a session on humility and gratitude

pardon for another very emily post post.

this week, my friends at the economic journalists association of the philippines had another seminar that taught the new reporters (and served as a refresher course for the old ones) the rigours of business journalism. in my younger days as a new business reporter, i looked forward to this as i didn't study journalism in college. i finished business management.

the seminar is very helpful not only in sharpening our journalism tools, but also in establishing a strong camaraderie among practitioners in a rather fragmented industry, where every member is assigned to different beats and thus reporters rarely see or meet each other.

but i wish the seminar would also have a session on humility and gratitude.

you see, journalism exposes reporters to the most powerful people in and out of the country. and this can be very dangerous, especially for the new, vulnerable ones who might go home and think that just because they rub elbows with these people, then they too have become all that powerful and mighty!

i have seen it happened. a lot of times. even to the most seasoned reporters. and i shudder at the audacity of some of these "feeling powerful" media men. how they use their connections, associations with powerful people in getting whatever they want. they don't hesitate to use their press id cards to get away with violations, even traffic violations, or to get discounts and freebies.

it's really tempting. on some occasions, i nearly surrendered to its allure. but i resisted. there's nothing like a free conscience to make you sleep well at night, so to speak, even though i am insomniac. haha

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then there's the other rare commodity these days: gratitude.

most people in the industry feel so entitled that they no longer know how to say thank you and to appreciate even the smallest gifts and tokens. they think that being given a special gift when they attend a press conference is part and parcel of the job. no dearie. you are there to get the story, nothing else. be thankful if you are given a pen or a paper to write your notes.

be very grateful if food is served. i repeat: you are there to get the story, not to enjoy an expensive meal, nor to win a coveted item in a raffle. or a nice freebie afterwards. if you want these benefits, be a celebrity. or be a movie star.

no wonder then that some pr people (i won't mention names) look down on some of us because of this malpractice. it's not uncommon to hear some pr people telling their clients to make sure that the food and the venue of the event are fabulous, and that the invited reporters will go home with the best gifts there is to make sure that the event host will get the kind of media exposure that they can only dream of.

these past few months, when i worked as consultant for several pr firms, i heard a lot of horror stories about some people in the industry -- reporters, editors, who are often called "monsters" "nightmares" "pa-divas kahit chakas' and so on. the funny thing is those who come from the bottom of the industry (in other words wala sa top three biggest media companies) are the ones who act and feel so entitled.

every time i hear these stories, how someone will use all the tricks up her sleeve just to be included in a foreign trip or to get the latest, most coveted gadget for free, i shudder.

at the risk of sounding like a saint, i too had my sins. in the past. but those were minor ones, mind you, compared to what i had heard and even witnessed these days.

sure. i love this industry. i love being a reporter -- be it lifestyle, entertainment, political, or business. i have so much regard for this profession that i feel sad each time i hear some stories about some people who are just using it for their own personal gains. journalism, first and foremost, is a service. you do it because you want your readers to know what's going on in the world that you cover. nobody owes you anything for doing your job, even if it's sometimes at the risk of losing your life. you cover a typhoon, an earthquake, or a war, then be prepared to die. no dramas. no big deal.

when i was being interviewed for a newspaper job decades ago, this was the time when i was shifting fields from auditing to journalism, my then editor-in-chief told me that journalism is like the priesthood -- there's a vow of poverty. he then mentioned how much salary i would be getting, which was way below to what i was receiving then as a junior sales auditor at one of the country's top retailers.

but i didn't mind. i said i love writing and reporting and no amount of wealth (or the absence of it) can stop me from pursuing it.

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now if you want to get rich, and acquire things like a car or a house, and there's nothing wrong with that, then get out of the industry. be an entrepreneur. put up your own marketing and public relations firm or online media company. start a magazine or a newspaper. find investors. or marry someone rich, powerful and influential. again, there's nothing wrong with that.

or do what i did. i became an international fashion model. hahahaha


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seriously........

i am writing this with all the humility that i can muster. out of the goodness of my heart -- that is, if there's anything that's left there.

we all need to be reminded sometimes what this job is all about -- service. the reward is the satisfaction we get knowing that we had written the best headline and lede, that we got all the facts right, the names of the people well-spelled, punctuations and commas in their right places. that occasionally we have a scoop and a story that really changed something or touched someone.

those are the only ones that matter. the only things we have to be mindful about. those expensive trips, gifts, and even a simple "thank you"from our sources are nothing but bonuses. they will all be gone once you are no longer active in the job. but the satisfaction you got from doing a good job, your reputation, your quality of work, they will always be there.

and really, those are the only things that matter.

i thank you. and world peace!