THE ATENEO HUMAN Rights Center (AHRC), together with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), spearheaded “Rights in Focus: Human Rights in Campus Journalism Summit 2025,” a conference on human rights-based reporting at the Ateneo Professional Schools last December 6.
The summit gathered more than a hundred campus journalists alongside partner student publications, including The Bedan; The FEU Advocate of Far Eastern University; The Philippine Collegian and Tinig ng Plaridel of University of the Philippines Diliman; The Benildean of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde; The GUIDON of Ateneo de Manila University; The Lasallian of De La Salle University; and The Varsitarian of the University of Santo Tomas.
Focused on key issues highlighting the importance of rights-sensitive student journalism, the summit examined the campus press’ role in pursuing truth and serving communities through a keynote address, two plenary discussions, and workshops on fact-checking, digital safety, and rights-sensitive reporting.
Award-winning correspondent for Al Jazeera English Ms. Jamela Alindogan commenced the event’s discourse with a keynote address on “Campus Journalism as a Human Rights Mission: Defending Truth, Democracy, and Freedoms.”
In her address, Ms. Alindogan emphasized how every university or institution at large must exert dignity for forms of journalism, especially campus journalism, as they are “a sanctuary of truth where young journalists can question power without fear or retribution, where the right to speak is protected…”
Ms. Alindogan then made a juxtaposition of this obligation with the reality of the current state of the practice of journalism, as she enumerated the factors contributing to the collapse of the integrity of the practice.
“The storms, it seems, have become more perilous. There is still the problem with censorship, shortage of funds… There’s red-tagging…disinformation, doxxing… harassment… Surveillance now by state forces. And of course, what is at stake is your dignity as campus journalists. That is under attack,” she said.
Nonetheless, she notes that dignity may be recollected if the youth demand its restoration from those vested with the capability to do so.
“Journalism is not just about telling powerful stories. It’s about living long enough ‘til the next one story that you have to tell,” said Ms. Alindogan.
First panel discussant Mr. Jonathan de Santos, Chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), along with Reg Dipasupil and Chalssea Echegoyen—the Editor-in-Chiefs of the Philippine Collegian and The Varsitarian—and award-winning ABS-CBN reporter Adrian Ayalin, discussed the current state of campus journalism in the Philippines.
They highlighted emerging challenges and opportunities for campus journalists in the 21st century, emphasizing how powerful figures increasingly shape narratives at the expense of truth.
“Dati naman… ‘yung censorship, issues with funding, issues with budget nandiyan na siya ‘no, pero kung titingnan din natin, mas nagre-reach out ngayon ‘yung state or kung sino man sa authorities na supilin o baguhin ang storya… may mga pagkakataon na iniimbitahan kunwari ang mga journalist to clear their names… So mas challenging ngayon,” said Mr. de Santos.
One of the second panel discussants, Mr. Raffy Lerma, an award-winning photojournalist, shared his experiences in covering the bloody extrajudicial killings (EJK) during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, contextualizing the connection between human rights and journalism.
He demonstrated how vital the human rights lens is in journalism, expressing how advocating human rights is embedded within reporting. “Napaka-inherent [ng] human rights to my journalism,” he said.
Building on this narrative, Mr. Lerma highlighted how the entirety of his journey as a journalist covering the EJK embodies the inherent nature of human rights in his profession.
“Nandito na tayo, tuloy-tuloy lang, almost 10 years na tuloy-tuloy yung trabaho,” he shared, pertaining to the significant developments in the fight for justice for the EJK victims.
The ceremonial turnover of the Human Rights Primer from Project HR Lens, created in partnership with the student publications, took place before the afternoon session, designed to “equip young student journalists in placing human rights–lens reporting in the highest regard.”
The afternoon session featured three breakout room workshops: “Ethical and Rights-Sensitive Reporting,” facilitated by FEU journalism professor Ms. Liana Barro; “Safety and Digital Security for Campus Journalists,” by Ms. Samantha Bagayas, head of Rappler’s civic engagement Facts First PH; and “Fact Checking and Combating Disinformation,” by Ms. Ailla Dela Cruz, Rappler’s fact-checker.
The drafting of the Human Rights Agenda for Campus Journalism was then joined by the campus journalist attendees as they shared and solidified their commitment to actively adopt human rights-sensitive reporting in their future endeavors.
As the summit concluded, Alindogan left a strong reminder for the youth, noting that they are no longer merely the future of the nation—as they are now the bearers of the current path towards the future.
“Do not just follow the path we paved. Please build a better one… You are now shaping it. The pulse of this generation is you; you should be writing it,” she said.
(with Eunice Karen Buccat)