he credited to good governance in the province as having positive effect on the newspaper due to the existence of businesses that open up to advertising. “The paper becomes the main conduit of business,” he said. Aside from advertising opportunities, increases in the people’s purchasing power widen the circulation of the newspaper, hence, increasing its revenue.
He also sees minimal effect of Pampanga’s proximity to Metro Manila to Sun.Star
Pampanga because it has “retained its identity as a community newspaper”.
However for Cabiles, Refraccion and Balbin, the booming economy of the region does not translate to a positive effect on the newspapers. Although Cabiles recognized the booming economy of Central Luzon, she said it does not affect the newspaper because 61 despite the growing number of establishments particularly in Pampanga, the businesses do not necessarily tap community newspapers for advertising. She added that most of them even wanted to be advertised for free or lower down the prices of the newspaper’s standard advertising rates.
The community newspaper industry in the region is growing, according to Cabiles of
Central Luzon Business Week. However, as the number of newspaper increases, competition also increases, adding to this the advent of social media.
“When the province’s economy improves, publications do not follow since no one from the business sector place advertisement in the local paper,” Refraccion of
NewsHawk said, but recognized that even though the newspaper is not progressing along the growth of the region in terms of economy, the economic condition of the province cannot also affect the newspaper negatively.
Although Balbin sees a big improvement in Bulacan’s economy as income- generating and multinational companies, BPOs and malls have invested and sprouted in the province, RONDA Balita is only “a little bit” affected by it.
Some of the interviewees also admitted that the region’s proximity to the capital is a problem. “Proximity to Metro Manila is also a given problem to local newspapers because instead of patronizing local papers, they would rather have the national papers widely circulating in the news stand,” Estrope said which Balbin echoed saying,
Bulacan’s proximity to Metro Manila as a hindrance because advertisers would rather tap
Metro Manila newspapers instead of the community newspapers. San Pedro dissented as for him proximity of Pampanga to Metro Manila is not issue because “locals seek local 62 news from local writers” and that “the paper’s survival is not hinged on the proximity of
Manila.”
Balbin added that the economic condition of the province is not a necessity in the survival of the paper but said that politics, especially in Bulacan, is “very necessary to survive” as it affects the paper’s revenue, circulation and content. Refraccion also admitted that community newspapers are dependent on LGUs for revenue because of ordinances, Invitation to Bid and other government announcements, however, he clarified that newspapers are not beholden to LGUs when it comes to editorial policy. “We can criticize them if the need arises, but we can also massage their ego if needed without compromising the truth,” he said. Also, that a newspaper can survive with or without politics. “We will try to survive no matter what what and without compromising the truth and the quality of journalism we have been practicing,” he added.
Not only the economy, but politics, according to De Leon, has effects to Sun.Star
Pampanga because it is the top news generator, affecting content as well as circulation and revenues especially during election season. “People love to read politics,” he said.
Politics also affect the viability of community newspapers according to Estrope.
“Many publishers also tend to befriend politicians to be able to get contracts for publication of ordinances which is also a major source of income for the paper,” she added. Publishing stories favorable to politicians lead to “incidental bulk orders” that also becomes major revenue source for publishers.
However, Estrope also believes that politics is not a vital factor in a newspaper’s survival. “Many newspapers survive on their own, legitimately publishing news without 63 fear or favor and is as self-sustaining,” she said, also pointing out that her advocacy journalism allow NEWS CORE to continue publication for the past 11 years.
This sentiment was also echoed by San Pedro. According to him, he also does not see the province’s economic condition and politics as a necessary factor in the paper’s survival. “With or without a rosy economic condition in Pampanga, local newspapers will persevere,” he said, adding that the community newspapers’ sense of responsibility may contribute a much bigger piece to community newspapers than the economic and political scene of the province.
It is undeniable that the economy of Central Luzon is growing, with its continuous expansion in GDRP and growth of its industries. However, despite this feat, there is no direct translation of the boom to the community newspapers in the region. Although a booming economy helps in pulling in businesses for advertisements, not all community newspapers benefit from this. Proximity to Metro Manila also becomes a concern because advertisers and clients would rather tap national dailies than local newspapers.
However, community newspapers remain optimistic that with our without a booming economy they will survive and continue to thrive because of their stories, public service and advocacy as well as commitment. VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
McQuail wrote that the media is dependent on the economic capacity of its area of operation and that it reflects the condition of societies of which they are part. However, after interviewing the 14 respondents for this study, the researchers has concluded that community newspapers suffer financial difficulties and less growth but more break-evens and losses that do not reflect the expansion of Central Luzon’s economy.
From the information acquired through the researchers’ interviews among community newspapers namely Bataan Chronicle, Bataan Peninsula Times, Central
Luzon Business Week D’Newswatchers, Dahong Palay, NEWS CORE, NewsHawk
Newsweekly, Punto! Central Luzon, RONDA Balita, Sun.Star Pampanga and Tarlac
Weekender and interviews with the Philippine Information Agency, the Pampanga Press
Club and Bataan Press Club and keeping in mind the objectives of the study, the main points can be summarized as such: Community newspapers in Central Luzon publish
1,000 copies per issue, observe minimal growth in its circulation and do not really consider circulation as its source of revenue because most of their copies are distributed in government offices and for free; Community newspapers in Central Luzon rely heavily on court notices and advertisements as sources of revenue. Community newspapers in
Central Luzon are mostly published weekly with an average of eight pages and which has been mostly maintained; Printing cost accounts for the biggest pie share in terms of expenses which are covered through revenue from court notices and advertisements;
Community newspapers in Central Luzon do not employ over five staff and writers and columnists are not hired full-time but are contributors paid per article submitted. 65
All respondents recognized the growing economy of the region. Community newspapers in the region are affected by the region’s progress through advertisement revenue due to the growing business firms existing in Central Luzon. Also, expenses and operation costs are affected by inflation that leads to increases. However, aside from advertisements and expenses, economic growth in Central Luzon has minimal positive effect on the newspaper’s circulation, frequency and the paper’s number of staff and pages. Because community newspapers do not rely on circulation and newspaper consumption is not considered as an immediate need, increase in people’s purchasing power does not necessary translate to a bigger and wider circulation. Many newspapers have maintained the weekly frequency of publication and the average number of copies and pages to satisfy the requirement to qualify for court accreditation for notices. Staff count is at minimal because operations of community newspapers are small and usually sole proprietorship in type. The economic growth of the region did not also translate to salary increases or employment increases because along with increase in revenue from advertisements and other sources is an increase in expenses brought about by price inflation, making keeping a large number of employees difficult.
Community newspapers are sources of information that ideally carry out local stories more relevant to the community, making their existence in a community necessary for development and to create a self-governing citizenry for the betterment of society.
However, it is undeniable that a community newspaper is also a business entity that relies on revenue to continue its operation. In this aspect, economic viability of the community in which the paper operates affects the financial viability of the newspaper. However, the economic condition of the community is not the only factor that must be considered in 66 the operation of community newspapers because despite its effect to the newspaper, other factors such as politics, the judiciary and advocacy contribute much bigger parts in its survival. VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The results of the study imply that the economic conditions of Central Luzon affect the viability of community newspapers in terms of revenue because of the presence of advertisements. However, in terms of other categories it has little to no effect.
Community newspapers continue to thrive but they also continue to face difficulties especially in their finances that do not mirror the lauded economic development of the region in which it operates. It means that media institutions is considered as part of the economic system, with close links to the political system recognizing that various forces, other than the economy, have the capability to affect the operation and content of the media.
As with any other research study, there are gaps and walls that were, unfortunately, not addressed thoroughly.
Thus, the researchers suggest that a nationwide study about the community newspapers in the Philippines should be studied especially those community newspapers distributed in government agencies and offices or non-government organizations (NGOs).
All community newspapers in Central Luzon should be analyzed and their newspapers and newsroom staff to be interviewed to see their similarities and differences and to cover the totality of the economic condition of the region. To fully realize the objectives of the study, there is a need to conduct a survey to the readers of every newspaper in the region to know if the newspapers are really serving their purpose as the main source of information of the people in the community. 68
Further specification of media consumption of the residents may also be undertaken to find the best medium to propagate ideas for economic growth of the region.
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Sawisky, G. (2010). Examining the Community Press in the Present and Future
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Schramm, W. (1964). Mass media and national development; the role of information in the developing countries.
Stamm, K. (1985). Newspaper use and community ties: toward a dynamic theory. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing.
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Whitney, C., Sumpter, R., &McQuail, Denis. (2004). The SAGE handbook of media studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 74
APPENDIX A
This questionnaire was sent to the respondents via e-mail. This was also the basis of the questions asked during face-to-face and phone interviews.
Name of Publication: Date of Start of Publication: Address: Owner of Publication:
RESPONDENT: REPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER:
History How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. Ownership Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper? If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Circulation Who are your paper’s markets? How do they contribute to the circulation? Did your newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? Revenue In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? 75
What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Expenses/Cost Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? Staff How many staff does the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, PhilHealth, etc.? Why so? Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? Number of pages How many pages does your paper usually have? Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? Advertisements Who are the usual sources of advertisements? In what form do advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Frequency of Publication 76
How often does the paper come out? Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? What factors contribute to the survival of the paper? Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Politics How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? 77
APPENDIX B
The interview transcriptions are in this section. Three out of the 14 interviews were done personally, one via phone and the remaining 10 were done through e-mail.
Interviews conducted via e-mail were done in English, while personal and phone interviews were a mixture of English and Filipino. One interview used Kapampangan in minimal parts of the interview.
The legend R will be used to indicate the researcher’s words in the interview, while interviewee’s parts will used their initials.
Interviewee: Ashley Manabat, Punto! Central Luzon Date of Interview: April 3, 201 R: What is the history of Sun Star po? AM: I started with Sunstar with the wire services. In Sun Star Clark, Subic, Mabuhay. There are a lot of Sun Star here, it is the advent of community journalism. That 1995, the beginning, it was November 1995 and then although before that there were a lot of local newspapers already pero weekly. Pampanga used to be known as the killing fields of local newspapers because of its proximity to Manila. Advertisement will come up on the same day at the same time. Unlike in Cebu the national dailies arrive in Cebu by noon time or after lunch by then community journalism became the byword because of the changing reference of people. They want to read community journalism which is more detailed, which is more neighborly, which is more familiar rather than read newspapers, stories that are irrelevant to their everyday lives. With that advent of the bustling economic activity of Clark freeport before it was Clark economic zone most specially the Clark International Airport, then it became a catalyst for development. That is why not only local newspapers thrive, there were daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, there were radio programs, radio stations and even, as a matter of fact television stations here, several of them. Including national television stations which are now branch out in Pampanga like ABS-CBN, GN 44, blank TV is regional unlike ABS and GN and there's another one, UNTV. They all have base of operations here. They all have their branches here. Unlike CLTV, is the first regional television network here in Central Luzon. Unfortunately, they do their news broadcast in Tagalog because their target audience is the whole of the region and the region is not speaking in Kapampangan. Unlike ABS- CBN in Pampanga and GN 44 especially GN 44, those two, they really target the Kapampangan people, the Kapampangan region. Not only the Kapampangan in region but also the kapampangans in Tarlac, the Kapampangans in Bataan there are 78
