Zero Consciousness Zone

Thoughts on graduation day

2009-03-28T02:05:15Z

(1) These were my thoughts as a senior on his graduation:

Tribute: A Memory of encounters

by Jason Cabañes (The Guidon, 20 March 2003)

Roland Barthes, on the topic of reference, wrote, "I am not invoking guarantees, merely recalling, by a kind of salute given in passing, what has seduced, convinced, or what has momentarily given the delight of understanding (of being understood?)." So, I, standing on the sturdy shoulders of those who have taught me all these four years, write:

After all the tons of books, lectures, and research papers, it's quite ironic--although entirely proper--that come graduation, one of the most important things I learned at the Ateneo is that I know that I do not know (Socrates).

To begin with, throughout my university education, the very meaning of what it is to know has become more and more evasive. I used to think that knowledge was what one acquired from gobbling up the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, memorizing the Guinness Book of Records, fixing the TV on the Discovery Channel, and the like. The school has taught me, however, that there are other ways of knowing beyond positivist data.

Aside from the vaunted logic of the mind, there is a knowing (a) derived from seeing the convergence of signs, as in the event of Christ's resurrection (Dr. Ma. Christina Astorga), (b) that doesn't seek to grasp but allows the Other flourish away from the light of comprehension (Emmanuel Levinas), (c) that can only be understood by the heart of a lover, who sees the higher value in the beloved that nonlovers can't see (Max Scheler), (d) or by the hearts of God's true lovers who believe in God out of sheer love for God, even when all the external signs pointing to God seem to have failed (St. John the Mystic). With all these (and many other related) thoughts floating in my mind, I've now a very muddled understanding of knowledge. But then again, this seeming confusion affords me a taste of the non-thematizable, much deeper, and endlessly richer meaning of reality beneath my usual superficial apprehension of it (H. Mertens).

Because of the above, any attempt to define myself becomes riddled with yets. I am the person in my resume--name, sex, nationality, creed, and all that. Yet, I am more than those measly tidbits about myself (Gabriel Marcel). I may be limited by my historicity, by my partialities that I may not yet be aware of (Edmund Husserl). Yet, I am also a rational being capable of transcendence (Scheler), or even the loftier excendance, a total going out of oneself towards the Other (Levinas).

Indeed, some thinkers claim that I am but an "intersection of linguistic, mythological, or ideological forces" (Colin Davis on Strcuturalists) or an "outdated humanist illusion to be demystified" (Davis on Post-structuralists). Their well-articulated thoughts notwithstanding, I continue to assert that I am not an object easily dissected and analyzed. In fact, essential to my being a person is my characteristic of mystery (Martin Heidegger), or more radically, of secrecy (Levinas).

Certainly, the difficulty of defining myself also extends to any endeavor of trying to know others. I have fallen into the trap of pigeonholing others based on things that I notice during first encounters, prime of which are facial characteristics (Social Psychology), and sex (Gender Studies). Sometimes, I also make the common mistake of judging others according to their familial lieange (Confucius), their race (Orientalism), their sexual preference (Queer Theory), and many ther highly-reductionist and simplistic bases.

In the university though, I have become more conscious of my hidden biases, of my penchant for trying to know others like I know objects. Instead, I must be open to the surprise that the radical otherness of the Other brings (Levinas). A Philosophy 102 lecture put it best by saying that the more you know the Other, the more you begin to realize that you do not know him/her (Dr. Leovino Ma. Garcia).

These earthquakes I experienced at the university--all telling me that there is just so much more that I do not know--have nurtured in me an attitude of unceasing wonder (Jostein Gaarder) and questioning (Heidegger) as regards how I see things. I can no longer be lulled by predominant yet distorted worldviews--Materialism, Imperialism, Patriarchy, etc. My education has so disturbed me at my deepest core that it has "destroyed" me for life (Dr. Astorga). I will forever be haunted by the voices of the great thinkers of the world and my great teachers at the Ateneo.

As I go out into the ideal-barren real world (Joyce Bernal), I shall carry on with my quest to forever ask and ask more. The important qualifier here is that I won't question with my mind only ("activity of the soul..."), but also through what I'll choose to do ("...in accordance with virtue") (Aristotle). It will indeed be a Herculean task to dare disturb the universe (Devi Ignacio-Paez). Just quick look at the local news is enough to drain anyone of their idealism. Nevertheless, I shall try. After all, more than achieving my goal, it is the journey towards it that is of greater value (Marcel). In the end, I might just make it. Who knows?

