Category: Week 06

3Q’s

Development, a word that I keep hearing for almost every day for the past 6 weeks. Everywhere I go, I look for what could be made better, what could be developed. I often find myself asking a question to myself, “is this development?” I’ve also been conscious to what I’m doing as a student of devcom, I often ask myself if my output or the topics I find is development-oriented.

To check if a topic or output is development-oriented, I ask myself:

“Does it address a concern?”

I learned from ate Hanna from BroadCom Soc that it is development oriented if it addresses an issue. Whenever I look for articles online I look for the parts where it addresses the concern of the article, only then will I be able to determine if it is development-oriented. I do this because I learned that, unlike journalism, we are not here just to report what happened or who is involved, we are here to look into the issue itself. Devcom is not just a reporter of an issue, we are part of the solution, an agent of change.

“Does it empower?”

The 4 E’s of DevCom plays a part in development, especially the 1st E, empowerment. Whenever I browse social media, I often find posts about current issues like the price of palay and the lives of the farmers. I see that these farmers are powerless and voiceless despite the big part that they play in this agricultural nation. We must look into what we, development communicators, do and see if what we’re doing is actually amplifying the voice of the voiceless and empowering the powerless.

“Does it feature human development?”

This is the greatest and top question for me when testing if an output is development-oriented. Sadly, you can’t always answer this question when reading articles online. We often find development issues on news articles online and on paper, often now featuring news of poverty alleviation or any type of alleviation. You might ask me, “why this question? Why not ask if it is a development issue?” Simply because devcom is not just about studying development issues, but it is also about learning how we will communicate and produce real development where we touch the lives of people and alleviating them from their low status.

The first two question is sufficient to determine if something is development-oriented, but the top question must be how an article or output feature human development. An article or output that answers “Yes” to all three of these question shows that a development communicator did his/her job well. These questions are separates us from ordinary journalists.

To be able to show all three of these in a single output should be our greatest goal. If we can make an output with all three, then we can say that there is indeed development happening.

Development-oriented?

According to the World Bank, “Awareness of the different purposes and functions of various types of communication is the first step toward a better understanding of the field of development communication and an effective way to enhance necessary quality standards.” A development communicator in training must be aware of the latest development-oriented topics. As we become a development communicator, we open our eyes to the recent developmental issues happening in our world. Through communication, we address these issues to achieve development.

Development-oriented topics are those which concern a community’s development. Almost every topic can be development-oriented. In one way or another, we can found a way for these topics to become development-oriented. But there are certain guidelines to know which topic is development-oriented.

Development-oriented topics are those which is about the progress of the community/society in achieving development. Communities might encounter difficulties in the process of becoming a well-developed community, these struggles we can call development-oriented topics. For example, poverty is a development-oriented topic because it hinders a community to achieve development.

In order to be development-oriented, a topic must be relatable for those who will read it. These topics are the recent events happening to a community.  A development-oriented topic when made to a news or an article must be useful to help the people be aware of the happenings around them. A development communicator must be a messenger of development-oriented topics, but it must be effective and informative.

If it’s not all facts, then it is not a development-oriented topic. A development communicator makes sure that all information is factual because we aim to be effective and informative. Wrong information can cause big troubles that’s why we must make sure that we are credible.

Reference: World Bank Development Communication Sourcebook http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDEVCOMMENG/Resources/DevelopmentCommSourcebook.pdf

Buhay Devcom: Tips in Identifying a development-related topic

I once read a book about Development in which at Chapter 5 it discusses how an issue is determined as development-related. Chapter 5 was entitled:

IDENTIFICATION OF EMERGING ISSUES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Development is a wide term that can be referred to a lot of things. To name some; social development, political development, economic development and such. However, digging deeper what development means as a whole according to a phone interview I have conducted with a DevCom Senior student in UPLB he stated and I quoted that development means

“Development is the liberation of individuals, people, and societies from the barriers which hinder them from enjoying their basic rights and civil liberties, and well as from realizing their optimum potential”

Development definition may vary depending on whose shoes we’ll try to fit on. After we define our own development we may now identify issues underlying it, issues that are development related. For what purpose? Simply to try aiming to solve that issue to the point that one can attain progress. I’ll start discussing about identifying a development related topic leaving this table below;

Setting the table as our reference we can see that there are numerous criteria in identifying a development-related topic. Topics ranging from its importance, impact, novelty, persistence, resolvability, ubiquity and even irreversibility. The main idea that I want to share in writing this blog is that we can have different views of development but we are one with our goals and intentions. Finding a development topic from my own point of view can be done in 5 steps.

1. Observe – from the most common sense, sight. Having the ability to witness things work, what complicates it and what seems to be the problem is a great start.