Kapampangans in Nueva Ecija, the Kapampangan region is wide but that was a long time ago. R: Sir how about our newspapers po? Di ba hindi rin sila Kapampangan? AM: We have a provincial ordinance, if you are publishing a local newspaper, you should be publishing atleast one Kapampangan column that is why we have Kapampangan columnist so to nurture the Kapampangan dialect or language itself, every local newspaper has a small corner where we advocate Kapampangan culture, language and others. R: Are present po ba, masasabi niyo po ban a the present newpapers here in Pampanga are still thriving po ba? AM: Yes definitely! They are still thriving. You can judge by how many of them now, easily I can count almost 10. There are locals, weekly, dailies, there are a lot. With the advent of social media now, there are digital newspapers now like I-orbit, Rappler, Bulatlat. Iorbit was established last October by the Pampanga Press Club. Because everybody has their gadgets now, just look around. Social Media is very much relevant. Journalism is different, It is the history at a day. R: How long are you writing na po? AM: I was a journalist before around 1995. So it is different if you are a writer of a journalist. R: Sir will you describe the newspapers here in Pampanga as true to their, di ba po they are expected to tell the stories of the community? AM: Yes! They are thriving. In the Philippines, people are looking at local newspaper differently because more detailed, you can read your neighbors, read relevant things happening in your environment. That is why people read local newspapers now, although they also read national dailies because of the controversy generated by our national leaders, by actors, actresses, celebrities, by the national circle, but generally now local newspapers are thriving because of the economic activity generated by the airport, the Clark airport and the Subic airport. Like SM Clark would not advertise in the Inquirer or the Bulletin, or Star because their target audience is the Kapampangan and it costs a lot and waste of money because nobody from Mindanao will go to the sale. Nobody from the Visayas will go here just to buy from the sale. So they would rather advertise in Sun Star, Punto, Observer, Business Week, The Voice, because you know why? Dito lang siya eh. They get the money from here and it going to be circulated. R: Punto publishes twice a month po ba siya? AM: Punto publishes twice a month. A weekly then became a daily, then it was affiliated with Philippine Star at present not anymore. During its long history of 10 years, then it became affiliated with Philippine Star for quite a while. And then it broke off, it became thrice a week, for economic reasons also. So we realize we compete head to head with Sun Star. So we realized it was quite effective, we stayed for three times a week. But with less activity, we try to experiment for twice a week but it was also effective. We beat the weeklies by one issue, we are far behind with the dailies, because we come up with stories which are not even in the dailies. So as much as possible, we take care of our stories, to be more detailed more appropriate to Kapampangans. R: Sir our thesis po kasi, we are interviewing community newspapers in Central Luzon po. Ano pa ba things you can share with me, in Central Luzon? 79
AM: Pampanga is the cradle of Philippine Journalism and I think that is undisputed. All the best newspapers, all the best TV staions and radio stations are based in Pampanga. And the most active press club is in Pampanga Press Club by three years. Pampanga Press Club is group of journalists not necessarily Kapampangan but based in Pampanga. They write in different mediums like newspapers, broadcast journalism, TV and radio and even now with the advent of social media, the Iorbit news the news portal. But the Kapampangan in news media incorporated is a group of senior Kapampangan journalists. You’re cannot be a member of the KANMI of you don't have a kapampangan blood. It is an exclusive group. There was a time in the past, that all the captains of the industry of media in Manila are kapampangan. In kapampangan in media is a group of senior kapamapngan, when I mean senior, I mean senior. Most are retired but others are still actively writing columns. Other are about to retire like Dr. John Manalili, sila kasi career eh. Kapampangan in Media are group of senior kapampangans based in Manila mostly although there members based here. So you cannot be a member if you are not a kapampangan and your don't have atleast 10 year of writing experience as a journalist. In the Pampanga press club, you cannot be a member if you don't have 5 years writing experience behind you. Based on your output, based on your deportment, character as a member of the press. Wala ka dapat major na kaso. Otherwise you will be kicked-out by the news agency or media outfit and especially the Pampanga Press Club. R: Paano po nakakatulong yung mga organizations na iyon? AM: When you go to the field or beat there are dangers, provincial journalists are the mostly killed for example here in Pampanga, "tayo ang pinapatay." People especially the partisans, the corrupt ones beleive in the sunshine principle. We try to expose that by writing on their dirty tactics. R: How about in politics po, kamusta po ang mga community newspapers? AM: In politics, community press is highly affected that's why we try to maintain our credibility as a journalist. Because if that is compromise, that is a huge problem. A journalist's credibility is the most imp thing people believe. If you are not credible and nobody will believe you. R: What's the difference between citizen and real journalism? AM: Real journalism does not hide behind a pseudonym. We do not hide behind a troll account or whatever. "Ako yung record holder sa Inquirer and Sun Star ng libel cases." That is why our role is very important as members of the fourth state, watchdogs of society. That is why our credibility is very important so that we can police not only our own ranks but also the community. Because community journalism is the in thing now. You are a journalist, you write objectively, your write as much as possible balance. You can use your common sense. If you start covering something, "dapat pinagaralan mo na yun. Sino ba yung mga personalities dito. Sino yung involved dito." No stories worth dying for. Kapag alam mong delikado jan wag kang pupunta jan, tanga ka kaoag pupunta ka jan. Ang dami na ngang pinapatay sakin eh, Because we are the unheralded, we are the low temple of the organization. That is why they silence us. Community journalism cover the political side which is one aspect of the society, meeron din crime jan, may economics, sports and lifestyle. So if you are a community journalist you should be adaptable and flexible. Pero dito we cover everything because general assignment due to the set-up of media organizations.Although some newspapers nakikiprint lang like Punto, twice a week, wala kaming printing press. At that time yung Conrad Ad and Hour 80
Foundation from Germany, nagbibigay yan ng Printing Press, unfortunately di kami nakakakuha kasi masyadong mahal they cost five million to ten million. R: How does your newspaper cope with the times like today’s digital age? AM: Digital age, meron na kaming website so it multiplies the newspaper into much readers as you want. Even if you are in Alaska, if you have internet you can access Punta. You can access news about your neighbors or your community. Although advertisers like SM they would see the hardcopy. R: How do you publish stories? How do you edit your stories? AM: I was the last editor of Sun Star Clark and first editor of Sun Star Pampanga when it was acquired by the Laus Group. Then I was the founding editor of the Central Luzon Daily Headline ng Gitnang Luzon, Banner Central Luzon. I was the editor of The Voice. It up to you how you multiply your pay. Pag lumabas sa Business Mirror, ilalabas ko rin sa Punto.Sa Punto, tingnan mo naman maraming advertisements.There wasa time 36 pages or 37 pages, 38 page syung dyaryo so most of teh the time mga ten pagesa ang madals minsan nagiging eight peor very rare lang yun most of the time ten or twelve misnand 16 so ibig sabihin twice a week lang kaming umalabas meron akming institutionalize ads na dumadating. For instance, Cebu pacicific, kung mag ad institutionalize yan so they pay in a year. So included na sila s abudget so kapag nagdedeliberate ng budget angCP meron na silang appropruate amount na akaearmakrk foradvertisements nila.minsna naman meron silang advertsiers sa aknila, deang advertisingcompanies a ren ating lang tatalnan products at kumpanya kaybat ilang maghandle professionally karing advetrisements da.minsan ilang kadeal mi ren. Teh amrketing department is the one that ahdles tha. It should be completely independent R: So meron po talaga staff ang newspaper for marketing. AM: Yes, dapat dpaat otehrwise we will not survive. Yun na nga ang sinasabi ko. Kais nagkakaroonngconflct of interest. How can you be intervieweing me at the same time getting my advertisarial or whatever. Diba? Definietly slanted na. R: Sino po nag usual sources of advertisements po ng Punto? AM: CP, Air Asia, samga airline companies Kantar pero yung CP isntitustionalize yan. Kaya minsan kapag may adverse na story sa kanila kung minsna kung hindi naman importante hindi na anammin pinapalabas. Otherwise we lose their advertisement.Pero kung talagang necessary we inform them we need to comeup with this story butyou better put your side. Sbai nilaokay, eto yung side naman. Balansiado. R: May ganon incident na po ba? AM: Definitely angdami. R: Pinipigilan pong… AM: Ay hindi nila pinipigilan kapag pinipigilan then we drop them of the paper but they are professionla they know na hindi pwede yan. Dito s atrabaho natin, alaht professional ang mag akusap mo. Otherwise what will distinguish you from the tsismosa.Magkanu ing institutionalie ad, minsa 100000. R: In a year? AM: Wa.Mnsan mayna ya pa ita. For example, nung siguro full color ya ing full pagesiguro mga 20,000 ya. Dinan meng dicount skasi institutionalize ya,. Nung every week atin ya, magkanu ya? O once a week yaat least four times a month ya, 4 times 12 tapos times 20,000. Apin ita. Not so much king circulation pero kingadvetrsiers. Minsan ating lang pagagawang adveroral story ay pero advertisementya. 81
R: May disclaimer po ba? AM: Hindi walang disclaimer meron lang this is an advertorial. Minsna ala oneng balu mu naman. R: Mas dependent po nag mga newspapers sa advertisements kaysa sa circulation? AM: Yung circulation talaga wala yan. Ating kang web page. Ot salwan ke ing dyaryu nung atin namanglibre. Itdoes not ake any sense nung talagang magconcentrate ka keng circulation. You lose. That is why maka 10 pesos ya mu.ala naman ping sasali. R: Mga ilang newspapers po ang nabibili?
AM: 1,000 lagi yan. Ang supreme courts naglabas ng resoultion dapat ang newspaper of general circulation. Dpaat eto ang number of copies na pipiniprint nya.otehr wiser id kapwedeng tumanggap ng extra-judicial announcmenet.oren deng matas my rin. Can you imagine bawat etung aren tsa 6,000 namu.Kadan mu nung per page 10,000 nung 10 pages ya yan e di 100,000 pero nu g eka magcomply ketang supreme court resultion makananu menbfg tanbggapan ita? That’s why you have to com-ply. Atin lang size ding fontna ela pwedeng malait,ela pwedeng maragul. Anggang ding national makanyan mu naman. Ati mo ding mafoforeclose ang property dapat advertise dala naan den. Atin mong mikawani kayu ning asawa mu meannull ka. Atin mo pepa change kang lagyu. Deta pipapaten da la den ning local newspapers kasi maragul ing panakitan den. R: Kailan po naestablish ang putnto? AM: 2007, Ala ya pa yatang10 years. R: Sino pong owner? AM: Lazatin. Not the Lazatin poliutician, Tarzan lazatin. Lazatin of San Fernando. R: Jimmy Lazatin? AM: Pinsan na la. R: Sila na po ang owner dati pa? AM: Yes. R: Paano po naapektuhan ng mga owners yung newspaper? May parang say po ba ang mga owners? AM: Meron pero syempre alam naman nila yung newspapering business is all about. R: How did Punto come about? AM: Yung Lazatin nagbigay ng pera gusto niyang magtayo ng newspaper.SO kinausuap ang mga kakilala nila. Si Edgar Mobido yung unang kinausuap nila. Kais karing local newspapers keni ing pinakamalambat dili ing The Voice e. Dekada ne yan e.1940s ya pa yata ngeni. Manalakad kang anggang nanung dyaryo keni, mathrive ya because of the economic, bustling economy off the clark free port, Angelescity, mabalacat. And even the airport, darakal la ring flights ken. Makaanchor ngan ingpaag asa na ning Kapampangan ken snaa magtake off na. R: Nung umalis po ba ang mga Americans, humina po ba? AM: Remenber nagkaroon ng pinatubo. The americans were forced out of Pinatubo. 1991 the senate decided tto nuliffy the military base agreement. Anggang atyu laring Americano ken ing empleyado naning Calrk 19,000 ngeni 100.000. Can you imagin from 19 to20 thousand time ng Amerikano.meging lang 100,000 and still growing. Dati lima lang locator ken. Balu mu ngeni pilan, 900 business locator. Yung mga hotels ngayon dyan ang dami. So yung rvenues yun mga institutional ads tsak yung mag extra judicial 82 legal ads. Ren ding lifeline da ring newspaper. Ding alway fly by night lang newspaper, magprint lang 50 copies bahta lang manikwa ka ring legal ads. R: Meron na po bang newspaper sa Pampanga na parang natigil? AM: Marami. R: Kailan po ang pinakamadaming newspaper? AM: Ngayon. Because of the economic activity dakal. R: Ano po yung usual market ng Punto? AM: Ing circulation naman, kasilibre lamu,kami pamye milamu, although karing newstands present la. Kasi ring advertisers lalung lau na ing SM ela mag-advertise nung alayu king newstands. Karing malls, coffeeshops, karing bangko, oren ding didinan da ring circulation manager. Karin laring ammaasa e. Ampo karing opisina,atin mu ring magsubscribe. Atin kami rin pung subscription. R: Pero usually po sa mga establishments po talga? AM: Oo, karing library local government units? R: Yung circulationpo ba ng Punto in the past 10 years increasing or decreasing? AM: Increasing kasi we are still in and atthe sam time as evidence by our website which gets 100 or close to 100 hits a day every time a new issue is uploaded. R: Kailan po nagstatrt ang website? AM: Matagal na halos kasabay ng paper. E ne kalupa ning iOrbit, Bulatlat,Rappler deng atin lang breaking news nung ating milyari atyu ne agad. Ikami ali.Nung ala mung bayung newspaper. R: Sir sabi nyo po Punto’s circulation is increasing, ano po sa tingin nyo ang mga factors… AM: No no no I did not say thecirculation is increasing. The readers are increasing as evidence by the number of hits of our website kasi itang kekaming ciruculation is always 1000. R: Hind po nag-iincrease? AM: Pwera na lang for example I apung lolita mo meg-advertise ya kekami.karela ya ing rights na ning SCTEX. 19 signages na ning NLEX, Pampanga’s best exit makanta. Print ye adang makanta. O kaya nung mikabit ya forntpage pasalwal yu kaming300 copies makanyan. Oyta mag-increase kami. Pero usually 1000. That’s the minimum. Ating rules. Tsaka ing printing press e naka tanggapan nung paprint kang 500, ya naman nung paprint kang 500 at 1000. R: Magkano po ba ang pagpiprint? AM: 8 pesos ata per page. I;m not so sure. R: Ano po yung pinakabulk na expense ng isang dyaryo? AM: Ayan sa printing press. Magkanu ing bayaran mu ken 20,000 to 30,000 for 1000 copies. O ding sweldu da pa ring magobra atin kami pangtilities abyaran.sulu, ilaw, danum, telepono, internet, although maka-ex deal la rin. Like ing internet, emiya babayaran.Atin yang advertisement ing Converg kekami just to offset. Gamitan me ring ing common sense. For example ring correspondents mi ating lang 300 pesos per story a lulwal kekami e do namna collectan.kasdan mu matipun la.After two months, three months karin do kwanan. R: Ganyan po ba lahat ng community newspapers per article po yung bayad? AM: Wa. King Manila per column centimeter ing bayad. Oneng keni ditak la ring staff kaya bibilangan da no mu ring story. 83
R: May benefits po ba ;ike SSS, Philheallh.. AM: Ding office workers atin la. Pero ikaming correspondence ala kami kais e na kami man regular e. E na kami man covered kin kayi R: Ilan po yung number ng correspondents… AM: Ah madakal la. Atin sigurung apulu. Pwera pa staff. King office siguru seven or eight la ring regular? R: Growing po ba ang revenuw ng punto? AM: Siguru.Nagbibigay silang bonus. R: Ano po ang nagcocontribute sa growing revenue? AM: Advertisers R: Mas amrami pong advertisers? AM: Yeah yeah maraming advertisers, institutionalize ads, minsan emu na balu advertorial ya pala. Although ngeni didinan milang this is a paid advertisements R: So yung usual sources of revenue nyo po? AM: Advertsiements in the form of instutionalize ads. Legal ads den talaga ring magdala R: Yung expenses po ba nag-iincrease po ba? AM: Circulation den, printing ding expenses. R: Are you losing or gaining po? AM: Yung overhead naman merong bibanabayaran na utilities, regualr employess, gasolina mga empleyado yun lang hidni nag-iincrea eyan. Kung merong special operationsfor examples may binabayaran kang 300 copies na ganito, 500 copies merong corresponding amount of monye na nakalaan dyan. R: May mga llowance po ba ang mga writers? AM: Meron din lalong lalo na kung malaya. Common sense lang din gianagamait nila. R: Yung pages po ng Punto ilan? AM: Yung usual is 12. pero sometimes nagtitipid tayo kung wala namang advertsiements ot magtwelve ka ot enaka mag 8 syaang la ring 4 pages magkanu la rin deta. Pero ngeni malagad na kami mung mag 10 uling madakal advertisments. Oneng minsna anggang madakal advertisementmag 12 ya pa ya murin bawasanan na no mu ring stories. R: 12 na po talaga sicne 10 years ang Punto? AM: Ali, Not necessary 12 but we try to maintain 12. Most papers 8, 10. Ngeni atin ring 5, 6 kanita ali malyari ing makanyan. R: Paano nyo po idedescribe ang content? AM: Lahat naman binabanatan namin. Politika . yung mga police stories laging anyan yan. R: Kapag lection po ba kumakapal siya? AM: Kapag election the same. Marami lang mga poliutical stories. R: How will you describe the economic condition of the province? AM: Very healthy.In fact yung quarry industry, maraguyl, 1 million a day in revenue. Ukarin ka mantung probinsya 1 million a day ya ing rveeneu king quarry pa. R: Stady growth po ba? AM: Yes yes. Specially now with Nanay Baby R: Ano po ang main indutsry ng province for you? AM: Quarry. It was a curse nung Pinatubo but now number one ang quarry. R: Yung po bang growunge economy helpful s aPunto? AM: Yes, hindi lang sa punto sa ibang community newsppaers din and other medium. 84
R: Do you think po ba magiging continuous? AM: Sana, many are syaing na its the end of community newsppaers industry. Because people now a days want everything via fingertip na lang. Pero I doubt that. Newspapers will still be. Even Punto. It will be along time for Punto to fall down kasi very idneepntde ya ing Ounto.Eya beholden to anyone We can put out any story we want. R: As journalist po ba? In ten years po ba? AM: Yes, journalists they never retire.
