According to Linje Manyozo’s Manifesto for Development Communication, Development Communication is used as propaganda to achieve its development objectives and to bring about its desired change for diminishing poverty, unemployment, inequality and emerging issues of development, like human rights and culture. It wants communities to take an active part in planning, implementing and evaluating interventions that allow them to see the problem more clearly, therefore, providing practical solutions fit for its whole community. For this to be achieved, communication through all forms of media should be development-oriented.
What then makes a development-oriented topic or output?
Development journalists should know their audience. They should utilize print and electronic media to bring about desirable change in communities. They should focus on up-to-date issues that beset the community such as economic trends, population, government services, agriculture, industry, science and technology, and the environment. According to Elijah Espiritu of batch ’18, a development-oriented topic or output is one that has social relevance to a certain community and one that brings change or impact to a certain group of people through meaningful collaborations with the target community. Topics could also adhere to issues and advancements on Sustainable Development Goals and cover progresses associated with the 4 E’s of Development Communication namely, environmentalism, equity, empowerment, and entrepreneurship.
Ayel Pascua of batch ’14 said, we as development communicators, value the process of meeting the community or stakeholders, listening to their stories, collaborating with them, and facilitating “development” to them. Development journalists should be spokespersons for the marginalized and the oppressed, they should know how to hear and amplify the voices of these people. They should attract the readers, go down the level of the community, speak their language, and tackle something that they will care about. Andrea Downer, a Jamaican journalist said, “Development journalism gives soul to media, it gives it a human face.”
According to Juan Jamias, a pioneer in agricultural journalism in the country, development journalism should be scientific in outlook. A writer must have a wider knowledge of the different topics so that when he/she writes an article, his/her coverage is in-depth. Ricel Banayos of batch ’18 also said that a scientific or researched-based topic is ideal in writing articles especially if you want it to be development-oriented. It must feature an event or whatnot that involves scientific or research progress that will produce further development in its field, better if it provides sustainable development for the people.
Overall, development journalism has one goal, it should advocate the use of media to promote social change and development. Unfortunately, this is exactly where our system collapses, the common person in our country is unaware of the opportunities available to him/her. As a result, the vicious cycle of poverty and illiteracy is continuing. The media should then do its job to provide information to create awareness and solutions to advocate change.
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/journalismcompetition/professional-what-is-development-journalism
http://filmsforliberation.com/Fillfullarticle.aspx?Article=240
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