ABSTRACT As a future journalist we are trying to produce reliable news, fighting misinformation, fake news and delivering health updates to the public. In this kind of crisis journalists and media personnel are one of the bridges for accurate and more reliable data. Journalists and media organizations have to face new problems, such as determining how to conduct and gather information in a safe manner. We’re required to find ways on how to do our duties and responsibilities amid the limited and restricted access to information.

1. CITY OF MALABON UNIVERISTY
Maya-maya Cor. Pampano St.,
Longos Malabon City
Presented to the Faculty College of Arts and Sciences
Researchers:
Rica Perez Martin
Emmanuel Ponce Navarro

2. CHALLENGES FACED BY
JOURNALISM STUDENTS IN
GATHERING NEWS DURING
COVID-19 PANDEMIC

3. ABSTRACT
As a future journalist we are trying to produce reliable news, fighting
misinformation, fake news and delivering health updates to the public. In this
kind of crisis journalists and media personnel are one of the bridges for
accurate and more reliable data. Journalists and media organizations have to
face new problems, such as determining how to conduct and gather
information in a safe manner. We’re required to find ways on how to do our
duties and responsibilities amid the limited and restricted access to information.

4. The pandemic restricts us from having an actual or face to face interview
which is really difficult which may result in limited access to information and
lack of sources. We have faced official restrictions in accessing new information.
Aside from the risk to one's physical health, this study will show what are the
possible challenges that journalism students are facing due to the Covid-19
Pandemic.

5. LOCAL STUDIES
As the Covid-19 Pandemic outbreak is continuously spreading, the role
of journalist is essential in fighting and combating misinformation,
disseminating information and covering news is one of the major roles of
journalist. We are the key in giving factual information with reliable sources
in our community.
According to Christian Esguerra of ABS-CBN News Channel and
recipient of last year’s McLuhan Journalism award, noted the diminished
role of media in today’s society with the emergence of social media. He said
traditional media “no longer dominate the narrative” in the Philippines, their
credibility has dropped severely, and journalists are under “relentless attack.”

6. Esguerra, who is also a professor at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST)
expressed concern that journalists have been labeled as prostitutes and low-life
while media organizations have indeed been accused of spreading "false
information."
He urged journalists, particularly young digital natives, to fight back by
abandoning "timid reporting," purging their ranks, and trying to remind the public
of their significant contribution in a democratic republic.
This was echoed by Miriam Grace Go, Rappler's Public Trust Agenda editor
and a 2002 McLuhan Fellow, who advised young journalists to "be responsible
news producers" and "not rely on social media" for newsgathering.
Reference: https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/08/21/covid-journalism-digital-
natives

7. According to Student journalists from the University of the Philippines (UP)
have denounced the Red-tagging and harassment against various campus
publications and organizations.
Tinig ng Plaridel, the official student publication of the UP College of Mass
Communication (CMC), revealed in a Facebook post on Monday that it had
received death threats from a suspect The Philippine Collegian, the university’s
official student publication, also reported that an anonymous profile accused its staff
of being “wanted terrorist reporters,” together with other UP student publications
and its systemwide alliance, UP Solidaridad.
The unidentified sender also threatened the publication “of getting assassinated
if they continued engaging in their work as part of the alternative press.”
The Philippine Collegian issued a razor-sharp statement condemning the attacks
on it and other campus newspapers, claiming that the accusations "endanger the life
and safety of student journalists."

8. "While none of us are wanted or terrorists, this is not something we take lightly,
especially at a time when even such implications could lead to illegal arrest and,
worse, death in cold blood," the statement said.
Reference; https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1402100/journalism-is-not-a-crime-
campus-journos-slam-threats-vs-up-student-publications
According to Mr. Joshua Corcuera However, the situation I find myself
seems or appears to be privileged because other student publications are facing
grave and serious concerns. When I joined an assembly for the College Editors
Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) — which was attended by other student
journalists from other universities in Manila as well — the campus press
continued to face struggles and be oppressed in several issues.

9. Last July this year, CEGP filed a complaint at the Commission on Higher
Education and Commission on Human Rights, claiming that members are being red-
tagged or being accused of being part of the armed communist insurgency. This is true
especially if one would look at social media. For instance, critical members of the
press including student journalists are being accused by some to be members of the
New People’s Army even if there is no concrete evidence supporting such a claim.
Despite the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, members of the campus press are still
in need of more protection than ever against various forms of campus press freedom
violations. According to CEGP, there have been almost a thousand violations against
student publications since 2010. These violations include — but not limited to —
harassment of student journalists, meddling with editorial policies, administrative
intervention, withholding and looting of publication funds, and actual censorship of
editorial content, among others.
Reference: https://dailyguardian.com.ph/the-struggles-of-the-campus-press-continue/

10. According to Joel Adriano, Those working in the media face a direct threat to
their health and lives. Many developing countries lack the resources to test and
identify those infected with the virus, and they must live with the constant fear that
the virus is already circulating in their population. For a journalist, this means
fewer events to cover.
REFERENCE: https://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/scidev-net-at-large/journalism-
in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus/

11. INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
As society tries to navigate what many are calling “our new normal,”
they need someone to ask leaders and medical experts the tough questions,
and to give meaning to orders and advice set forth by those leaders. That
someone is the news media. (CAS Thesis of University of Dayton). On the
said thesis the role of journalist is someone that all of us needed for they are
the one who can navigate such information and questions that needed to ask
from the leaders but as the percentage of COVID-19 continuously breakout
and the rules that have needed to change adds the struggles on how journalist
can do their job within restrictions.