Interviewee: Regional Director William Beltran, Philippine Information Agency Date of Interview: April 7, 2017 R: What is the PIA definition of the community newspapers? WB: Well, for PiA community newspapers are also vital just like what the mainstream newspapers are. WHen you say community newspapers, it contains information about the community. It is on a smaller scale because it touches more on the basic necessities, the basic information needs of a particular community. And since PIA is the focal information, public information and development communication of our government, it is also our mandate to inform the public about what the government programs, projects and services are. Meaning itongmga to, itongmgabinabalitanamin would help the community. That's why it is very very important also that community information, information from the national are also cascaded to the community. And the role of community newspapers doonpumapasok. Di ba? If there are community newspapers, there around circulating di ba in the communities mas magiging well informed I would like to supposed. Mas magiging well informed yungmga citizens. R: So how does the agency poba, what's the relationship of PIA with community newspapers po? WB: Okay, how would you define community newspapers on your course? R: Community newspapers their circulation is within community po. WB: Provincial or those are local newspapers. The question is? R: How would you decribe the relationship of the agency with community newspapers circulating around? WB: Atleast I would speak for Region III. Atleast we have a very strong linkage with community newspapers. I would not call them community newspapers, I will call them local newspapers or provincial newspapers. The relationship is so strong because we feed them news, we feed them press releases about the government programs, projects and services which they publish in their publications. Their releases usually kasi many are weekly. Few are daily. Other few are forthnightly. In a sense we help them because of that relationship, we are able to help them. Nafafacilitatenaminyung work nila because we supply news to them nanagagamitnilasa publication nila. Kasi di ba when we say community newspapers it has limited, very very limited resources. It has very very limited funding, it has very very limited manpower also. Kung meronsilang writers, very limited also who could just do a little. So the PIA dun pumapasok. We feed them news naginagamitnila for publication. So more or less, yung work burden ng community newspapers, or these provincial newspapers napapagaan ng kontikahitpapaanobecuase of the releases we're issuing. 85
R: So you mention pokaninana you won't call them as community newspapers but you'll call them as local/provincial newspapers. Why so? WB: They are also regional. Kasi there are newspapers that circulate on a regional context. Parang ganun. Why so? Because, provincial naman is also a community, But I would like them to, kasi for example, we don't call our local media, local media. I call them provincial media. SO atleast there is this context, their anokasi, their kasi when you say community yung concept natin ng community is very minimal. I mean very, what do you call that, hindi very malaki. When you say community it's just a small community parang ganunna small area langangsakop. But when you see a province it gives atleast a distinction to the newspaper that it circulates around the province and it caters to the information needs of a particular province. R: So yunlangpo mas malakiyungsakop ng provinvce? Sir they say pokasina community newspapers tell the stories of the community. Do you think our local newspapers are successful in doing so? WB: Okay. To some extent yes but there's just like everything else. There are lot of things that our community newspapers should do. I think angnagkukulangkasi they touch more kasion political issues, on government issues mgaganun. They tackle those. What lacks is that they do not tackle more on the people's needs. Like for example, they may kasi parang pwedenilanggawin like, they may expose, they may report a particular need of a particular barangay so that these could reach a higher level. Meaning, yung need nayun because of their reporting sanamakakatulongsila dun sacommunity nayun o dun sa barangay nayun to raise that concern or issue. Let's say for example to the government, to the concerned government agency or maybe even to the president if that issue or concern is pressing. R: But the local newspapers are influences? WB: Local Newspapers are very minimal very minimal yungnapapansinnaminsamgaganun. R: Sir does PIA still conduct studies on newspapers poba? Bec the last data nameronpois 2010. Bakitpo kaya? WB: Actually hindimasyado. First it’s not really our mandate. Our mandate really is to inform the public. About government projects, programs and services. Our main mandate is to make our citizens well informed so that they can make better decisions in life. SO far as research, we do researches as it's not, we have not tackled yet about community newspapers. I think in many many years na.Kasi hindinaminsiya mandate because PIA just serve as partners. So we do not really regulate community newspapers, we serve as their partners. R: Pero yung last statistics niyopoilanpoyungcommunity newspapers nameronpoang central luzon? WB: For the whole country I don’t have the figure. I don’t have the exact. That is also the problem of PIA. Because we don't really regulate. If we update our directory. We just rely on the things nakakilala. So yungmganarereceivenaminnameron, hindinaminmamomonitorlahat. I mean the exact figure, we don't have that. Ang meronlangkami yungmganakikita naming active or we were informed about their existence. Through nagpapadalasila ng copy saaminmgaganun. R: Mgailanpoyungmasasabiniyo? 86
WB: Can I just email you. I don't have the exact figure. Email naminsayoyung media profile. So you would have, just regional context langyun ha. If the only update. so hindinamin ma R: How will you describe the condition of the community newspapers here in Central Luzon. WB: Well in terms of proficiency, they're very very good. In terms of proficiency. Proficiency very good I think also credibility is also okay. Quite good naman. The real challenge of community newspapers is really funding on how to sustain their operations. R: Does government provide funding? WB: No because we, sabikongawalakamingclout over those. The PIA has no clout over provincial or regional media because sabikonga partner lang kami. R: Why do you say pona proficient ang community newspaper WB: Because I've seen their releases. R: Sa credibility namanpo? WB: On credibility I have seen organizations or newspaper management nakapagnakitanilayungisang reporter nilana he's really not doing good, meronginagawang they fire him or her out. Mgaganungbagay. Meorngmgaganungpolicies sila. I mean another one on credibility is that, their credible because they do not write just to write. They really dig deep into the information needed. R: Anong community newspaper in Central Luzon, province wise. Anong province ponaparang mas overreacting? WB: Okay, it;s in Pampanga. We have Pampanga very very active also Tarlac. R: How about po like Zambales? WB: Zambales, kokonti because of geographic location. Ang busy district of Zambales is Olonggapo and Subic di ba? Pero if you go to Iba, which is the capital, I think angmga newspaper doonisa lang or dalawa in the whole because of geographic location. R: So how importantpo is the geographic location po to the viability of community newspapers? WB: Very important because like for example, when we say geographic, yung Pampanga kasi is the center of the region. So more or less very busy yung province so there are a lot of information that you could publish, write about and publish. But for Zambales kasi, yung geography ng Zambales and I think also it would matter also yng demographics. Like yung Pampanga compared to Zambales is not really well off, so yungmgaganungbagay. R: Iyunnaman pong proximity to metro Manila, do you think poba may effect rinpoiyonsamga community newspapers? WB: Yes. I think yung proximity to Manila, because Manila is anonamanyunyungpinakatalagangmainstream natin. Eh kung baga parang yunyungdun kalatyung media dun kalatyungmganewspapers. Ang pinaka proximate natinnaprovince sa Region III to Manila is Bulacan. But from community newspapers, Bulacan is also doing well. They have a lot but I think it also affects because the information from, I mean newspapers from Manila, reaches very easily di ba? To Bulacan. Mga tabloid, mgaganyan. So they would rather, it's not really a significant factor but somehow it affects. Because yunnga, people living proximately to Manila, on a personal anonalang ah. I think, I would rather buy tabloids national tabloids compared to provincial. So that's 87 why in Bulacaneven if it is provimate to Manila, there is no daily. There's no daily provincial newspaper, everything is ano weekly. R: Pero maramirin pong community newspapers? WB: Yes, quite a number din. Pero out of the provinces, Pampanga poyung may pinakamarami? Yes yes. And yung Pampanga yungmeronsiyangmore regular issues. R: Sir yunnaman pong economy of Central Luzon. How would you describe yung economy of Central Luzon in relation to information and communication? WB: Kasi in terms of economy pag economically viable angisang province, di ba more or less newspapers community or provincial will thrive. Because there will be people who will be interested to find the publication mgaganunor to serve as their dragon business. If its economically viable many people who are inclined to information really would try to make information also a business mgaganun. I will not tackle on, on ano community newspapers one sample ko is TV. R: In Pampanga, we have a right of TV, TV stations operating. Why? WB: Because Pampanga is economically viable. Very very progressive. Now business men will look at the information as pet. Kasi di ba if you have business, it’s not just pure business. You have to promote also and to advertise. So one way of advertising is information. And where do you get information? It's through print, through broadcast mgaganyan. A business man, for example if he has a business eh di gawinnaniyangmagtayosiya ng sariliniyang station. Di ba? So that the advertising of his TV nacacater ng station at the same time yung TV is a business in itself narin. Same throughtwith newspapers ganun din. It serves as an avenue also for a business to thrive. Kasi yunngalibrenayung advertising mo, at the same time makakakuha ka pa ng advertisement from organizations, business and government even. And bakitnilaginagawayan? Because the purchasing power of Pampanga or any province namedyoeconomically viable. malakas di bayungpurchasing power. And they have to competitions. They have a lot of, say for example your business is about cars. You have a lot of competition mgaganun, selling cars and all BUt if you have this business alongside your car business, di bayung advertising of your car business, nacacaterna for free by your ano. R: Aside from Pampanga poba, are other provinces in Central Luzon in your opinion economically viable? WB: Well Central LUzonnaman generally, is eonomically viable. One it's because of its proximity to Manila. So the travel of goods is very easy. Travel of products and services is very easy. Pampanga and BUlacan are the most proximate. So that's why Pampanga and Bulacan are very progressive.Among all provinces of Central Luzon. But there are provinces also in our region na even if compared other provinces of other regions medyoangatsila but for the region medyomababasila like Nueva Ecija, Zambales mgaganun. R: Eh Aurora po? WB: Aurora ookasamayung Aurora. But they have their own mechanism naman on how to cope up di ba? But in terms of the seven provinces, talking about the seven provinces it is really Pampanga and Bulacan which thrives. R: Sir how do you think the existence of TV stations in the region affects the print industry. 88
WB: Yes. Okay. It affects the print industry especially the weekly because one, TV stations provide news and information. Not really instantaneous di ba? Mas mabilis di ba? Compared to weekly newspapers affected. That's why a lot of newspapers now aside from national also provincial and regional newspapers have an explored social media so that they could make sabay with the tv stations di ba in terms of bringing information to the people in a more, in a quicker manner. R: In talking about social media po, how does social media affect the community newspapers po? WB: Well it affects the, social media actually natatabunanniyayung print. If you produce hard copies, print hardcopies of information or newspaper for that matter, labasniyan let's say for example today yung news, bukas pa anglabasniyan. Social media anjanna eh. It's in the instancy of the news. R: In your opinion, are they competition? Makakatulongpobasila? Sir: For me social media should compliment the print. For me kaasi, we don't have regulatory, no regulation in social media. Everybody can post. Everything can be posted. Yun langanglaban ng print. If it's on social media, social media you can post real time. DIba? Halimbawangcocover ka, halimbawainiinterviewmoakongayon. You can post anytime kung anoyungsinabikona.Bt print for print, and advantage ng for print because magpriprint pa sila di ba? it has to take a day pa. They would have the chance of verifying the information. More or less I'm not saying that information in social media is not credible or they are not accurate. Just the same and point kolang, print media have te elbow time to verify information before they print it out or before disseminating the information. R: Sir what can you say about the coverage of community newsapers on government newsppaer and policies? Anopomasasabiniyosacovergae ng community nespaperssa policies? Kunyaripo you gave them press releases po, as is pobanilangpriniprint? WB: No! Some media would do that kasinganaman if it's press releases it's for everybody. But some media would always dig deeper into the issue. If it’s a press release syempre its more advantageous to the part to release it di ba? Bacuasehindinaaalteryung angleyung message. but of course some media would lways find a way di ba? To dig deeper into the stories. So para mas mapahaba pa ganun.Para mas mapahabappa and para mas maging more comprehensive yung story. R: Meronpo bang mga news na parang news nanirereleaseyungmga community newspapers naparang medyoaltering message? So far wala pa namankamingnamonitornaganun. Or yunganopo? WB: That is why PIA and the private media atleast here in the regional area we are partners. We haven't experienced that nanaalteryung message.Parang kasiang viewpoint ng media natindito, if the release come from PIA, it must be good. More or less its more truthful and accurate. SO parang yunyungnagiging parang on their own yunyungnagiging contribution nila for development contribution. R: Yung PIA namanpo, on your part poba, parang how do you deal poba, is there an issue on the president. Is it you mandate poba to defend the president? WB: Yes. We do not really defend. I don't like that term, defend. But siguroang term konalang is to bridge the gap, we bridge the gap between the president's pronouncement with how will the media perceive like for example yungsinabi ng president. Ang role 89 namin is paanobanamin to mapapaintindisa media na it's not the way they think. So it’s really bridging. R: Di namanponagcoconflict? WB: If there are attacks to the president, we monitor. but not the role of PIA to issue message but is is the role of presidential communications. We will raise that to malacanang, then the PCOO will release messages. PIA will disseminate messages. PIA langangang may on the ground communication. Each sitting president is distinct. May kanyakanyangatake depending on how they percieve things and how they see things more viable and more applicable. R: Halos lahatpo ng pinapatayna journalists po ay situated samga community newspapers? WB I think maybe yungmga media killings it's because the media conerned attacks somebody na influential. If you are not that influential you will not kill. I mean if that media is not credible or kung hindi credible and kung hindi somehow totooyung report di ba? There are ways on how to eviate di ba? Pero if you resorted to killing, that means na guilty ka. So it's the credibility of the media and the accuracy of the report. Because nathre-threaten yung other side. Meron ding kasing media killings na media related but this is very kokonti in line of work meron may utang lang. so parang away langtalaga. Community newspapers tackles what is happening around the community, around the region, around the prvince. They are more intimate doonsa issues surroundng the locality or the province. R: Do you think community newpspaers who use the dialect cater the community? WB: Community news this is the reality, if youre not a daily id ka for benta. Like for example ditosa Pampanga, ang daily namin, Sun Star. So it is really for sale market ka. Challenge is funding really and also marketing. How do you market. Kaya ngayungSun Star ang subscription mga offices tapos may mga complimentary pa samga government agencies or LGUs mgaganun. In terms of marketing mahirapna daily pa yan. Panopag weekly ka may bibiliba ng weekly? Wala! Kaya circulation ng weekly natin, bakasaisangdyaryomaraminayung one thousand and yung one thousand nayunbakitnabubuhaysila? Now angadvertisemntpag community newspaper, kaya sabiko TV yung most viable. Pag print ka na weekly ka, angadvetismentmo very limited mga kung sa judicial R: Kailanganpo one thousand ang circulation di ba? WB: Yes R: Sun Star owned by the Laus Sir? How does ownership affects coomunity newspapers? Since its owned by Laus businessmen. Like for example like GMA is owned by Guazon, so therthanthe network may other businesses posila. So if the news is against a certain business? WB: Yun yungsinasabikosayo that is an advantage of course if you own it, you have your advertisement free for your business and at the same time no attacks. At the same time on that media channel that you have. R: Does it affect poba the credibility of community newspapers if ganunpoba? WB: Well I think, if its runned by a private business man it doesn't di ba? Pero if it's ran by a political personality, it is. The reality is that people will not go that. So kung ganun like for example, you have one thousand copies of that newspaper, you distribute it to one thousand people and you own that, and negative personality mo. May issue sayoperohindi ka inaatake ng dyaryonaito instead yungdinidistributanmona one thousand, 90 tinginmoilanyung may alamnaang may ari is politiko. So if you will conduct a survey about that, credibility issue the one thousand, out of the one thousand people baka less than a hundred lang mag no. So still malalaki pa rin. R: Yung agency pobanagkaroonna ng tie up like seminars and forums samga community newspapers before? WB: Yes what we do pero it’s not really on capability build up. Earning capability building on writing hindiganun. Ours is more on issues mgaganun. Let's say for example forum on west Philippine sea, we gather media. Another on is we gather media because there is this project of NCCA they arepromoting something mgaganun. R: Anopoyung most recent naginawaniyo? WB: I think it was in December yung NCC. We had pala last December, we invited media for aworkshop with pro Metrobank foundation so it’s really aon journalism. R: Responsive namanpobayungmgacoomunitymedi when you conduct those things? WB: Yes they participate. Becasuekasingakokonti. If meronmgaganun aside from source ng mga news nilayun for their channel they get to learn something. So it's really a gain on their part. R: In your opinion how does community newspapers help the country po? WB: Well, one is somehow community newspapers perpetuate the culture of the industry naanjan pa rinyung print natin. Nanjan pa rinyung print natin despite modern technological advances other than perpetuating. Kasi community newspapers help also in, one thing din is they help government, they help even private organizations and business organizations about their life. For example ngayungmga publications naganyan. Aside from it is mura, compared to advertiisng in Manila based newspapers mas mura to. In terms of info sharing, I think doonkailangan ng medyoayudapa especially now kasiyung information natin, everybody has a cellphone na. The modern communication way is really cellphone na. Di ba? So that is why malakingepektoyunsacomuunity newspapers natin. So in terms of information yungpagdownload ng information doonsa community, medyonanganganidyungcoommmnewsppanatin. The life our community newspapers is in peril aside from kasinga challenged nangayungfundng and the yung market pa nilamedyomahirapnnagipenetrate. Because of the new technological advances we have, I mean the modern communication way is through cellphone. I think it will not perish naman. Yung media natin, a lot of media kasi is passionate about their craft, about what they are and who they are. Yung concern nilaanjan pa rinlagi. R: Will there be chance of growth poba? WB: We are speaking about the hardcopy. I think what's the best way for our commmunity newspapers to cope up is to search through the waves of change also. Instead of having or selling hardcopies why not explore online, Online community newpapers. Not all newspapers stands have Sun Star in their selling. I thinkI just don't know kung meronnang, I think meronnamanna online payment for online portals. But not all can pay through oline. So if you are selling a community newspaper online you have to compliment this especially at the barangay level. But you cannot sell your community newspapers tojust ordinary citizens, butyou can sell those to barangay captains. The market of community newspapers really different na.