(2) These are my thoughts as a teacher on his students' graduation:

Remember your very first encounter with Comm Theory? Abby (Louie?) describes it as "harsh but fun." Haha!

Remember the celebration before my Singapore stint? The most pressing concern you had then was your SA research!

Little did I know that when I got to Singapore, you'd pester me with your new concern: Comm Res. I distinctly remember having several YM windows open, all of them questions about theories and methods. :P

Remember the time you all turned Korean? I'm still not spilling about which play was better. Secret forever. :D

Remember the times when you guys did me proud by doing one for media literacy? There was Franz on news reportage...

...and then there was Dre and her excellent condom ads reparte with Atty. Imbong. Hehe!

Oh yeah. There was also Fran, who showed that beyond his expertise in writing literature reviews, he also had extreme physical prowess...

...and Yumi, who kindly agreed to become the photographer of the day...

...and Kristel, Sam, and Aiu, who did an amazing job as MediaTalk cheerleaders.

I'll never forget your insanity, e.g., Meggie and Dre in this photo...

...your insanity that's also a genius, e.g., Aiu, Yumi, and Abby in this photo.

I shall miss you dearly Comm 2009! :')

If the task of promoting media literacy becomes too blue...

2009-03-03T00:32:21Z

...then it might not hurt to go a little green. :)

click image to enlarge

The DLSU-Manila Department of Communication and TeamComm present:

Framing the Other: A Media Literacy Forum on Ethics and Photography

06 March 2009
2:30-4:30 pm
Tereso Lara Seminar Room
De La Salle University-Manila

In our increasingly mediated world, photographs play a central role in the way we understand both the near and the distant Other. At times, these images allow us to rediscover our shared humanity, whether in collective triumph (e.g., photo essays of the 1986 EDSA Revolution) or in collective grief (e.g., photojournalistic records of the 9/11 tragedy). At other times, these hinder us from recognizing each other, whether at the level of groups (e.g., spurious depictions of "virgin tribes" from the Amazon) or of individuals (e.g., disturbingly intrusive paparazzi shots of Britney Spears). Indeed, as the media scholar Roger Silverstone has argued, these images reveal as much as they conceal.

In light of the above, this forum, entitled "Framing the Other," brings together (a) scholars and students from DLSU's Department of Communication and (b) renowned professional photographers. In this dialogue, they shall attempt to examine the power of photographs to enable and disable our understanding of our fellow Filipinos and of other peoples.

The seminar will feature:

1. JASON CABANES (Asst. Prof. Lecturer, Comm. Dep't., DLSU), who will present Roger Silverstone's notion of Proper Distance in both producing and consuming media texts.

2. VEEJAY VILLAFRANCA (Freelance photojournalist and Ian Parry 2008 Awardee) and JIMMY DOMINGO (Coordinator, ACFJ Diploma in Photojournalism), who will talk about the how norms of journalism have influenced the way they have dealt with their photographic subjects.

3. MARIA ANGELI DIAZ, PH.D. (Chairperson, Comm. Dep't., DLSU), who will serve as chair of the seminar.

Official webpage: http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/announcements/default.asp?id=570

They say

2009-02-18T05:09:53Z

Jon has long held that my classroom humor is akin to that of Conan O'Brien: nerdy, hyper-reflexive, and self-deprecating. I reckon that it's a defense mechanism; I prefer laughing at myself before others can laugh at me. To be sure, I've always been afraid of public opinion about me. I imagine there would be many great intellectuals who would tell me off for caring too much about it. The list might include:

WOODROW WILSON: who doesn't think much of the public opinion of those that he calls The Great Unwashed

JOSEPH SCHUMPETER: who thinks that public opinion is nothing more than an indeterminate bundle of vague impulses loosely playing about given slogans and mistaken impressions

ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE: who thinks that public opinion only results to a tyranny of the majority

Perhaps, there's a grain of truth to their dismissal of public opinion. After all, there are plenty of instances that prove how unreliable it can be. Examples abound. Like the fact that we voted for Erap. And his son. And then his wife. Or the fact that Americans voted for Bush. Not once, but twice! Inevitably, I've had my fair share of encountering off-the-mark opinions about me. I think the most widely-circulated of these would be the notion that I'm gay. Exhibit A, the mean comment of my ex's aunt on my ex's Facebook account:

Such insensitivity really saddens me on many levels. But, I've grown weary of counter-arguing. I have nothing against being gay, but once and for all, that is not my gender preference. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear!!! So there.