12. The print media sector was the most affected, as most countries in the region
asked newspapers and magazines to stop printing for fear of their contribution to
the spread of infection. There by, newspapers continued to be closed in various
countries at a rate of ten weeks. Despite the demand from employers to preserve
the jobs of journalists and workers as well as their wages. In the absence of
financial support packages from the state for the sector, layoffs were made, wage
deductions, and some institutions completely stopped working.
(https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/effects_of_covid-
19_pandemic_on_journos_eng.pdf)

13. Referring to this study of the Arab of the Middle East the journalist faced such
struggle in term of their job specifically on print media a lot of them was forced to
quit the job for they will contribute a lot of number of covid 19 virus infections.
Furthermore, the impact of political and economic power centers on their editorial
independence, including the exposure of female journalists and journalists who
attempt to pursue a critical and independent editorial line without facing threats,
intimidation, or imprisonment as a result of their work.

14. DATAANALYSIS
We collected data from 34 respondents from different year levels of journalism
students facing different challenges in gathering news during this covid-19
pandemic. The problem to be addressed is what are the other challenges in gathering
news during this time.
We used the quantitative approach as our way to collect data by the use of
Google form survey.
In organizing our data we used bar graph and pie graph. There are 8 questions to
be answered by 34 respondents, among the respondents 80% answered that they
encounter different challenges in gathering news. The main question to be answered
is the possible challenges that the journalism encountered in gathering news.

15. What challenges do you encounter in gathering news during
COVID-19?
• Red Tagging
• Misinformation/Disinformation
• Fake News/False Information
• Risk in Physical Health
• Lack of Face to Face/Actual Interview

17. The graph shows that in this question out of 34 respondents 22 respondents answered
Misinformation/disinformation as the most encountered challenge in gathering the
news during Covid-19 pandemic and Red Tagging with the total of 7 respondents as
the most un-encountered challenge in gathering news during covid-19 pandemic.

18. What are sites/platforms that you consider in fact checking or
gathering news?
• Digital Media Company
• T.V. Channels
• Social Media

20. The graph shows that in this question out 34 respondents 29 respondents answered
digital company such as Rappler, Manila bulletin, inquirer net is the most useful
platforms in fact checking or gathering news. While social media such as Facebook
and Tiktok is considered as most un-useful platform when gathering news during
Covid-19 pandemic.

21. How do you fight and cope up the challenges amid all the
threat as an inspiring journalist?
• Check reliable source/sites
• Do a fact checking
• Do nothing

23. The graph shows that in this question out of 34 respondents 28 respondents
answered that fact checking can cope the challenges and all the threat as an aspiring
journalist. 26 of them answered that checking reliable sources will help them to fight
the challenges in gathering news.

25. The graph shows that in this question out of 34 respondents 14 of them voted 4 as
the second to the highest legend hence the lowest number 1 got 2 votes.

27. The pie graph shows that 19 out of 34 respondents encountered some restrictions
sometimes, yet 1 respondent encountered restrictions seldom. While 11 answered that
they are frequently encountering restrictions.

29. The pie graph shows that 18 out of 34 respondents answered that they always get
false/fake information, while 3 respondents answered always and 8 answered
frequently

31. The pie graph shows that 17 out of 34 respondents answered they get reliable news
frequently, 9 answered sometimes and 1 respondent never get news from this
platform.

32. CONCLUSION
In these trying times, it is really hard to fight misinformation and other
possible threats and challenges that we will encounter as an aspiring
journalist. In this the time that is necessary for us to be the voice of the
unheard and the bridge for more reliable, timely, and accurate news.
Many of us are blind when many are voiceless, and we as a future
journalist will be the instrument for the equal information for all. As future
journalists, we strive to produce reliable news while combating
misinformation and fake news and informing the public about health issues.
In this type of crisis, journalists and media personnel create a pathway for
more accurate data.

33. Journalists and media organizations must grapple with new challenges, such as
determining how to conduct and gather information in a safe manner. We must figure
out how to carry out our duties and responsibilities in the face of limited and
restricted access to information. Because of the pandemic, we are unable to conduct
actual or face-to-face interviews, which may result in limited access to information
and a lack of sources.
We therefore conclude that in this research and with the statistical data presented,
we are able to see that in this time of pandemic there is not only challenge that
aspiring journalist are facing, we can clearly see that there is a lot of possible
challenges in the field of journalism and there still hidden and major challenges that
until now many of journalist or journalism student are facing.
The researcher find out that the majority of the answers are true to life and until
now it is happening to all the journalist or journalism students around the world.

34. It is really alarming that this pandemic restricts us from having actual interviews.
These trying times opens the mind of all especially the future journalist that
regardless what the situation is we will still deliver accurate and reliable news for all.
We therefore conclude that even though there’s a lot of possible challenges
encountered by the future journalist we still strive for the better, we still make way to
create and gather timely and relevant news.
As we go further with this study, we realize that the attack and challenges on the
media especially on the journalist is really alarming and should be addressed to all so
that they can give enough attention with this alarming situation

35. RECOMMENDATION
For Journalism Students:
We recommend doing fact checking when spreading news and also we
recommend gathering data or information from more reliable and trusted
sites.
There is no climate or pandemic that will stop us from providing time to
time news and updates, it's our duty and it’s our responsibility.
In this outbreak, stories highlighting potential solutions and which
provide a glimmer of home can help raise our spirits.

36. For teachers:
We highly suggest to encourage all your students to always fact check before
spreading the news to avoid misinformation.
For The Government:
We suggest that the government will make an immediate action regarding this
pressing and alarming matter faced by the aspiring journalist of our country and
to give attention and provide safe space were student journalist will be able to
gather news and information without feeling threatened and without the feeling
of red tagging.
For the Schools:
We recommend that the university must exercise the power to protect and
give place for aspiring journalist to gather information around the campus.

37. Thank You & God Bless