Cooperation vs competition

This story is inspired by my experiences as a young journalist decades ago. Competition is good in sports, in chess, but in journalism, cooperation is the name of the game.

During my younger days as a journalist, I met many foreign correspondents who intrigued me. The cultural gap was a source of wisdom for me. To avoid cultural pitfalls in a foreign land, foreign correspondents and journalists banded together under the auspices of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), seeking refuge in cooperation to deliver articles.

FOCAP writers are very sensitive to the issue of press freedom, expressing concerns about the closure of the Al Jazeera Media Network by Israel. The FOCAP website says, “We stand in solidarity with Al Jazeera and other media workers covering the Israel-Gaza war, and condemn the senseless deaths of journalists reporting on the frontlines,” branding it as a “dark day for democracy.”

I was having coffee with Joanna, an Irish correspondent and a member of FOCAP.

(Dialogue reconstructed)

JOANNA — Tell me more about your country, Bernie.

ME — No, it’s better you give me your first impressions.

JOANNA — Okay. May I speak frankly.

ME — Please.

JOANNA — I notice Filipino reporters are obsessed with scoops.

ME — Yes, and I hate it. It’s selfish and self-serving. It’s mercenary journalism of sorts. In Ireland, it is different?

JOANNA — We also have those animals back home, but not as prevalent as here.

ME — Since I don’t write for the front page, only editorials and opinion articles, I am safe from the addiction to scoops, but not for readers. Scoops focus on the messenger rather than the message itself. Always focus on the song, not the singer. Scoops are for budding reporters out to make a name for themselves. I don’t blame them, but it’s not my style.

JOANNA — But, do you know the saying for journalists and writers, “Publish or perish?”

ME — Yes. In other words, if you are not read, you are not a writer. A painter who is not recognized is not really a painter. A pianist who plays for himself is not a true musician. You have to have an audience. The principle of communications is simple — create your message and hope people will recognize it, as many as possible.

JOANNA — FOCAP members readily share information, unlike Filipino “scoopers” who keep their data to themselves.

ME — If they share it, it is no longer a scoop, right?

JOANNA — FOCAP people, who may have less access to sources of news, meet regularly to share information.

The culture of cooperation, not competition, was a key virtue of the FOCAP people I met. Joanna and I became good friends and would often drink beer after we had submitted our articles, to the head office for her, to the editorial desk for me. Irish women are good beer drinkers.

Cooperation, not competition, is a preferred virtue for, not only foreign journalists, but all media writers and broadcasters in tri-media, namely, print, radio and television. eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com