2. Check 3I’s (Intention, Impact, Interest)- well I just created the 3I’s that I think is necessary in starting and choosing a topic. First was the intention, checking our intention on weighing in a specific problem we’ve notice at step 1, after in which we check the impact of choosing it a development-related topic and lastly, the checking the interest of both parties involved in resolving the said issues. With that said and done we can arrive at step 3.

3. Search for FACTS– After having an eye on a specific topic it is necesarry that we look for facts to support it, not everything will be based on our judgement and guts. To have a close to perfect development-related topic is to backed it up with evidences that’ll make it even stronger.

4. Try to imbibe what it feels like to be the subject of your topic, it is important that we try to experience what we wanted yo change. Its like giving us the motivation whether we’ll continue on that specific topic or its not worth our time and effort.

5. Understand that development-related topics are not always perfect– after identifying our own development-related topic we must bear in mind that not everyone will agree that it should be the one with the spotlight on. After understanding our own identified topic we must embrace it as our own problem to be solved.

Developmental Mindset

As I step in my college building, I began to ponder, what is development? This simple word has yet to be defined in a more profound way. Being human, means being able to live in a life where struggles are lessen, however not all are the same for every people, hence why I think, that development is adhere to a change, which could be the ultimate goal of development. As I progress into this journey of being a development communication student, and as I learn more and somewhat definite answer as to what development communication is, it should have at least three characteristic to determine if it really is developmental.

  1. Development should have a mindset for change. 

Development cannot be a ‘development’ when in fact the meaning of development is to grow, mature, and/or advance into a type of change. Development should have a change however, it needs not to be an immediate type of change, but somewhat a type of change that is or can be considered as beneficial to all people of the nation. In addition, it does not necessarily need to be a rapid change, but, what matters is the change that benefit the people, even when it takes a slower approach. 

2. Development should have a certain goal. 

Development should have an aim or a goal, aim to do what is necessary for the people to survive, and aim to make the people, environment, and the nation to feel that they are a part of the world we are living in today. How can we have a developmental mindset if we do not even have a goal? Having a goal to persevere us to do something that can greatly change and enhance our lives and the lives of the future generation. 

  3. Development should consider the audience. 

Development should tackle a community’s specific need or problem so that the solution/s are anchored to those problems. The developmental approach should cater to the audience, and that the audience, could easily understand, and develop or applied without much of a hassle. Development should be able to, ideally, solve the problems that the community or nation is facing, since development, in a larger scale, is not time-bounded, and that it should have been seen, slowly and efficiently, and not hastily. 

In the Philippines, which is said to be a third world country, therefore the Philippines is considered a developing country. Hence, development oriented topics are needed for the Filipinos who are in need of a change, not only in terms of physical aspects, but especially, a change in life.  And being a development communication student, it is clear that the topic of development, in terms of its characteristics, is goal-driven and that its result should not be hindered to a person, but rather, to the community or the nation. 

For the future…

Defining development can be complicated and tricky at times for it covers a lot of different aspects in our society. With that, distinguishing development-oriented topics becomes a lot more problematic.

As a Development Communication student, I wonder, how will I be able to determine the characteristics of a development-oriented topic? Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to ask an upper class student regarding the aforementioned query.

According to Julia Mae Abarintos of Batch 2018, the top 3 characteristics of a development-oriented topic are as follows:

For the marginalized

A development-oriented topic focuses on the marginalized communities and its purpose is to help these communities in terms of providing information for the aspect they’re lacking. It should always serve a purpose, and most of the time, this purpose deviates towards the benefit of the marginalized.

aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals

A development-oriented topic should tackle at least one of the SDGs. The topic could again, inform people about certain issues or progress related to the SDGs. Moreover, SDGs are aimed for progress which is also the same case for DevCom.

Focuses on relevant issues

In this way, the topic could give light to the issues or provide alternative solutions . This could also help in informing people about these issues concerning them.

Those are just some of the characteristics of a development-oriented topic. Now, as I start to conquer the world of Development Communication, I will also start to unravel my own understanding of a development-oriented topic which can potentially help the future generation.

What Makes It Dev-Oriented?

WHEN I STARTED REVIEWING in preparation for the UPCAT last year, I didn’t know what course to take. I was torn between choosing Broadcast Communication or English Studies, both of which can be taken in UP Diliman. I also had to choose another campus as a second choice, and that was when I didn’t really know what to do.

I was in my seat one day when I was reviewing in Manila, waiting for our English lecturer to arrive. I knew English was a favorite subject of mine, and I was incredibly eager to test my skills. What I didn’t know was that our lecturer came from my hometown, and now I give myself a major pat on the back for listening to his advice. If it wasn’t for Sir Miko I wouldn’t be in UP right now, because I did NOT EXPECT to be taking Development Communication. He was the one who told me to put it in my forms. And who knew? He’s a Devcom alumni, too!

