“Mobile journalists are usually a one-man team,” Ted Failon said during the Grand Launch of Radyo5’s 92.3 TRUE FM on March 11.
They multitask and function as cameramen/women, writers, reporters, editors, and researchers. As a mobile journalist (MoJo) trainer in the industry, Failon wished to see more of them in the industry despite limited resources.
“Sana dumami pa sila,” he said. “Yung mga MoJos kase importante sila sa panahong ito dahil sa limitadong resources lagi. Kahit saang istasyon, limitado ang resources kaya napakaimportanteng merong citizen journalists na prepared din tumakbo at magbalita at alam kung papaano magbabalita. So, yun nga sana. Sana sila’y dumami pa at lumaki yung talent fee.”
Mobile journalists like Julie Baiza and Pamela Vasquez (Failon’s trainees) shared what they do as MoJos.
Baiza explained as mobile journalists, “Kami po yung nagre-research, nagsusulat, nagsho-shoot, and edit na rin po ng mga news packages namin na ini-ere po namin sa mga programs.”
Vasquez added, “Hindi lang po feature stories pero political stories. For example ako po ay member ng Malacanang Press Corps. So, sinusundan ko din lahat ng event ni President Bong Bong Marcos.”
When asked about the most important thing they’ve learned from Failon’s mentorship, Vasquez said, “Siguro po yung manindigan sa ipinaglalaban. Yung serbisyo at magmulat ang publiko sa katotohanan at mga tunay na balita.”
Asked if Failon will train vloggers, he confessed, “I’m not competent to train vloggers. Hindi ako active sa social media. Viber lang ako tsaka text. Sa mga MoJo, ako’y binigyan ng pagkakataon to train them on the basics of live reporting. Papaano magreport sa radyo particularly and establish self-confidence in reporting for television.
“Napakaimportante ng training sa self-confidence, when you report on air,” he said. “Kapag bago ang reporter, may kaba. Dapat maalis yung kaba na yun.” And he’s out on a mission to ease their nerves.
“Yung kaibahan ng reporting for television and radio. bilib ako dito. Super ang sisipag nito despite the handicap, that they deliver.”
Failon looks forward to helping more MoJos prepare exactly how to present the news as it happens.
“I was excited na gawin yun and hopefully magkaroon pa ng second batch para naman mai-share ko yung aking kaunting kaalaman, how to to report live on television and radio.”
You can catch Ted Failon and DJ Chacha digging deep into the latest developments facing our country by speaking to the people behind the headliners and newsmakers themselves from 6 AM-10 AM on Radyo5’s 92.3 TRUE FM.