Interviewee: Lourdes “Lulu” Levera, Bataan Chronicle Date of Interview: April 10, 2017 91
LL: Kasi lahat umaasa doon sa raffle. Ay hindi, sila ano sila. Hindi ko alam kung anong ginagawa nila. Malakas silang magkapera. R: ‘Yung ibang newspapers po? Prior to 1996 po ba? Kasi tinayo nyo po ‘to kasi parang hindi nyo po nakikita na nagke-cater po ba ‘yung mga newspapers sa dapat i-cater po nila? LL: Oo, kasi ako ‘yung mga tricycle driver association dito lagi kong binibigyan tsaka lahat ng munisipyo pinapadalhan ko. Tapos ‘yung hindi ko ma-afford na lahat ‘yung dapat ‘yung mga barangay captains sana para sa mga constituents nila. Isa sa kinatutuwa ko, alam mo ‘yung mga teachers kung minsan nagsususlat sila ng article kasi ang basis ng promotion ngayon isa is they must at least have one article published in the local newspaper. Ngayon sila na ang kusang pumupunta dito hindi na ako. Marami nang pumupunta dito. Pumupunta na sila dito. ‘Yun naman ang bayad doon 500 kung pinublish ko, kung sila ang gumawa ng article. Hindi rin naman nawawala minsan pinapagawa pa sa akin. ‘Pag ka naman ako pa ang susulat at ipupublish pa dito, sinisingil ko na ng 1500 kasi kako kapag kinumbida akong mag-lecture 2000 ang binibigay. Sabi ko kung baga parang professional fee. Tapos kung minsan ‘yung mga maliliit na ano, mga extra-judicial pagkatapos ‘yung mga bilihan, sila na rin pumupunta dito. Basta konti lang. R: Ano po ba member po ba ‘yung newspaper ng mga parang press club? ‘Yung mga organization po ng mga newspaper? LL: Noong ano, ‘yung BIND. Isa ‘yun sa mga ano. Ako ‘yung presidente nun. Lahat naman ng ano dito parang patay. Magaling lang nung una. Meron dito ‘yung Bataan Media Force. ‘Yun ano dun treasurer ako dun pero wala na rin. Tapos meron dito, Bataan Press Club, ‘yung Bataan Press Club ‘yun yung pinakamatandang organization dito. Sila- sila lang. R: Hindi po kayo member? LL: Hindi ako member doon. Sila-sila lang. R: Hindi po lahat member? LL: Dapat lahat. Meron pa dito yung national na nag-organize dito. R: Sa PAPI po ba member kayo? LL: Ano ako dun ‘yung sa education, committee on education pero ano rin ni isang beses hindi nagmi-meeting. Ngayon kakagaling lang namin dun sa national grid. Tinawagan kami. R: Ano po ‘yung national grid? LL: Sa electricity. Doon kami nagmeeting sa Subic. Lahat ng media dito kinumbida pero walo lang kaming nag-attend. Tapos ‘yung sa Zambales, ang dami nila. Siguro triple sa kadami namin. Ngayon i-o-organize kami, combined, pero naisip ko, hindi kami magkakaroon ng puwang kasi wawalo lang kami. Sila ang dami nila. Parang sinuggest ko doon na presidente na lang ang I-elect. Tapos kako dun sa vice-president for print dalawa. Isa sa kanila, isa sa amin and the rest of the position. Nag-oppose y’ung taga-Zambales. Ang sinabi nung sa Zamables ‘wag na raw magkaroon ng officers basta miyembro na lang kaming lahat ng national grid. Pero sabi ko, “The reason that we were called and the reason why we were organized para magkaroon sila ng katulong. Kung magmimiyembro tayong lahat, e di sila rin ang kikilos.” Hindi nila gusto ‘yun so ang nangyari, kanya- kanya na lang. Set of officers ng Zambales, set of officers namin. Alam mo paano namemaintain ang paper, isa pa sa nakakatulong, every three months nagpupublish ako 92 ng magazine. Ito yung binebenta ko, 40 pesos ‘yung puhunan ko dyan. 50 pesos kung tinitinda. Pang-sustain so I can print the paper. R: Kailan po pinupublish? LL: Every three months. R: Until now po ba nagpupublish? LL: Oo. R: Kapag finifeature nyo po sila nagbabayad po sila? LL: Oo. R: Kailan po kayo nagstart magpublish ng magazine? Anong year po ba? LL: Ako palagi sumusulat ng cover story. R: Kapag nafeature po sila sa magazine… LL: 10,000. Hindi naman lahat. Edi syempre ‘yung 30,000 pa ‘yung hinahanap ko. Ngayon naman yung sa anniversary. Sabihin mo ng 100 bisita o tapos 300 bawat tao, saan ko naman kukunin ‘yun? ‘Yung guest speaker na kukumbidahin ko magspo-sponsor siya. Kamukha ni Geraldine, siya ‘yung huli naming guest. Nagbigay ng 10,000. Di problema ko pa ‘yung 20,000. Gagawa akong meal tickets. So nami- meet ko ‘yun. R: Never po kayong nag-cease ng publication? LL: Hindi. Weekly pa din. At saka pagdating ng pasko, lahat ng mayor, governor, vice- mayor, may greetings. 2002 pala nag-start. Itong Bataan Women’s Magazine, Bataan Graphics na ngayon. R: Sa inyo din po ba ito? LL: Hindi na sa’kin ngayon ito. Ganito ang nangyari. Meron kaming kapisanan na ang head ‘yung asawa ng governor, si Mrs. Vicky Garcia. Noong nakita niya ito, hiningi niya na maging project siya ng Provincial Women’s Commission. Syempre asawa ng gobernador, nahihiya ka namang tanggihan. Di pumayag ako. So ‘yung first issue nya, ‘yung first issue, ako ‘yung editor-in-chief pa rin pero ‘yung condition namin every issue bibigyan akong 10,000. Hindi naman natupad ‘yun. R: Hanggang ngayon po ba nagpupublish po ito? LL: Oo. Dun sa last issue, columnist na lang ako. R: Hindi po kayo binabayaran? LL: Ay hindi. Noon pero ngayon iba na. Kung tutuusin pwede kong i-ano ‘yan pero ayoko na pagdating sa pera. R: Every kailan po pina-publish ‘yan? LL: Every three months na lang. Sa kanila na lang, hindi na sa akin. R: Pero noong 2005, kayo po ‘yung unang nag-publish? LL: Oo. R: Writer po ba talaga kayo noon pa? LL: Hindi pero noong high school ako nagsusulat ako sa school paper sa Cabanatuan City. R: Ano po ‘yung mga questions po regarding circulation, revenue kasi po ‘yung study namin sa economic side ng paper. LL: Pero kung tutuusin, there’s money in newspaper. There is money pero ‘yung money doon parang illegal naman kasi lalapit ka sa politiko hihingan mo. Halimbawa, nagpa- press conference. Tinawagan ‘yung mga ano. E ako di ako nakakatikim ng ganon.Pinagbibigyan ng pera kasi ayokong magkautang na loob sa politiko kaya’t hangga’t maari ‘wag akong manghingi Pero kunwari, meron akong ginawa, may pina- publish sila, hindi naman pwedeng hindi ako magpabayad. 93
R: Ano po ba, di ba po bago mag-start yung Bataan Chronicle, merong five existing newspapers? Hanggang ngayon po ba nag-e-exist pa po sila? LL: Oo, nag-eexist pa. Although ‘yung isa doon binenta niya. Pinagbili nya ng 200,000. R: Tapos kayo po ‘yung owner/publisher ng Bataan Chronicle? Simulat-sapul po ‘yun? LL: Oo, gusto ko ituloy ‘to kahit patay na ako. R: Sino pong magta-take-over? LL: ‘Yung anak ko. Alam mo y’ung naturo sa’kin ‘yung sa lay-outing, paggawa ng title, si Thess. Siya ‘yung editor-in-chief at gusto ko ituloy ito kahit patay na ako. Ngayon sabi ko, “Thess,” sabi kong ganyan, “‘pag ako namatay gusto ko ‘yung papel sige pa rin. I- take over mo.” Sabi niyang ganoon, “E naku, nanay pwede akong magsulat pero ang hindi ko gusto ay ‘yung kakausap ng tao.” “E ganito,” kako, “dalawa kayo ni Jun,” ‘yung youngest son ko nasa abroad ngayon. “Sa inyong dalawa ni Jun ko ibibigay. Si Jun ‘yung taga-gala, taga-attend ko tapos pagdating sa’yo, sasabihin niya kung anong ginawa.” R: Nagsusulat rin po ata si Sir Jun? LL: Oo, siya ‘yung sa from “Saudi with Love.” Nasa Saudi siya. From “Saudi with Love” ‘yun ‘yung sa kanya. R: Pati po ba ‘yung isang anak nyo, si Ma’am Elsa? LL: Nagsususlat sila. Lahat sila nagsusulat kaya lang kung minsan hindi nakapagsulat, ako ‘yung nagsususlat. Lalagay ko sa pangalan nila. Kasi wala silang hilig. Si Jun at saka si Thess pwedeng pakinabanagan. Kaya ngayon palang sinasabi ko na kapag namatay ako gusto ko ‘yung papel sige pa rin. Napakahalaga sa akin ng papel. R: Ano pong sabi ng husband niyo nung sinisimulan niyo po ‘yung paper? LL: Ano siya, okay sa kanya. Sa kanya dati ‘yung column na “Around the World”. R: Nagsusulat din po siya? LL: Oo, meron siyang ano. Ngayon si Jayson ‘yung nagsusulat nun. Tapos ‘yung mga sports ganun si Elsa. Tapos si Thess, “FrontLines.” Si Thess ‘yun ‘yung teacher. ‘Yun ‘yung sa kanyang column. Kaya lang kung minsan, madalas akong sinsabihan “Nanay, kapag gagawa ka ng title, tatandaan mo dapat may subject, verb at object.” Syempre, mas alam niya kasi siya ‘yung English major. R: Sa tingin nyo po paano po na-affect ng paghawak niyo ‘yung paper? Ano pong influence niyo sa paper? LL: Ang daming bumabati sa akin na hindi ko kilala kasi nga hanggat maari kung sino ‘yung mahihirap ‘yung buhay sila ‘yung makabasa. Pero ano naman kung ibebenta ko, mababenta, pero ayoko nang pumunta sa ganun kasi ang objective ko kasi service sa tao. Lingkod bayan at sana ganun din ang gawin nina Thess. R: Meron po bang nag-iinvest sa paper? LL: Meron namang din ilang pero… kasi mahirap ‘yung may kasama. Meron din mga ilan minsan gusto nila sa kanila na ‘yung papel. Ayokong pumayag. Hindi ko ibebenta ‘yan. Kamukha nun si Mr.Medina, isa sa pinakamatandang nagsususlat dito, sa Bataan Today. Kasama kong nagturo, nagteacher din ako. Mas magaling siya kasi English. E ako biologist ako e. Nagtataka ako ‘yung papel binenta nya ng 200,000. ‘Yung nakabili hindi pa nagbabayad. So ang nangyayari kung kalan sila nakabunot saka na lang sila nagpupublish. Ako may nabunot ako o wala tuloy ang takbo. Weekly. Ngayon ‘yung pagbebenta niya…Siguro itong papel na ito nakakatulong kahit papaano nakakatulong sa akin na makatulong sa mga institution. R: Tapos po ‘yung sa circulation po. Ilang copies po ‘yung piniprint nyo po? 94
LL: Dati 1000 ngayon mga 500 na lang. R: Noon pong 1996… LL: Pinakamababa na ‘yung 1000. Minsan higit pa kasi nagpapadala rin ako sa Mindanao e. Sa Surigao ‘yung mga kakilala ko doon. Kung minsan ‘yung governor, pinadadalhan ko. R: Ano po ba ito dinidistribute sa mga munispiyo? LL: Oo munispiyo ganun. R: Pinamimigay nyo rin po sa mga bara-barangay ganun? LL: Sa mga barangay, sa mga toda-toda R: Saan po siya cini-circulate po ba? Sa Balanga lang po ba? LL: Hindi, sa buong Balanga. Minsan nakakarating pa sa Cabanatuan. ‘Yung mga kamag-anak ko dun. Dito sa Pampanga. Minsan pag maraming sobra… R:Umaabot po talaga si sa ibang province? LL: Oo. R: May mga contributors din po kayo from the government? LL: Oo. Minsan pag nagpuoublsihyung mga agency. Yung munispiyo minsan madalas magpadala dito. R: Sino pa ang mga market ng paper? LL: Siguroyung mga governement officia kais nadidistribute sa munispiyo. Nakakrating s amga baranggay e. R: Ano naman pong response nila sa mga sinusulat nyo? LL: Yung gusto nila sa paper ko hindi ako nagpupublish ng mga patayan.Isa yun. Tapos pangalawa,halimbawa kamukha nung minsna meron yung mga complaints.Kaya konalalaman yung pumupunta sila sa akin. Kaya kung tutuusin hindi ako mauubusan ng balita. Maramirin OJT dito.Alammo yung mga nag-oojt dito, kahit paano kumikita. Ako sa kanila, sulat kayo ng dalawang news isang Tagalog isang English sususnod dalawnag features, dalawang editorial tapos yung pinakahuli, interview pagkatapos isulat nyokung anong ginawa nyp. O ngayon minsna nangunguha sila ng advertisement.minsan binibigay ko sa kanila 40% kaya natutuwa sila. Ngayon hidn na ata nag-oofer ng MAss Communication yung city college. Nagkaroon din ako ng radioprogram kais tumigil kasi nahihiya rin ako sa sponsor. Yung pamagat tit aLulu at your service,my mga sulat abbasahin ko. With coreespondence andmusic and in betweek balita. Baka pagkaano ulit ibubukas ulit kasi hinahanap daw ng mga ato sa bi nung radio station e naghahanap lang akog sponsor. R: Marami po bang radio or TV stations dito? LL: TV wala. Ang ano power radio,smile radio siguro mga limang radio stations. Meron nga dyan may ari ng radio station sumsasam sa print. Sumasama siya sa press con kasi may kita sa press con kahit paano.May nag-aabot kasi sa press con. Ngayon ako ang pakinabang ko yung give away. Kasi nga ayoko ng mayutang ng loob. Mamaya may hingin sa yo labag pa sa kalooban mo hinid maaring hindi mo pagbigan kasi may utang naloob ka.’Yun ang isa kong pinagmamalaki. Kaya kung minsan antipatiko sa kin yung ano… R: Umaabot po kayo sa manila? LL: Oo, BDO, marami dun.Gusto ko nga sa Manila malaki ang bayad. Nakakasingilakong 20,000 R: For advertosement po? 95