Now, I took the time to ask him a small piece of what he knows as a Development Communicator. In this course, one will tackle all things developmental, so it’s important to be aware of identifying texts – journals, articles, news, and researches – that are for development, and distinguish them from those that aren’t. This is one of the basic things that I (and the rest of you who are reading this) should keep in mind all the time. We’re all for development, so we mustn’t forget the fundamentals of our purpose here. If you want to be enlightened, check the image!

PS. A big thank you, still, to fellow Tabaqueño Sir John Miko Ofalsa for his time!

Critically assessed

Entering the university without any idea of what a Development Communicator is and should be is a difficult thing. I even asked myself, “Is it really for me? Is it really what I want?”. Whenever my relatives ask me if what is Development Communication is, I don’t know what to answer and how to explain it.

But little by little I’m having a glance of what a Development Communication is through the DevCom courses I’m taking in. And as a Development Communicator-in-training, I came up with the top 3 characteristics of a development-oriented topic:

Community-based

A development-oriented topic must focus on community for they are the ones to be affected by such developments. It should primarily address the needs and problems of the community and eventually give solutions for the betterment of the lives of people residing in community.

Value-laden

Possessing a value is a must in identifying a development-oriented topic. It should prioritize to have a greater purpose for the bigger community, which means having a purpose is having a mission or goal to achieve and that should focus on the welfare of the many. If one can’t be value-laden, then it would worthless and won’t give any help for the people.

Progress-oriented

It must create a progress for it to be considered as a development-oriented topic. A progress that can eventually benefit the community especially the marginalized sectors. It should look on angles in which it gives development that can lead to progressive community.

Luckily, I got a chance to interview Ms. Danessa Lorenz Lopega, a BS Development Communication student Batch 2018, on what are the top 3 characteristics of a development-oriented topic:

Having all these characteristics in mind, we can critically assess topics or articles which are in lined with development.

Three Characteristics of a Development-Oriented Topic

Development; where everything seems to revolve for a DevComm student; lectures, exercises, and the like. From the very first week in this course, we were asked to choose our news beats then come up with our own development-oriented topics. I asked myself, “Ano daw? Development-oriented? Paano?” I wondered how exactly should I come up with my own topics? So, I did what most would do, search the internet for online references and was able to have an idea. Moreover, I was also able to catch some from our lecture class. To sum it all up, here’s my criteria if a topic is development oriented:

  1. Purpose-driven

Topics for our works should have a purpose. This allows us to determine who we particularly want to reach and send our message to. It will also determine how we should construct our composition to align it to our audience.

2. Relevant and Stimulating for the Audience

Works produced will be useless if we can’t reach our targeted audience. Thus, we have to think of topics that are compelling to read/talk about. To achieve this, our topic should be relevant. It should be timely/up-to-date for everyone to relate to and to stimulate reactions or response.

3. Geared Towards Community Upliftment

A development-oriented topic should be geared towards community upliftment. It should be able to address issues in our community. It should also spread awareness and promote social mobilization. And, another statement I always hear in our lectures is that “it should be able to help the marginalized people in our community.”

To sum it all up, We should understand that we are writing “to the people and for the people.” Thus, we have to make sure that we produce significant outputs. However, as we are still development communicators in training, I hope that I may grow more and be able to produce these kinds of outputs. Having these three characteristics as only my starting point since further engagement to this educational program may change or improve these criteria.

References:

What is Development Journalism?

Is your topic development-oriented?

As DevCom students, everything that we write should be development-oriented. But what does development-oriented mean? Whenever we read a news story, how can one know if it is development-oriented? Are all news stories development-oriented?

Development Communication, as defined by Nora Quebral, is the art and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country and the mass of its people from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth that makes possible greater social equality and the larger fulfillment of the human potential.

Thus, not every news is development-oriented. Here are 3 characteristics of a development-oriented topic/output:

Centered on DEVELOPMENT. As the word suggests, development-oriented topics are centered on development. This means that in communicating information, there must be a goal to be achieved. A development-oriented news serves as a catalyst for social change. There should be a call to action elicited from the writing.

Based on research. When writing a development-oriented news, one must base it on research. Writing something that is development-oriented undergoes a thorough research for data. It should also follow a scientific method in gathering data and in putting the information in words.

For the PEOPLE. Development communicators write for the people, especially those who are marginalized. Since the goal is to elicit social change, development communicators must be inclusive in communicating information. One should be able to reach the marginalized sector so that there would be an intervention and progress will be attained.

References: UP Open University. (1998). Quebral Definition. In Introduction to Development Communication (p. 130).

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