Fernandez: Blogging can definitely be journalism

Rolly Fernandez, a veteran journalist currently working for Philippine Daily Inquirer-Northern Luzon, is asked to speak in a journalism class under Sir Amer Amor.

Here is an inside look at the class lecture about blogging as an online form of journalism of Prof. Fernandez.

There already is an established rapport between the speaker and the students, since most if not all, has been under the tutelage of Sir Rolly in the previous journalism classes.

Sir Rolly Fernandez, a veteran journalist, has been invited to speak to the online journalism class of Sir Amer Amor to discuss his views regarding blogging as a part of journalism.

"Journalism is being romanticized", Fernandez says. What is needed in writing as a journalist has been the same 50 years ago, today, and tomorrow. Blogging, although a different form of journalism, is still indeed journalism if the writer does not fail to abide by the training and ethics involved in it. He says that blogging is a welcome challenge for those journalists who may be lenient and unguarded in choosing news articles and facts that come from the internet. I quote, "it is a guard against garbage information", thus blogging should complement newspaper journalism.

Although Sir Fernandez acknowledges the good change brought about by blogging, he stresses that "machines cannot replace human skills and common sense". Newspapers still need reporters and editors to guard against inaccurate information. This being said, he says that those writers or journalists with proper training and experience have an edge compared to those who simply write in blogs to inform people.

Blogging is the trend of the future; but bright as it may be, Sir Rolly says that he doesn't think that "he will see the end of print journalism in his lifetime". As long as online journalism adheres to proper conduct in gathering and writing news, then blogging really is not a threat- but an answer to the clamor of presenting news in a different yet effective way as well.