LL: Yung nabubunot ng ganyan. Eleven kaming bumubunot. Isa lang ang bubunutin kung minsan. Kung maswertehan mo. May presyo naman e. Kapag correction of name, 10,000. R: Kayo po ang nagseset nun? LL: Hindi,agreement yan ng mga abogado at publishers. Tapos kapag adoption 10,000 kapag extra0judicial, 12,000 pataas. Pero kung minsan ang mabubunot mo bangko, tataasan namin ng presyo. Pero kapag dito lang hanggang dun lang sa pinag-usapan. Pero kapag sa labas, pwede kang magset ng presyo. R: ‘Yung sinsabi nyo po bang 1000 to 500, although hindi nyopo siya binebenta, bakit po nabawasan? LL: Para mabawas yung gastos. Natutuwa nga ako kapag kasali akodun sa raffle.Nakakatulong. Kung makakuha ka ng 10,000 at least 2 issue na yun. R: Kasi po sinabi nyopo saradio parang competition, sa audience po ba naaagaw din po ba ang audience? LL: Oo. Kais kung minsan kapag nagustihan nila yung porgramamo,doon sila makikinig.Hindi na magbabasa. Palagay ko hindi naman mananalo yung radyo s anewspaper. R: Bakit po? LL: Iba kasi kapag nababasa talaga kesa sa nakikinig ka lang. Mas appealing pa rin kapag newspaper.Mostly merong eleven newspaper,mga apat lang yung radio. R: So mas marami pa rin po ang newspaper. Paano nyo naman po idedescribe yung growth ng Bataan Chronicle? Growing po ba siya? LL: It’s growing.Kais in the sense na nung una yung pension ko nauubos. Pero this time, nakakasonra pa ako ng konti sa gastos. Without selling the papaer. The paper is growing in the sense na hindi na ako gumagamit ng personal na ano ko. R: Magkano po yung puhunannnyo nung nagstart kayo ng newspaper? LL: 30,000
R: Nabalik naman po? LL: Oo nabalik naman R: Mga gaano katagal po bago nabalik? LL: Kapag nakaswerte kang nakabunot ng ganito lalo na ng bangko hindi naman dito.20,000 na kaagad yun. Nakukuha, nababalik/ R: Yung growth po ba steady? LL: Oo. Kasi nga sabi ko sayo nung una pumapasyal pa ako sa mga possible na nagpapapublish. Nagyon hindi na sila na ang nagkukusa.hinahanapna nga nila yung Bataan Chronicle. Si Jose Mari, siya yung PIA dito, pinapadal nya sa information. Kaya itong news news news column nya yan. R: Kailan po kayo nagstart ng radio program? LL: Siguro ano, siguro 2013 tapos natigi mga 2105. R: Satingin nyo po anong nagcontribute sa growth ng BC? LL: Baka yung service na nirerender namin sa kanila. Kapag kunwari sinabi nilaa kailangn ipupublish.sasabihi ko sa araw na ito bumalik kayio lahat anduon na. Tasaka.baka dahilmura rin.CHeaper ang singil namin. Kasi saiba mahal ang singil. Tsaka siguro kung minsan yung pakikitungo ko sa tao. 96
R: Sa mga audience po bakit s atingin nyopo binabasa pa rin ang bataan chronicle even after 20 yeras? LL: Bakit dahil kasi most of my news dito s abataan talaga. Isa nang dahilan don is nakaconcetrate dito. Pangalawa, yung pakikipagdeal ko sa kanila. Yung approach ko sa tao. R: Nagsusulat din po ba si Miss Malou? LL: Hindi.Nagagalit pa sakin yun dahil sa papael. Ngasasayng daw ako ng oras. Sabi ko, hindi mo kasi naiintindihan eto lang yung kaligayaahn ko. R: In terms or revenue naman po,magkano po? LL: Sa permit, 900. Tapos sa BIR, 1500. Sa korte 5000 kasi kapag sumali ka run may bayad kaya lang every three years naman ata yun. R: Magkano po ang kinikita ng papel? LL: Kumikita siguro ng sabihin mo na lang na nakabunot ka once every month, 10,000 minsan 5,000. R: Iba’t-iba po? LL: Oo. Hindi consistent ang kita. Sabihin natin siguro mga 50,000 a month.Yung na ang pinaka malaki. 10,00 na ang pinakamaliit. R: Pero kahit po ganun, nacocover naman po yung expenses? LL: Oo. R: Ano po ang pinakamalaking gastos ng papel? LL: Yung papel at tinta. Si Jayson na rin nagpiprint at nag-lalayout. R: Dati po sino ang naglaayout? LL: Ako ang naglalayout. Si Elsa yung nagtatype. E nag-asawa si Elsa, secretary ko yun dati. R: Source po ng revenue nyo po ay mga sa judicial and advertisement? LL: Oo. R: Tuloy-tuloy po ba yung advertisements? LL: Oo, yearly yan. R: Yearly po yung contract nila? LL: Oo. Mga negosyo. R: Mga politiko rin po ba? LL: Oo. Once a year, ayan lahat yan. Kung talagang babaayaran,6,000 yanpero binayad lang nila 3000. Kahit presyuhan ko, kung ano na lang maibigay okay na..Once a yera yun tuwing Christmas. R: Pag election po ba maraming ano… LL: Oo. Merong nagbabayad. Pero hangga’t maari wag. R: Kailan pong season ang pinakamataas ang kita? LL: December, kasi may mga ganito. Hindi ka rin mahihiyang lumpait. Gusto naman nila yun.Minsan ako pang gumagawa ng message. R: Sa mga sources of revenues natin, ano po ang pinakamalaki ang binibigay sa paper? LL: Private advertisements kasi yun palagian. R: Minsan po ba kayo na gumagawa ng advertisements? LL: Oo. Minsan naman meron namang iba nagbibigay din. Kamukha nung sa pawnshop kapag nagsasale sila. R: In terms of revenue naman po ba, growing naman po ba ang paper? Kumikita po ba siya consistently pataas o parang bumaba rin po? 97
LL: Palagay ko kasi ang nangyayari pataas siguro kasi hindi ba dati wala namang pumupunta dito, ngayon meron pa ngang nakakarating sa Pampanga, kumuha siya ng lupa, inheritance. Nagbayad siya ng 11,000. tatlong issue yun. R: So marami naman po talagang nagpapaadvertise sa inyo? LL: Oo, hindi namang maraming-marami pero dati wala. Nagayon meron. Hindi yan nagyayari sa ibang papel kasi yung iba wala namang opisina e. Tsaka iba kapag may opisina. Awa ng Diyos ang upa kodito 5000 isang buwan. Kumikita naman. Tsaka sa kuryente 1500, 1800. R: So nacocover naman po siya? LL: Oo nacocover ko naman. R: Tapos po dun sa expenses po ng paper, tumaas po ba yung gastos ng papel? LL: Oo tumaas. Una doon sa mga printing press. Mas nakakamura ako ngayon kesa sa nagpaparint ako. Dati nagpaparpint ako dun sa may Pilar. Noon 5,000 to 1,000 copies e ngayon. Nagyon mas amaganda pa nga nagyon kasi colored. R: Eh yung papel nyo po saan nyo po kinukuha? LL: Dito na lang binibili namin. Yung tinta mahal. R: Ano po yung pinakamalaking gastos nyo? LL: Sa papel at tinta, Kasi yung 1,000 pesos na tinta, one week lang yun e. Doon palang bumibili sa SM. R: Hindi nyo po ba naisip na magblack and whte na lang po para makamura? LL: Gusto ko na ito kasi nawili na yung mga tao and this make my paper distince from the rest of the newspapers. Sila basta mailagay na nila. Tsaka sa newspaper merong mga tao na gusto lang nilang kumita. Hindi yun ang objective ko. Noong nagtuturo pa ako, nagsusulat paako kay Mr. Medina duon sa Btaan Today, column. Ngayon sa loob ng tatlong taong pagsusulat ko s akanya ni isang boteng coca cola hindi ako napainom. Walang kita. Ngayon nung nagretire ako sinabihan ko siya.Mr.Medina I am going to put out my own newspaper.Diniscourage nya ako. Sabi nya magpapale ka wala namang kita sa papel. Sabi ko naman magpuput out ako hindi naman para kumita. Ang pinapaano nya na lang sakin magazine na lang. Naiispi ko ayaw lang nya na magkaroon ng kakompetensya. Dahil noong una amraming pumupunta sa akniya dahil isa sya sa matandang nag aano dito. Perolater on parang kakompetensya na ako. Yung iba nyang ano dito na nagpupunta most especially hindi naman ako mahal magsingil. Kasi kung minsa walang ibabayad sige na alng ako. R: Tapos po in general po ba, wala po bang pera sa dyaryo? LL: Meron. Meron kasi una hindi kolang ginagawa yung ginagawa ng iba pero kahit papaano may natatanggapsila sa pagsusulat nila.Pangaawa sa advertisements lalopa na when you are a teacher and you wantedto be promoted, you gotta write an article and publish it in a newspaper so amraming teachers ang lumalapit. Yung iba nga ako paang gumagawa e. R: Meron po ba kayong mag staff ngayon? Yung mga staff nyo po ba hindipo sila yung sumesweldo? LL: Ano na lang pamilya na lang. R: Nagdadagdag po ba kayo ng empleyado? LL: Yung mga nagcocontribute lang kasi wala namang kita kung tutuusin.Tsaka parang nadala rin ako. Merong dalawa na kinumpiskako yung ID para amkasiguro ako namurahin koman, walaakong magiging kagalit, yung mga apo ko na lang. 98
R: Yung pung number of pages ng apper.. LL: Eight yan pero kapag pasko umaabot ng 12. R: Pero yung mga previous anonyo po… LL: Nagdodoble yan kapag pasko. R: Consistent naman po yon from 1996 to ano po… LL: OO. R: Hindi po kayo nagbabawas o nagdadagdag? LL: Kapag pasko lang. R: Sabi nyo po mahal na ang pagpipirnt at yung paper, bakit po sinusutain nyo po yung 8 pages? LL: E yun ang nakagawian e. R: Ano po yung usually ang alman ng papaer? LL: News, features tsaka mga columns R: Pero most part po ng paper, news po ang sakop LL: Oo. R: Diba po nagstart sya ng bi-monthly, bakitpo kayo nagweekly? LL: Matagal aksi yung bi-monthly. 2 months yun. Tsaka marmaing nagbibigay ng news kailangn mapublish yun agad. Dumadami yung news. R: Ano po s atingin nyo ang nagcocontribute sa survival ng Bataan Chronicle? Bakitafter 20 years po yung iba nagssasara bakit ang Bataan chronicle po still striving po? LL: Ang siang dahilan dun is yung pinaka ano ng Btaaan chroniclel is to be abirde between the govenrment and the people. We wante dto continue serving the people at ipaabot din sa aknila ang different programs ng govenremnt para yung pwede nilang iavail ma avil nila. For a continous service of the people. R: How will you descrie naman po ang economic condition ng Bataan? LL: Maayos naman. May mga business tsaka okay ang Bataan. In fact Btaan ang first drug free province ibig sabihin okay ang Bataan madaling oagsabihan ang mga tao. Tsaka ang role ng DTi maganda rin. R: Marami pong idnsutry? LL: Oo. R: Ano po ang major industry sa Btaaan? LL: Marami.may isda, araro. Mga kakanin. Mga seafoods. R: Booming po ang ecoomy? LL: Oo. R: Ano naman pong effect ng booming economy ng Bataan sa papel nyo o nakatulong po ba siya? LL: May mga stories. Siguro naadvrtsie ng husto. Mga business. R: Kapag marmaipong business marami pong pumapasok na business. LL: Oo. R: Paano po naapektuhan ang luayo o lapit ngmetro Manila sa btaan? LL: Wala naman. Kasi sa maynila hindi naman kami nag-aano dun e.Dito lang kami e. R: Separate na po talaga? LL: Oo. R: Sa tingin nyopo ba necessary na kung saan nag-ooperate ang paper maayo s po ang economy? LL: Oo.Kais nga nakakatulong ang paper sa pag-aadvertise ng business. 99
R: E yung naman pong sa on the otehr side paano nama po nat7utulungan nge conomy ng papel nyo? LL: Sa mga advertisements. In the sense, nag papaadvertsie tsaka dumadami ang tao. R: Sa politics po? Paano nyopo idedescribe ang politicla atmosphere po? Payapa po? LL: Oo. R: Marami pong political dynasty LL: Oo pero hindi anman negative. Parang naneuneutralize naman. There are some political conflicts pero naneneutralize naman. R: Paano naman po naapektuhan ng politika ang appel? LL: In egneral, mas amrami ang dahil sa politika lumalaki rin ang kita ng papel pero hindi ko pa asubukan na dahil sa politka nagakaroon ako ng kita. Kapag nasa season ng politika maalki ang kita. R: Kailan po bang politika para makasurvive ang dyaryo? LL: Sa akin hindi naman R: Ano po ang gsuto nyong maging elgacy ng BC? LL: To serve as a bridge between the government nad the people, a link ebtween the governement and the people na angprograram sng obeyrno can reach distanct palces through teh appeer at yun namang need ng mag tao sa liblib an akyaunan makarating sagovernemet R: Sa tingin nyo po masustain po yun ng paper in the future? LL: Oo. Kais sisiguraduhin ko bago ako mamatay.
The texts that follow are the responses of ten of the respondents sent via e-mail.
