The COVID-19 crisis across the world has posed a daunting challenge to journalism as a discipline. Indeed, how the journalism profession performs at this time could have game-changing implications on its already beleaguered role as a source of information in society. This article deals with the subject of journalistic competencies necessary in such crisis times, when interpreting and disseminating technical or scientific information becomes crucial in news work in a region that is vastly different from the West or the ‘Global North’—Southeast Asia. The issues and relevant concepts of journalistic competence and science journalism, especially in the time of digital and economic disruptions are discussed in relation to: 1) literature on journalistic roles and the character of media systems in Southeast Asia, and 2) data from in-depth interviews with selected experts from 31 countries. This article argues that, based on literature and a growing consensus among experts, journalism can best strengthen its role in society by shifting its standards and norms under a transformative and interdisciplinary perspective, which for a long time has been hindered by the inertia of the industry and industry-centered journalism education.
This article is a preliminary examination of how Southeast Asian media frame the regional integration of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a news topic. Without grassroots engagement, the ASEAN integration will inevitably fall short of its grand objectives, and crucial to building grassroots engagement is media coverage capable of building audience interest and appreciation. Based on articles published during the major ASEAN summit events in 2018, the authors identified resonant themes in the reportage and discussed these vis-à-vis the documented character of the different media environments in the region. It was found that the axis of the reportage is the declarations and actions of the heads of state, with very few human interest and context-building stories that would have built audience engagement in what is otherwise an affair revolving around 'men in suits'. Moreover, the journalistic emphasis on consensus and state initiatives reflects continuing adherence to the tenets of the development journalism framework, but this can also be interpreted as the dominance of 'prominence' as a news value (i.e. stories are framed according to the gestures of prominent individuals). These findings call attention to the need for re-thinking reportage on potentially high-stake phenomena such as the ASEAN integration.
The new environment for Filipino journalists is a difficult terrain to navigate: Professionals struggle to establish themselves as a source of information in the time of technological disruptions, digital populism, tighter market competition, labour precarities and the political pressures of an increasingly authoritarian regime. This provided the context for the subsequent discussion on journalistic competence: What competencies are most important for Filipino journalists given this status quo? More importantly, how should the concept of journalistic competence be viewed, conceptualised or interrogated given the current conditions that affect or threaten journalistic practice? The discussion on competencies was anchored on extant research, a survey with Filipino journalists and data from in-depth interviews with selected experts worldwide. The prominent elements of journalistic competence in the Philippines were identified and discussed vis-à-vis factors and conditions that influence journalism competence such as journalistic roles, media systems, popular attitudes towards news and educational infrastructure.
The different crises that journalism continues to face worldwide make it imperative to talk about the journalist’s ‘toolbox’, a set of competencies that journalists must have in this so-called age of disruption. This article maps the global state of research on journalistic competence, offers ways of conceptualising journalistic competencies and provides the necessary context by which the development of the competency construct can be understood. What are the approaches in studying journalistic competence and what perspectives are dominant, clashing, or need to be challenged? The state of research shows an imbalance in perspectives: Studies on journalistic competencies are concentrated in US, Europe, and the Nordic states. The environments beyond the Western context or the ‘Global North’, so to speak, continue to be underrepresented, despite a strong research and journalism tradition unique to some of the Global South regions. Secondly, the industry perspective continues to dominate the discourse, although it has been described as hostile to innovation and critical reflection. The article ends with a call not just to further define and theorise journalistic competencies, but also to de-westernise the discourse.
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