Reporting in the "new narmal". How the Covid-19 Pandemic Affected Journalistic Practice in the Philippines

 The researchers sought to document the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Filipino journalists through a qualitative study. Thirty journalists were purposively selected to reflect the diversity of platforms (TV/radio, print, online), scope of coverage (national and local/regional), and region (Metro Manila, Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao). In-depth interviews were conducted using the guide developed by the Global Risk Journalism Hub (https://www.globalriskjournalismhub.com), an international research network of scholars from 35 countries. The main findings of the study covered the following areas: 1.) journalists’ views: key issues confronting the Philippines during the covid-19 crisis; 2.) reporting methods during the pandemic; 3.) personal and professional challenges encountered by journalists; and 4.) role perception of journalists. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, both to their personal and professional lives, and consistent with related studies, journalists interviewed went back to their moral obligation and sense of purpose, especially in a pandemic: to tell the truth by providing accurate information and context, and minimize harm to a suffering public.