Greg Refraccion Reply to Interview re thesis NewsHawk Newsweekly Bataan Press Club Multi-Purpose Cooperative Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan Publisher: Greg Refraccion
BRIEF HISTORY
I think it was early 90s when I fancy coming out with newsletter type publication and had named it NewsHawk. The logo actually just popped up in my mind because of the nature of the business, if you can call it that. Plus, the strong craving to have my own newspaper. A newshawk is a reporter or one who is tasked to look for news. This is ok, I said to myself.I could no longer find a copy of its very first issue since I did not have time then to compile copies of every issue of the “little” newspaper. It was a magazine format with news features and good photos. Copies were lost or misplaced while transferring from one residence to another. This happened too often. It was in mid 1990s when I finally decided to change the size from newsletter type to the usual tabloid size of provincial 100 papers to keep up with the mainstream newspapers.I was then working as deskman for the Headline Manila, a Metro Manila tabloid, when I had that intense interest to pursue with NewsHawk. Although, financially problematic and could not maintain the continuity of a weekly newspaper, I was and still am capable of getting the news, writing the news, editing them, having them laid out and finally getting them printed.I am the original owner and the owner’s economy, so to speak, has not changed. Still struggling to survive the race. Given this situation where too many newspapers have mushroomed, not to mention the advent of news portals- fake and real- in the internet, mainstream media like ours find it hard to join the competition. Although in highly urbanized cities in Central Luzon like Olongapo, Angeles, and San Fernando publishing a weekly newspaper is considered a thriving venture since most of the owners are already established business tycoon in their own right.
CIRCULATION
Provincial papers like NewsHawk usually caters to LGUs, the local police and the village (barangay) folks. The more they carry local stories, the more the local folks and local officials get more interested in your publication. Local officials like to have their activities published even in local papers.The circulation does not increase with the time. Local papers usually have printed copies of 1,000 per issue unless the publisher agreed to the whims and caprices of local politician who orders additional copies…but with accompanying additional budget for the paper. This usually occurs during election time when many publishers allow their papers to be used by candidates for political purposes if the price is right.For the NewsHawk, there is no such thing as “growth or decline” in circulation since provincial papers are not sold on newsstand like national newspapers. The circulation for local publication largely depends on the “enterprising tactics” of the publisher. If he was able to get legal notices or municipal ordinances for publication which are usually the bread and butter of provincial papers, chances are he may want to increase the number of copies just to impress advertiser, not necessarily the readers.Local publishers are not very particular with increasing the circulation because as I earlier said provincial papers are not sold on newsstands but are usually delivered and distributed to city hall, town hall, and other government offices.So provincial publishers are not bothered in any way by circulation issues. The revenue is governed by the sheer effort of the publisher or any of his staff to solicit advertisements which mostly come from government offices.
EXPENSES/COST
The prices of newsprint, ink, and labor, of course, had tremendously increased since 30 years ago and this had affected the publishing industry. Way back then, a publisher had to shell out more or less P3,000 to print 1,000 copies of 4-page tabloid newspaper.Nowadays, a newspaper publisher had to pay the printer between P5,000 and P6,000 for the same number of copies and pages. This is the usual ordinary provincial tabloid with no color except the logo itself.It is more expensive if the publisher wants his paper published in color sep or multi-color front and back pages but he must be ready to pay the printer between P7,000 and P10,000 per 1,000 copies. But again, it all depends on 101 the number of pages.The printing of the paper usually takes the bulk of expenses for a newspaper owner. And no publisher in his right mind would ever dare come out with a newspaper issue just to impress his readers. He had to have a piece of advertisement to cover printing expenses. Unless the editor-publisher wants to exercise his or her editorial bragging rights.Of course, just like any other business, newspapering has its own share of gain and loss. You lost when your advertiser refuses to pay for the advertised material or say when the candidate loses in the election and he refuses to settle his account.To remedy this “loss” advertisers whether commercial or political had to pay at least 50 percent of the total advertising cost. It takes gut on the part of advertiser to have your advertising contract signed by the advertiser or you find yourself at the losing end. In some instances, when you “accidentally” come out with derogatory articles or “banat” in plain language or critical story about your advertiser, chances are you’ll find it difficult to collect payment for advertisement.
REVENUE
As I said earlier, revenue for provincial papers largely depends on the tacit effort of the publisher or his staff in convincing would-be advertisers. They do not depend much on circulation per se, since community papers are not sold on newsstands like the nationally circulated broadsheets and tabloids. The more advertisers, the more revenue for the paper. The “connections” you make with prospective advertisers or “sponsor,” the more advertisements you have.In the provincial set up, you have to exercise the power of PR to gain influence with the local officials without compromising newsworthy stories. Legal notices from the Regional Trial Courts are usually the source of revenue for local papers; and publication of extra-judicial notices, though not so much for a handsome price. Walk-in advertisers come in trickle and that usually come during Holiday Season when commercial establishments want to advertise their products.Other revenues for the provincial paper include PR jobs which tends to affect the image or shall we say the “quality” of journalism in a way. Some local columnists had been doing PR job for certain politicians but not a part of their compensation goes to the publisher who just play deaf ears to the “enterprising columnist”. Since the PR job is giving the columnist a good pay, the publisher does not have to pay him anymore in return.Just have no idea how this PR job turn in revenue for the paper. For the columnist himself alone. The publisher does not have a share in the columnist’s “racket.”In 1987, local papers thrive in publication of foreclosed lands but not anymore in the year 2000 on ward. Many publishers then made a killing with the influx of publication of foreclosed lands expedited by local banks. In fact most local papers then would come out every issue with “Notices of Foreclosure” and had to add more pages to accommodate more of such announcements. I can still remember a colleague who was able to purchase a Heidelberg printing machine after having published series of notices of foreclosures issued by banks.That was a period when many land owners had no money to get back the land titles pawned with the banks. Too bad, my paper was not accredited to publish such notice by the court.For a local newspaper publisher, the only means to maintain revenue is to save budget for newspaper printing expenses to keep it going when advertisers don’t come along.
STAFF 102
Most provincial papers are run by “one-man-army-team” who does the news gathering, lay-outing, editing, proof-reading, and finally fetching the finished product from the printing press. That’s the way NewsHawk is.In other words, no room for extra staff. And no plan to hire anyone else, for that matter. But I always welcome contributors.
NO. OF PAGES
I usually come out with four pages. With ad, of course. More ads, more pages. Not so much with more news, but with more advertisements. In fact, it has been my practice to pull out not-so-interesting news stuff to give way to more advertisements. What I mean is, less important stories take a backseat.But one thing I can assure you, important stories must not be sacrificed. That’s the way it has been and still is at the NewsHawk Newsweekly. Newsweekly daw oh..
ADVERTISEMENT
Sources: LGUs for city/mun ordinances; Local courts for legal notices. Commercial advertisements: zero. That’s the problem with less urbanized communities, commercial establishments there don’t bother to advertise their products. Advertising is a greek word to them.Once in a blue moon, advertisement comes in the form of news. But then we are very extra careful not to violate ethical standards in journalism. We edit them for libelous terms.For a newspaper to survive, it must be known, it must come out often, if not weekly. See to it that your newspaper is a “must” read; that your paper must tell it like it is. A newspaper must have its own advocacy: Come out with the truth, and nothing but the truth.Your newspaper must carry that sense of dignity and that it should command respect by being a real newspaper complete with interesting news and respectable columnist.
FREQUENCY
Weekly. NewsHawk Newsweekly. Not necessarily. But we try hard to come out weekly. We have to beg for advertisements which are hard to come by.It has been that way since then.
ECONOMY OF THE REGION
Our newspaper is not affected by the growth of the region nor the province. In other words, the progress of the region does not necessarily means the progress of the newspaper, unless that particular newspaper is owned by a businessman who is “closed” to the powers-that-be. We are not dependent on the economy of the province either. But it is a fact that local papers depend on local government for ads like ordinances, invitation to bids, other legitimate announcements, etc.It is a fact that LGUs under the law are required to publish their ordinances passed by the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Panglunsod. And those are the very lifeblood of a community newspaper. Sad to say many LGUs are no longer having their ordinances published in local papers. They cite lack of fund as the main reason.It costs the municipal government from P60,000 to 103
P100,000 to publish an approved ordinance depending on the length of the text. The task of publication chore, under the law, is given to municipal vice mayor or city vice mayor who often say they have no available fund for the publication when in fact their offices are given separate funds solely intended for publication purposes.But we are not beholden to LGUs when it comes to editorial policy. We can criticize them if the need arises, but we can also massage their ego if needed without compromising the truth.When the province’s economy improves, the publications do not follow since no one from the business sector place advertisement in the local paper. If ever, they would rather advertise in the national papers than the local. This is one gray area here.The economic condition is crucial to the survival of a provincial newspaper although itshould never be beholden to it. It is enough that LGUs are aware of the existence of local newspapers.
POLITICS
We never allow any politician to touch their dirty fingers in the affairs of local media more particularly the newspapering business. But the media could be very friendly to them without any string attached.The economic condition of the province cannot affect the newspaper negatively. But I think the two work together for a common good of the community.With or without politics a newspaper can survive, we will try to survive no matter what and without compromising the truth and the quality of journalism we have been practicing.But of course, politics is necessary evil in newspapering. What would be a newspaper like without politics? Politics makes news. And the news makes our paper. In other words, politics and newspapering complement each other.But too much politics and political interference in newspaper affairs will ruin the objectivity of the media. This is where media corruption starts.
Name of Publication: RONDA Balita, Lingguhang Pahayagan ng Masang Intelihente Date of Start of Publication: RONDA Balita, Lingguhang Pahayagan ng Masang Intelihente, a weekly newspaper first appeared on March 9, 2015. Address: Bocaue, Bulacan & Malolos City Owner of Publication: Corporation RESPONDENT: Manny Dineros Balbin RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER: Editor-in-Chief & one of the owner INTERVIEW QUESTIONS History How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. BULACAN is fast becoming a bustling growth center not only in Region 3 but in the whole country as well. With its 3 cities and 21 municipalities now experiencing boom in terms of progress and development, the province needs a reliable information as well as 104 educational media arm. In is in this context that a team of journalist came up with a newspaper that would complement the fast paced development now happening in the province.Since its maiden issue, RONDA Balita has informed Bulakenyos with timely issues ranging from local governance, police matters and in depth views.RONDA Balita has also courageously exposed anomalies and is still serving as an ever watchful sentinel in guarding the province from crooks and wrongdoers. It has also covered natural disasters and the actions taken by government units. It has also featured platforms of local and national candidates during the May 2016 elections. Like an eagle, it has vigilantly covered the political exercise exposing massive vote buying in several areas and other related issues.This weekly newspaper has also been active in reporting police action stories and has been at the forefront of the all out war against illegal drugs and criminal activities. My team was composed of veteran columnists who also wrote in national circulated newspaper. With more than two years of active existence, RONDA Balita has become a weekly reading habit of Bulakenyos. It has already captured thousands of readers who has been faithfully following the news events happening in the province as well as in-depth analysis from its hard hitting columnists. Ownership Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. Four individual owned this community paper. The owner of the printing press, myself and the one assigned in other matters. How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Not really… Do you have investors? If yes, who are your major investors? None. Circulation How much circulation, at an average, does your paper enjoy? We printed 1,000 to 2,000 copies a week How are your newspapers distributed or reach your readers (vendors, agents, subscription, etc.)? Thru subscription or delivered to their office Who are your paper's market? How do they contribute to the circulation? The common people. The poor. Did you newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? ? We were only 2 years old going to 3 How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? Basically, community paper or a weekly paper does not have trend in circulation. What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? Maybe, during election period. The circulation growth because some politicians ordered copies of newspapaper to distribute in their district as long as their press release put in good place of the newspaper. If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? Retained the credibility and uniqueness of this paper in order to maintain circulation. 105
Revenue In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? In community paper like us, we generate revenue once our paper authorized already by the court to join the raffle for notices, extra judicial,city, municipal ordinances and others. What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? The court is one big sources of revenue of a community paper. Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? Still, the notices from the court How much revenue does your paper have annually (or monthly)? Notice coming from the Court, such as changed of name, business address, annulment, and others Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Actually, you don’t have to maintained the growth of the revenue because it was equally divided or raffled among the accredited newspapers in the province. Expenses/Cost How much does the paper accumulate in terms of cost or expenses in a year (or month)? Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? Printing cost. How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? Expenses was usually covered by advertisements or notices coming from the Court. If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? The only time that a community newspaper is down when their accreditation is already lapsed. The accreditation period is 5 years. Staff How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? 3 individual. The printer, the delivery boy and the person assigned in collection. The columnist or writer does not belong a so called staffer. They paid once they submitted article. If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Low salary maybe. Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Yes. Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? No. 106
Number of pages How many pages do your paper usually have? Normally 8 pages. But sometimes 10-12 pages. Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? No. What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? It is only increase once that certain issue of a community paper had orders coming from a politician o private individual. How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? Advertisements Who are the usual sources of advertisements? Just like I said, the Court. In what form does advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Notices from the bank, or governement offices How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? It helps a lot.! Frequency of Publication How often does the paper come out? Weekly. Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? No. Community papers in Bulacan or in other provinces always obtainable on weekly basis. What factors contribute to the survival of the paper? My advocacy is the main factors in order our paper survived. I want to spread good news among Bulakenyos. Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? Yes. Big improvement in many aspect like income generated companies invested in our province, multi-national companies actually. BPO is there. Mall is also sprouted. How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? A little bit… If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? Since Bulacan is near NCR, they rather or the advitiser go to Manila How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Nope Politics How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? Definitely, they affected us especially if you were known as supporter of the other politician 107
Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? Yes How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? Politics, especially here in Bulacan is very necessary to survice.
