PAJacks – Now Is The Time For All PH Agricultural Journalists To Come To The Aid Of Their Country! As Bloggers


Image from Impromptu Publishing[1]):

“Blogger vs Journalist” – Is that an intelligent assertion?

Never mind the nationality, fashion and swagger: What do you think?

My opinion: “Versus” (vs) reflects a huge misunderstanding of the roles of bloggers compared to journalists in modern society.

I am a 15-year veteran blogger in the Philippines, 13 of those years in the Science of Agriculture and related fields, so I know that in The Digital Age, there should no longer be a difference between journalist and blogger.

I am introducing a new, free blog. I am inviting you to submit your articles, 500 words long, to PAJacks for publishing. (Until we get sponsors, your byline will be your reward.)

Whatever the controversy, I ask of you only one thing:

Study the “New Thinking for Agriculture” of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie,that is expressed in 8 paradigms:

(1)   Modernization
(2)   Industrialization
(3)   Promotion of exports
(4)   Consolidation of small- and medium-sized farms
(5)   Infrastructure development
(6)   Higher budget & investment
(7)   Legislative support
(8)   Roadmap development.

I am calling on registered members of the Philippine Agricultural Journalists, PAJ, which is 42 years old if I remember right. Especially those who have won any of the many Binhi Awards in those 4 decades, where binhi means seeds.

I have already called the journalism I have in mind Investigative Development Journalism(read my essay, “Investigative Journalism Must Be A Journalism Of Humanity – And That Includes The Farmers[2]!” 10 March 2020, Frank H, The Blogfather). As of now, all those who practice what is called Investigative Journalism invariably come up with negative stories.

In this new blog to which I am inviting you to submit your news-views, not more than 500 words, to be practical, so that you will not have any conflict with your “Mother” Media, I am advocating for PAJacks what I call:

Truth-Think Journalism

For which you do not have to go to school, you do not have to memorize anything except these:

True?
You must dig the facts, and non-facts, to determine whether what is being claimed did happen or is accurate. That means you have to countercheck with other sources or media.

Helpful?
Since you are writing for the New PH Agriculture under Manong Willie, you must personally determine whether your news will help advance the interests of farmers and fishers in the country – without trampling on the rights of others. It must be investigative journalism that is pointed to the good of all, especially the poor.

Inspiring?
Always, your piece must strive to serve as inspiration, not a signal for desperation. We have enough negative news already!

Necessary?
When you encounter negative news, you will have to decide whether it is necessary to disseminate it or not.

Kind?
Your articles must always, always be kind to most people, if not to everyone.

Finally, I am also inviting non-PAJ members to join this blogging platform. I will be your Editor In Chief, gratis et amore.@517





[1] http://www.impromptupublishing.com
[2] https://frankhtheblogfather.blogspot.com/2020/03/investigative-journalism-must-be_10.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Knorr Of Big Business Unilever Thinks Big Business Regenerative Agriculture – My Tiny Country PH Also Should!

Image
“Knorr’s plan for 50 regenerative agriculture projects is predicted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use by an estimated 30% while improving biodiversity, soil health and livelihoods.” That is regenerative agriculture (RA) news by Julian Cirineo (05 Nov 2021, “Unilever Wants To Rethink How Farms Work To Secure Food And Resources For The Future,” Rappler , rappler.com ). Note: 50 (not 5 only) RA projects to improve greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and water use by 30% – plus improving biodiversity, soil health and livelihoods. Note the last 7 words in the above paragraph. How can RA improve biodiversity? RA requires that the farmer practices multiculture (a few or many crops grown at the same time in the same place), where monoculture (such as rice-only or corn-only) is the practice – the biodiversity improves crop health because of the ensuing balance of nature, such as some organisms feed on other organisms that would otherwise become pests or cause diseases. RA is your
Read more

In Looking At The Crown Of Thorns, I Found The Clowns

Image
We could use a surprise sense of humor!  Yes, especially on the wide problematic fields of Agriculture. There was this news that some high PH government officials wanted to probe Vice President Leni Robredo for “competing against” PH agencies in providing much-needed assistances during this coronavirus lockdown, and Marigs Laririt shared a picture-story on Facebook quoting Ms Leni as saying, “I didn’t know it was competition. I didn’t see any competitors!” Ms Marigs says, “Ay, parang friends ko kung sumagot si Mam.” (Ay, with Mam, it’s just like my friends answering back.) That is a two-handed backslap, and you can imagine the lady laughing! She is the humor-monger; they are the clowns. Today is Friday, 03 April 2020 and in one account ( Wikipedia ), Friday the 3 rd of April was crucifixion of Jesus and his crowning of thorns [1] . (images: Crown of Thorns [2]  from St Anthony Messenger , 1 st clown [3]  from The Guardian , 2 nd clown [4]  from Shutterstock ) About the living clowns I
Read more

“Natural Farming” – Aggie Journalists, We Must Be Careful With The Terms We Use!

Image
Look at the contrasting images: Which one is correct in claiming what is being practiced is “natural farming”? Top Image: This one accompanies the Anonymous WWF-Philippines story, “Mindanao Farmers Start Off the Year with Natural Farming Systems Technology” published online December 2019 [1] . The World Wide Fund, WWF, is a very credible international source of knowledge on conservation, right? Not this time. Very clearly, you can see the white plastic mulch covering the furrows and bare soil in-between them. Mr or Ms Anonymous, the plastic mulch is not natural. The soil not covered in-between furrows is not natural. So much soil bare, not natural, allowing so much natural water wasted because it had evaporated from the unprotected, hot soil surface! That is not conservation; that is not natural. The term “natural” is used here very carelessly . Aggie journalists, wake up! How come I noticed all that immediately when I saw the photograph? Because I learned my organic farming more t
Read more