Post-shutdown: Working as a Regional Correspondent in the Philippines

Annie Fe  G. Perez-Gallardo,

Post-shutdown: Working as a Regional Correspondent in the Philippines

Abstract:

Working in the regions is an unseen facet of Philippine journalism. This also holds true for journalists who continue to report for one of the country’s leading media networks, ABS-CBN. When the network lost its bid to a fresh franchise in 2020, it sought ways to continue receiving stories from different areas of the country by setting up its stringer network. These were former full-time reporters who now work as correspondents paid per story. With an autoethnographic approach, this essay explains the new production process after the non-renewal of the network’s franchise. It seeks to shed light on its reportage through Shoemaker and Reese’s Hierarchy of Influences Model. It also peers into some media policies and practices that affect news presentation as it continues to operate as a network on its remaining platforms. The labor policies are also discussed due to an affectation of the country’s leaders. It examines the concept of public service as embedded in being part of the fourth estate. This journalistic practice and business model serve as a guiding post for those who wish to expand their operations to the regions.

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