Name of Publication: NEWS CORE (THE REAL SCORE!) Date of Start of Publication: October 2006 Address: No. 324 Paliwas St. Maysantol, Bulakan Bulacan Owner of Publication: Carmela Reyes-Estrope RESPONDENT: Carmela Reyes-Estrope RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER: Owner and EIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS History How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. FOR ADVOCACY journalism. I am a correspondent of Philippine Daily Inquirer in Bulacan and not all my stories are being used and published because of space constraints. I deemed the stories wasted and I can feel the frustrations of the people hoping their ordeals will be heard that’s why I decided to put up my own local weekly. Eventually, I also aimed on financial gain by applying my paper to the Regional Trial Court to publish Notice of Sheriff’s foreclosure which is a major income for the paper. Ownership Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. ONLY ME. Except that my sister helped me finance the paper or had previously invested a share capital. How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Because of limited capital, the promotions and marketing has not reached that far. The management of the newspaper is a ONE MAN ARMY system except that I have a one to two relatives in-charge in the collection of payments from clients, also in marketing and advertising. Do you have investors? If yes, who are your major investors? NONE Circulation How much circulation, at an average, does your paper enjoy? 1,000 copies of newspaper circulates weekly How are your newspapers distributed or reach your readers (vendors, agents, subscription, etc.)? Subscription, postal mail, LBC Who are your paper's market? How do they contribute to the circulation? All the municipal government offices in the 21 towns and 3 cities, the provincial government offices, national agencies branches, banks, universities, schools. Partly they contribute through share the paper scheme. 108
Did you newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Steady number. How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? Somehow there seems to be a decline in relying on print media because of the social media. What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? The relativity, timeliness and merit and weight of the news stories published do matter a lot including the credibility of the newspaper. And the free subscription to some groups. Revenue In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? Only about 15-20 percent. What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? Court publication during 2009-2014. It is a major source and can sustain the weekly operational expenses. Today, occasional advertisement, occasional extra judicial notices. Occasional Bulk of orders by businessmen, politicians. Personal money of the owner. Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? The court. But today it stopped due to ongoing renewal of accreditation with the Regional Trial Court. How much revenue does your paper have annually (or monthly)? With court notices, it was about P500,000 to more than P1-Million a year. But today without that, only around P50,000-P80,000 annually. Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? Underman system, poor marketing contributes largely decline in marketing and revenue growth. If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Expenses/Cost How much does the paper accumulate in terms of cost or expenses in a year (or month)? Average P6,000 a week. Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? Supposedly it decreases because of the individualized system of running the newspaper copies through purchasing one’s own newsprint, self- contracting for the CTP or plate of the newspaper, one own’s lay out design and the printing cost. Previously, all these are done by one company and its costs bigger. However, while the job is now on separately done, gasoline expenses somehow and fare affects add to the cost. What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? The whole of the printing process. How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? Previously when there were court notices, there were gains, now, there is loss. If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? Personal money of the owner. Staff 109
How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? 2. The same. If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Yes with Philhealth and SSS. Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? No. Because of the losing stage right now. Number of pages How many pages do your paper usually have? 6-8-10-12, depending on the advertisements and news. Bute regularly it is 6. Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? News, opinions, advertisements Advertisements Who are the usual sources of advertisements? Business companies In what form does advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Ads material, photos, Bidding, ordinances How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Serving as income to sustain operational expenses. Frequency of Publication How often does the paper come out? Every week Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? No What factors contribute to the survival of the paper? Advocacy journalism of the owner Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? Yes. A very large improvement. How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? There are more companies to advertise and become marketing and advertising clients. If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? Affected because had we have more marketing personnel to tap the companies to advertise and or if we have enough man to strategize or even more capital to handle the marketing, there could have been more income for the paper. What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? Proximity to Metro Manila is also a given problem to local newspapers because instead of patronizing local papers, they would rather have the national papers widely circulating in the news stand. How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Yes of course. If there are businesses around, these are material source of marketing and advertising for newspapers. Politics 110
How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? Local newspapers just like national papers can easily be identified whether pro or not to a politician. While many newspapers maintain neutrality, many also tend to become politically attached to some politicians. They published favourable stories at times if politicians would notice that, there were incidental bulk of orders and this becomes one of the major income of the publishers. Other politicians and publishers pre-contacted each other (vise versa) for a PR story in exchange of huge amount of money. Many publishers also tend to befriend politicians to be able to get contracts for the publication of ordinances which also is a major source of income for the paper. Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? However, still many newspapers survive on their own, legitimately publishing news without fear or favour and is as self-sustaining.
RESPONDENT: ARNEL PARAS SAN PEDRO RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION: Editor-in-Chief, iOrbitNews Online Former Reporter/Columnist, Manila Times Former Reporter, Manila Chronicle, Malaya, WE Forum, Pampanga Newsweek, Monday Mail, Sun Star Pampanga Former Section Editor, Philippine News (San Francisco, CA) Former Section Editor, Saudi Gazette (Jeddah, KSA) INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Community journalism How will you define a community newspaper? A community paper chronicles events in the local scene. How did community journalism started in the province? Community newspapering in Pampanga province started out with the Baluyut and San Pedro families although there were old newspapers in the Spanish period that no longer exist today. The Baluyuts publishes THE VOICE while San Pedros publishes THE LUZON COURIER. These two newspapers came out after World War II and still comes out every week. THE LUZON COURIER was renamed THE PAMPANGA NEWSWEEK. What is the purpose, in your opinion, of community newspapers? Are community newspapers living up to this purpose? Local public journal seeks to inform the community. Despite the difficulties of putting out a community newspaper and the ownership now of businessmen and politicians – it continues to thrive. How did community newspapers grow in number through the years? Was there a growth or decline in terms of the number of papers active? 111
Various community newspapers from Central Luzon crop up in Pampanga province most of them only joining the scheduled raffle of legal documents that needed to be published such as “Invitation to Bids.” One Cebu community newspaper has also managed to enter Pampanga province and entered into a joint venture with the car- seller Laus Group Inc. in the City of San Fernando. Thus, Sun Star Pampanga came out to existence. Other big businessmen such as the owner of Pampanga’s Best came out with their weekly newspaper but due to the absence of ‘Editorial Independence’, the paper folded up after a few years. The Angeles family of the Angeles University Foundation came out with ‘Angeles Observer’ while the Pineda political clan opened up ‘HEADLINE’ but the absence of ‘Editorial Indepence’ again reared its ugly head which resulted in the paper’s closure. How will you compare community newspapers of the past and of the present? Community newspaper in the past had a sense of responsibility. Even with the absence of modern techonology like today, my late grandfather, Tomas San Pedro, was able to serve the community through responsible journalism. The current community newspapers still serve with the same passion but often times manipulated by scheming businessmen and politicians. Who usually owns the community newspapers in the province? Businessmen and politicians with personal interests now own most of the local newspapers. How does the paper's ownership affect the paper? Due to the high cost of printing which is akin to a noose tightening on its survival, the circulation of community newspapers is limited between 1,000 and 2,000 copies per week. What is the usual circulation enjoyed by community newspapers in the province? And why do you think community newspapers have that number of circulation? For a province like Pampanga, circulation should be at least 5,000 per week. As I said, the high cost of printing is killing the community newspapers. Did newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Circulation decreases due to high cost of printing. News print is costly and the pressers are charging more. How will you describe the growth (decline) of community newspapers’ circulations? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? The high cost of printing will affect circulation What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of the circulation? Same as above How important is circulation for a community newspaper? Circulation assures a wide reach in the locality In terms of revenue, how much does circulation usually contribute to it? At least 70 to 80 percent will go to circulation such as printing and the logistics needed to get the newspaper copies out What are the other sources of revenue does community newspapers have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? Revenue mostly comes from adverts Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to a paper? Adverts 112
Did revenue observe a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987) in terms of revenues of community newspapers? How will you describe the trend of growth or decline? Revenue will depend on the marketing team. How important is revenue to a community newspaper? Revenue will determine if a community newspaper will comes out from the printing press or not What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? Printing, salaries Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? Expenses increase through the years because of the rising cost of news print How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? Entry of more adverts will depend on the aggressiveness of the marketing team How will you describe employment in a community newspaper? Community newspapers pay less. How many journalists write for community newspapers in the province at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Most of the locally based journalist write for community newspapers or online news If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? To seek greener pasture. Most of the local writers found employment overseas. I, for a time, worked in the Middle East and United States as section editor just to make ends meet Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Some newspapers cover their workers while others do not How many pages does a paper usually have? Why is this so? 8 pages. Again, high cost of printing Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? Number of pages decreased What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of a paper’s pages? High cost of printing How will you describe the content of community newspapers? What usually comprises the pages? Top stories in the province, business stories, entertainment, events Who are the usual sources of advertisements? Big businesses In what form does advertisements come about in a paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Adverts, Advertorial How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Does it affect newspapers in terms of content or coverage Adverts – the lifeline of newspapers How will you describe the frequency by which community newspapers come out? Why do you think is this so? 113
The online news portal iOrbitNews and Sun Star Pampanga come out daily while the others come out every week We have observed that many community newspapers appear weekly. Why so? And what do you think is the reason/s why community newspaper rarely appear daily? The old newspapers in Pampanga province come out on a weekly basis. The online news portal iOrbitNews and Sun Star Pampanga upped the ante What factors contribute to the survival of a community paper? Sense of responsibility What is the role of a press club in community journalism? The press club serves as an Ombudsman to its members How important is a press club in local media? The press club weeks to unify practising journalists What does the press club do to help community newspapers in the area? Members of the press clubs serve as chroniclers Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of the province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? Pampanga province is one of the vibrant provinces not only in Central Luzon but in the entire country How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? The entry of more investments contributes to the growth of community newspapers through adverts If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? The new businesses rely on their marketing plans such as adverts etc What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? All facets of the local economy are interconnected to bring out a vibrant economy that is suitable for community newspapers How does a province or region’s economy affect a newspaper’s circulation, frequency, number of pages and staff, revenue and expenses? As I said, an aggressive marketing team will make a difference in newspaper operations How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? Pampanga does not rely in the proximity of imperial Manila. The locals seeks local news from local writers. And the papers’ survival too is not hinged on the proximity of Manila. How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? With or without a rosy economic condition in Pampanga, local newspapers will persevere How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? The problem comes in when politicians try to own and operate their own newspapers because the issue of ‘Editorial Independence’ creeps in. Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? 114
The wily and rich politicians do not care about revenue because they can operate the newspapers without adverts How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? No, newspapers do not need politicians to survive. When the Pineda political clan of Pampanga shut down HEADLINE daily newspaper, many local journalists including yours truly were thrown out of jobs. When politicians own newspapers, public journal loses its credibility because they only want you to publish articles that will glorify them. For example, the daily Sun Star Pampanga will not dare write an article against the Laus Group Inc who owns Mitsubishi Cars Inc. Remember the “Sudden Unitended Accelaration” (SUA) that attended their Montero SUVs? Sun Star Pampanga will not touch the issue just because the seller of Mitsubishi cars is the part-owner of Sun Star Pampanga. The Pampanga Press Club recently opened up iOrbitNews to address the situation. IOrbitNews is an independent online news portal. The current political condition meanwhile is not good for journalists because President Rodrigo Duterte does not respect freedom of the press.
Name of Publication: Bataan Peninsula Times Date of Start of Publication: 1991 Address: Tenejero, Balanga city Owner of Publication: Mario T Supnad RESPONDENT: RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER:-Publisher/Editor
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
History ● How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. -I came up with the idea of coming up with a local newspaper based in Bataan right after my graduation. Ownership ● Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Owner: Mario T Supnad. Economically, There is no problem of the local newspaper since there are regular ads that are mandatory to be published. Circulation ● How much circulation, at an average, does your paper enjoy? Did your paper see a growth or decline in terms of circulation since its establishment? Publishing at least 5000 to 10,000 copies up. ● What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? It depends on the volume of readership and advertisement. Revenue ● What are the sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? Aside from subcription, there are regular legal notices coming from local courts that need publication. 115
● Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? Both ● How much revenue does your paper have annually (or monthly)? Did it grow or decline? Cannot divulge it. Expenses/Cost ● How much does the paper accumulate in terms of cost or expenses in a year (or month)? What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? It depends on the volume of circulation. Printing costs. ● How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? Sometime loss, sometimes, a little gain. We could recover our expenses thru our ads and sunscription payment Staff ● How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? At least 5 to 10 personnel/writers ● If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Never declined. ● Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? I think they are compensated somehow Number of pages ● How many pages do your paper usually have? Did it change since its establishment? Four to 12 pages. Never changed. ● What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? Volume of readership and ads ● How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? It is more on news reporting for the benefit of the readingpublic. Advertisements ● Who are the usual sources of advertisements? Various courts, Local government units. ● In what form does advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Legal notices and commercial announcements ● How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? It is he main source of income Frequency of Publication ● How often does the paper come out? Did it change? If yes, what factors contributed to the change in the frequency? Regular weekly only Economy of the Region ● How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Improving brought about by the pouring in of investments ● How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? If the economy improves, it yields positive also to the local newspapers. ● How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? We circulate in the province and region alone ● How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Definitely yes. The answer has been mentioned by you Politics 116
● How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage and the paper’s viability? Sometimes it affects severely. On the other hand, politics contribute also to the economic viabililty of the local newspapers. ● How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? It cannot affect but contributes to the economic situation of the local newspapers since some of them (politicians) resort to tapping our services to boost their propaganda
RESPONDENT: Rafael C. Viray RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION: Bataan Press Club officer INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Community journalism How will you define a community newspaper? What is the purpose, in your opinion, of community newspapers? Are community newspapers living up to this purpose? Community newspaper is a weekly newspaper circulating in the locality both as a source of income and provide information to the public. How did community journalism started in the province? When provincial correspondents of national dailies wanted to earn from public ads and judicial notices. How did community newspapers grow in number through the years? How will you compare community newspapers of the past and of the present? It is almost the same .no changes average circulation of 1,000 copies .most of the local publishers have no capital to finance the regular issue costing P10,000 . Ownership Who usually owns the community newspapers in the province? Correspondents and local publication contributors with no big time financiers How does the paper's ownership affect the paper? In our locality , local publishers are mostly correspondents of national papers which affect the publications, the news contents, opinions and other topics depending on their newspaper sponsors. Circulation What is the usual circulation enjoyed by community newspapers in the province? And why do you think community newspapers have that number of circulation? The basic problems of the local newspapers , financial and competent people to manage them. Did newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Circulation remains 1,000 copies per issue except when the sponsor shoulder additional copies most likely during local election. How will you describe the growth (decline) of community newspapers’ circulations? What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of the circulation? The decline of community readership level is due to the public exposure to social media How important is circulation for a community newspaper? The important role of a community newspaper is the publication of judicial notices, announcements and other relevant promotional activities. 117
Revenue What are the sources of revenue of community newspapers? Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to a paper? Sources of revenue of local newspapers are incomes coming from extra-judicial notices and petitions, public ads, local executives greetings, financial assistance from politicians and friends of the publishers Did revenue observe a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987) in terms of revenues of community newspapers? Community newspaper business is unstable venture for the past years since the proliferation of broadcast media (radio stations )and social media outlets How important is revenue to a community newspaper? Very important aspect of newspapering .Community newspapers irregularly come out due to financial problem . Expenses/Costs What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? Printing cost and transportation expenses Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? Increasing printing cost Staff How will you describe employment in a community newspaper? Community newspaper does not create job ; the publisher himself is the editor, ad solicitor, collector, news gatherer and columnist How many journalists write for community newspapers in the province at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Only few print and radio mediamen are engaged in community papers If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Since 1987, community newspapers were managed by its owners or publishers only . Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Benefits ,salaries, SSS , and others are not relevant to Community newspapering ventures Number of Pages How many pages does a paper usually have? Why is this so? Six or eight pages , lack of budget or no notices or ads solicited Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? Its constant What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of a paper’s pages? Budgetary problem How will you describe the content of community newspapers? What usually comprises the pages? Normally , most community newspapers are considered opinion friendly to advertisers and political leaders . no negative write-ups or else ? Advertisement Who are the usual sources of advertisements? 118
Local political leaders, Regional Trial Courts, traders , birthday celebrants,etc In what form does advertisements come about in a paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Greetings and projects How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Does it affect newspapers in terms of content or coverage The policy of community paper so far, no ads no issue for the month(s) Frequency How will you describe the frequency by which community newspapers come out? Why do you think is this so? The frequency of circulation depending on the volume of judicial notices, ads, greetings ,etc as I have explained local publishers are mostly provincial correspondents without visible means of income to finance the publication We have observed that many community newspapers appear weekly. Why so? And what do you think is the reason/s why community newspaper rarely appear daily? No local newspaper comes out regularly on weekly issue, financial problem is the cause of irregularity in circulation What factors contribute to the survival of a community paper? Financial and the presence of dedicated and responsible journalists Press Club What is the role of a press club in community journalism? Screening of media applicants and advised them to use their talents to well-paying jobs instead of becoming practicing local reporters How important is a press club in local media? Press club becomes a mere fraternal group, no funding so no project What does the press club do to help community newspapers in the area? Contribute developmental articles and arrange press conferences Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of the province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? Yes, the operation of seven ecozone and tourism enterprise makes Bataan a leading investment hub in Central Luzon How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? Community newspaper helps promote the economic posture of the province If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? More investments or locators , the more advertising clients What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? Community papers have encouraged foreign and local investors to the province How does a province or region’s economy affect a newspaper’s circulation, frequency, number of pages and staff, revenue and expenses? Growing economy may consider as a big factor to improve newspapering business in the locality How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? Local newspaper survives from the local resources including printing,editing ,circulation ,etc 119
How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Local paper promotes the province through positive stories and ads, hopefully with the great impact in economic activities Politics How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? Local newspapers have little influence in political arena Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? Political advertisements contributed significantly to the financial resources of community newspaper How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? Of course, where do local publishers get their funding ? the best source so far from political czars
Name of Publication:DAHONG PALAY Date of Start of Publication: Every Sunday Address: Cabanatuan City Owner of Publication:MILO C. SALAZAR
RESPONDENT: MILO C. SALAZAR RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER: EDITOR/PUBLISHER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS History How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. It started with the help of my father’s friend (then city councilor in the year 1963, Coun. Ben Sandoval) who helped him financially to start publishing DAHONGPALAY asnd it was being printed somewhere in Manila. Ownership Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. After my father (Pete T. Salazar) died in October 3, 2013 I assumed being the Editor/Publisher and we are only the registered owners of this newspaper. How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Economy in what aspect? In our part, it’s our bread and butter. Do you have investors? If yes, who are your major investors? I can say that my investors are our subscribers and clients. Circulation How much circulation, at an average, does your paper enjoy? 120
Not fix, but 400 copies can manage to circulate the whole province and some other neighboring towns. How are your newspapers distributed or reach your readers (vendors, agents, subscription, etc.)? We mailed most of it and others are handcarried or what you call “papel de abot” Who are your paper's market? How do they contribute to the circulation? People from all walks of life, specially Gov’t. Officials and employees. Did you newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? I can say that it increased. How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? Steady lang. What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? There are many new newspapers that came out in the past years, I think that’s one reason. If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? Well, I can say is, always be true to your clients and subscribers, maintaining good harmony with them is one secret to this business. (It’s no secret anymore, ha ha ) Revenue In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? More than half. What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? We only rely mostly on legal notices publications more of it. Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? Legal Notice (Being raffled at RTC’s to whom we’re accredited) How much revenue does your paper have annually (or monthly)? None fix Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? Well newspaper business I can only say is enjoying and you can live with it if you focus on it.(Layo ba?) If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Stay focused. Expenses/Cost How much does the paper accumulate in terms of cost or expenses in a year (or month)? Not fix also (depends on the demands of copies to be circulated or demanded) Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? It increased, what do we expect, lahat naman tumaas di ba? What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? Printing cost. 121
How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? Sipagan lang daw yan, karamihan un ang sabi, that’s true. If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? Effort, more effort, sipagan nga e. Staff How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? You can call it “one man army.” Believe it. Pwede naman di ba? If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? They don’t leave, they’re only around, collecting news, ha ha Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Kinda hard to explain, all I can say is, it’s a give and take, live and let live kinda thing. Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? It is always open for everyone, but we don’t hire. (seriously) Number of pages How many pages do your paper usually have? Regularly eight (8) pages. Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? It increased. What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? Demands in publications mostly ads and legal notices. Not news(truly). How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? It depends, but preferably we want news about developments. Advertisements Who are the usual sources of advertisements? In the local newspaper business, there’s rare ads, mostly legal notices. In what form does advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Rarely both in news & photo. How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? A lot, you can not survive this business without it. Frequency of Publication How often does the paper come out? Once a Week (every Sunday) Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? It hasn’t changed. What factors contribute to the survival of the paper? Honesty, loyalty and perseverance. Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? Yes, I think kasabay na yun ng panahon. 122
How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? Pwedeng sabihing kasabay na ring nag-improve dahil sa panahon. If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? Hard to explain na naman. Next q. please What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? xxxxx How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? xxxxxx How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? xxxxxxx Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Politics How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? For me it’s exiting and challenging, diyan mo makikita ang totoong mediamen. Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? Yes, lalo na pag politika ang isyu you must add copies and subscribers for that issue. How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? Well, as I’ve said execiting nga, Mas nalalapit lalo na ang eleksyon mas busy ang newspapers, alam naman natin lahat ang role ng newspaper local or national.
Name of Publication: PUNTO CENTRAL LUZON Date of Start of Publication: YEAR 2007 Address: UNIT B ESSEL COMMERCIAL COMPLEX TELABASTAGAN CSF Owner of Publication: LLL TRIMEDIA COORDINATORS INC. RESPONDENT: JOANNA NINA V. CORDERO RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER: MARKETING MANAGER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS History How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. GROUP OF KAPAMPANGAN PROFESSIONALS SAW THE NEED FOR A LOCAL NEWSPAPER THAT IS CREDIBLE, FAIR , FEARLESS AND BALANCE PUNTO STARTED AS A NATIONAL DAILY TABLOID BASED IN MANILA, HAVING A SPECIAL SECTION FOR CENTRAL LUZON NEWS. THEN ATTY. GENER ENDONA WITH HIS FRIENDS DECIDED TO GET A FRANCHISE OF PUNTO TO BE PRINTED AND CIRCULATED SOLELY IN CENTRAL LUZON AND THAT GAVE BIRTH TO PUNTO CENTRAL LUZON LOCAL 123
NEWSPAPER. IT USED TO BE A DAILY LOCAL NEWSPAPER COVERING BUSINESS AND POLITICAL NEWS IN THE REGION. DUE TO FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION AND TO SUSTAIN THE BUSINESS, THE MANAGEMENT DECIDED TO LESSEN THE PUBLICATION TO A BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 2010. Ownership Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. PUNTO IS PUBLISHED BY LLL TRIMEDIA COORDINATORS, INC., OWNERS – ATTY. GENER ENDONA, JOANNA NINA V. CORDERO, CAESAR “:BONG” LACSON” AND OTHERS How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Do you have investors? If yes, who are your major investors? NONE Circulation How much circulation, at an average, does your paper enjoy? REFER TO CIRCULATION AND READERSHIP PROFILE How are your newspapers distributed or reach your readers (vendors, agents, subscription, etc.)? 1. NEWSPAPER DEALERS, NEWSPAPER STAND AND SUBSCRIBERS 2. GIVING FREE COPIES TO ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE NONE SUBSCRIBERS Who are your paper's market? How do they contribute to the circulation? REFER TO PROFILE Did you newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? SAME How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? CONSIDERING EVERYBODY IS GOING ON-LINE , WE HAVE NOT DECREASED THE NUMBER OF CIRCULATION, WE SUSTAIN IT. What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? Revenue PUNTO’S BREAD & BUTTER IS ADVERTISEMENT SALES, THIS IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF THE PAPER. WE MAKE SURE WE SERVE OUR ADVERTISERS WELL AND MAINTAIN OR WIDEN VISIBILITY OF PUNTO. INFACT, WE ALREADY LAUNCHED OUR ON-LINE VERSION www.punto.com.ph TO REACH A WIDER READERSHIP. CURRENTLY, WE ARE RECONSTRUCTING THE ON- LINE / WEBSITE OF PUNTO TO MAKE IT MORE MOBILE FRIENDLY. In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? How much revenue does your paper have annually (or monthly)? Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? 124
If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Expenses/Cost THE BULK OF THE EXPENSES OF PUNTO IS PRINTING COST. WE HAVE 5 REGULAR EMPLOYEES AND MORE OR LESS 10 CORRESPONDENTS ASSIGN TO DIFFERENT PROVINCES IN CENTRAL LUZON. WE FOLLOW ALL GOVERNMENT RULES & REGULATIONS AND PAY MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES. How much does the paper accumulate in terms of cost or expenses in a year (or month)? Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? Staff How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? Number of pages How many pages do your paper usually have? Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? Advertisements ADVERTISERS MOSTLY FROM LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS , PLEASE REFER TO PUNTO ACTUAL ISSUE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. Who are the usual sources of advertisements? In what form does advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Frequency of Publication How often does the paper come out? Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? What factors contribute to the survival of the paper?
Name of Publication: Sun.Star Pampanga Date of Start of Publication: November 27, 1995 Address: 2/F Tita’s Building II, Jose Abad Santos Avenue, Dolores, City of San Fernando, Pampanga 125
Owner of Publication: Sun.Star Publishing, Inc.
RESPONDENT: Jose Victor T. De Leon RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER: Editor-in-Chief INTERVIEW QUESTIONS History How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. First established as Sun.Star Clark then became Sun.Star Pampanga when the franchise was taken by the Laus Group of Companies Ownership Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. Sun.Star Publishing, Inc. Franchisee is Laus Group of Companies tri-media group How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? It makes it stable and sustainable Do you have investors? If yes, who are your major investors? No Circulation How much circulation, at an average, does your paper enjoy? Approximately 2,000 copies per day How are your newspapers distributed or reach your readers (vendors, agents, subscription, etc.)? Dealers, subscription and special orders Who are your paper's market? How do they contribute to the circulation? A, B, upper C, C and upper markets. They contribute to readership through “pasa-basa” Did you newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Consistently increasing How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? Steady upward trend What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? Increasing readership If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? Stick to the pillars: Editorial, Production, Circulation and Marketing Revenue In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? 70 percent What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? Commercial printing Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? Ads How much revenue does your paper have annually (or monthly)? Classified Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? Growth of at least 50 percent annually due to increase in readership If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Creation of other revenue streams 126
Expenses/Cost How much does the paper accumulate in terms of cost or expenses in a year (or month)? Classified Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? Increased due to inflation What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper? Printing How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? Through ads and dealers sales If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? Staff How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? 25 ever since If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? Maintained as per staffing policy Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? Yes, above minimum wage with all benefits and perks Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? Not at the moment. All positions filled up Number of pages How many pages do your paper usually have? Minimum 16, average 18 Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? Increased from 12 pages What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? Number of stories, sections and advertisements How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages? Advertisements Who are the usual sources of advertisements? Business firms In what form do advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? Traditional ads, native ads How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Revenues Frequency of Publication How often does the paper come out? Daily (Monday to Sunday) Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? No What factors contribute to the survival of the paper? Resources, people Economy of the Region How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? Massive improvement because of good governance How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? Positive as businesses open up to advertising If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? The paper becomes the main conduit of business What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? Politics 127
How does the proximity (or distance) of the province to Metro Manila affect the economy and the paper? Minimal effect as Sun.Star retains its identity as a community newspaper How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Increases capacity to purchase and read the paper for a wider circulation Politics How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? Politics is the top news generator Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? Yes. Increases circulation and revenues especially during elections How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so? Yes. People love to read politics
Name of Publication:TARLAC WEEKENDER Date of Start of Publication: May 2016 Address: Lot 1, Block 4, St. James Subdivision, Barangay Tibag, Trlac City Owner of Publication: Roldan P. Ramos (Twoangels Publishing)
RESPONDENT: Roldan P. Ramos RESPONDENT’S DESIGNATION IN THE PAPER: Publisher INTERVIEW QUESTIONS History l How did your newspaper come about? Please share a brief history of how your newspaper was established. Ownership l Who is the current owner or publisher of the paper. If possible, please also include who were the previous owners or publisher. l How does the paper's ownership affect the paper especially on its economy? Circulation – DISTRIBUTION AT PRESENT IS THROUGH SELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICES ALL ON A COMPLIMENTARY BASIS l Who are your paper's market? How do they contribute to the circulation? l Did you newspaper's circulation increase or decrease in the past 30 years (since 1987)? l How will you describe the growth (decline) of your paper? Was is at a steady trend or did you observe an irregular trend in the circulation? l What factors contributed to the growth (decline) of your circulation? l If circulation is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your circulation? Revenue – PAPER IS STILL AT IT’S INFANCY STAGE 128
l In terms of revenue, how much does circulation contribute to it? l What are the other sources of revenue does the paper have? How do they generate revenue for the paper? l Which of these sources (including circulation) give the most revenue to the paper? l Did revenue observed a growth or decline in the past 30 years (since 1987)? How will you describe the trend of its growth or decline? l If revenue is growing (declining), how do you maintain (improve) the growth of your revenue? Expenses/Cost l Have the paper’s expenses increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? Why is this so? l What usually contributes the biggest expense of the paper?- PRODUCTION COSTS l How does the paper cover the expenses? Is there a gain or loss? – SUBSIDIZED OUT OF POCKET, ALL PART OF START UP CAPITALIZATION l If the paper is losing, how do you address this? What were the solutions undertaken by the paper? Staff- 3 STAFF MEMBERS (ALL PART-TIME) l How many staff do the paper have at the moment? Has this number increased or decreased in the past 30 years (since 1987)? l If the number of staff is decreasing (increasing), what are the usual reasons why they left (stayed)? l Are staff properly compensated such that they receive at least the minimum wage and enjoy benefits like SSS, Philhealth, etc.? Why so? l Is your paper open for new applicants or hires at the moment? Why so? Number of pages- 8 PAGES , WITH INTENT TO INCREASE PAGES AND COPIES ONCE THERE IS A NEED TO DO SO l How many pages do your paper usually have? l Has this number increased or decreased in the last 30 years (since 1987)? l What factors contribute to the increase (decrease) of the paper’s pages? l How will you describe the content of your paper? What usually comprises the pages?- OPINION AND STRAIGHT NEWS Advertisements – MINIMAL AT THIS POINT l Who are the usual sources of advertisements? l In what form does advertisements come about in the paper (through news article, photo, etc.)? l How does advertisement help in the survival of the paper? Frequency of Publication – WEEKLY LOCAL NEWSPAPER l How often does the paper come out? l Has this changed in the past 30 years (since 1987)? If yes, why so? l What factors contribute to the survival of the paper? Economy of the Region l How will you describe the economic condition of your province in the past 30 years? Has there been improvement? If yes, in what way? l How is the paper affected by the growth (decline) of the province’s economy? l If the paper is affected (not affected), why is this so? 129
l What facet of the province’s economy is the paper most affected? l How do you think does the economic condition of the province be most helpful to the paper? Do you think the economic condition of the province is a necessary factor in the paper’s survival? How and why so? Politics – LOCAL POLITICS WILL ALWAYS BE A KEY FACTOR FOR A LOCAL PAPER. TOO LENGTHY FOR ME TO ELABORATE, YOU CAN JUST GIVE ME A CALL FOR MY EXPLANATION. l How do politics in your area affect or influence news coverage? l Does it also affect the paper’s revenue, circulation or content? If so, in what way? l How do you think does the political condition or situation in the province affect the paper? Do you think politics is necessary for the paper to survive? How and why so?