Meanwhile, the worst opinion that my relatives have of me is that t I am the resident spoiled brat (aka coñotic Atenista) of the family. In fact, almost all of them dread picking me during exchange gifts because they think that only expensive, branded stuff will make me happy. Erm...I'm a teacher. I can't afford to be coño! 168 Mall, Greenhills Tiangge, SM Department Store...they're all my friends. Seriously.

However problematic public opinion is though, it is a reaction to something that people actually experience. For instance, we can look at how the highs and lows of public satisfaction of our contemporary presidents roughly correspond to significant political events during their terms:

So, it must be that there are some things about me that mistakenly signal to others that I'm gay. Like the fact that I found myself writing an interview piece for Icon magazine (Jon, I shall never forgive you for this! :p). Or, as my Mom once pointed out, I had a red laptop bag (which, as a result, I never use anymore. Haha!). In the same manner, it might be that I'm still perceived as the family spoiled brat because I actually was one...before I found out how difficult it was to earn a living.

Beyond the question of accuracy though, the reason why I cannot help but be concerned about public opinion is that, whether it is right or wrong, it has real world effects. Because we thought Erap was president material, we gave him the chance to plunder our country. Because Americans thought the same of Bush, they gave him the chance to screw up the whole world. Because people around me misread me, I become more neurotic.

Clearly then, the adage that goes "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is false. Public opinion matters not because it is right, but because it makes an impact on the lives of people. Which is why we--me included, of course--need to be more ethical in the way we construct social consensus (a la Habermas) and dissensus (a la Mouffe) not only of big public issues, but also of the others around us.

Jace's 25 Random Things

2009-02-07T02:25:15Z

Conformity can be fun. :) So here goes mine...

1. If I could decide which career I'd be most successful in, I'd pick being a tennis player and being a pop singer (not dancer!!!) first before being an academic. Notice though that all the careers I aspire to involve performing in front of an audience. The irrepressible showbiz gene in me!

2. Anjo had it right when he said that habitus also has a biological component. Although I've finally been able to overcome my aversion to trikes, jeeps, and (occasionally) buses, my commuter lifestyle appears to be the reason why I have been prone to illnesses lately. I don't have the antibodies for pollution...yet.

3. My most favorite dessert in the world is the $1.00 ice cream sandwich sold by the "uncles" in Orchard Road. I've tried all the flavors, and the hands down winner for me is mint with chocolate chips. :)

4. I hate the fact that my parents passed on two of their worst genetic traits to me: my predisposition towards weight gain (Mom) and my inexorable march towards hair loss (Dad). Oh, and there's my inherited scoliosis too, which is why I can never walk properly.

5. I remember getting a low grade in freshman English because I wrote an argumentative paper arguing that the Catholic Church is in decline. Nyahaha!

6. I once won an award for my organ rendition of the James Bond theme. Now, I can barely read musical scores!

7. The art of small talk is something that continues to elude me. Which is why during academic gatherings, I dread lunches and coffee breaks over paper presentations. I guess I'm a classic case of dissemination over dialogue.

8. The most beautiful photos I have are those of my family's trip to Europe (the breathtaking architecture in Florence! the streets of Paris! the bullfighting stadium in Madrid!, etc.) . But that was also the zenith of my fashion nerdiness: I was a fourteen year old with huge square glasses, giant shirts coupled with skinny jeans, sandals with socks, and...braces. I have a plan to save those photos by digitally erasing very nerdy Jason from them and digitally pasting a less nerdy Jace onto them. Brilliant!

9. Despite Aladdin's patriarchal and racist overtones, it is still my favorite Disney movie. Hey, at least it breaks the notion that you can't fall in love with someone who belongs to another social class. :)

10. Kuchie and I love popcorn movies. However, we usually have NYFD fries or Jamaican patties plus a large sized Big Chill while we watch them.

11. I just called my doctor this morning. And she told me that my liver has fat infiltrates, which may cause severe problems later on. That's not the worst part though. In order to prevent more damage to my liver, I'm now banned from eating fatty food, excessive carbs, chocolates (chocolates!!! can you believe that?!), among other things. Booo!

12. I learned to draw cartoons from two local art legends: Roni Santiago (of Baltic & Co. fame) and Larry Alcala (who is now one of our national artists). I still have my sketch pads with their comments on it. :)

13. I have an irrational fear of flying sports balls. Seriously.

14. The three teachers who have had the most impact in my personal life are Devi Ignacio-Paez (Dare to disturb the universe!), Dr. Marlu Vilches (Believe in yourself.), and Dr. Leo Garcia (The Other is radically other!). I will forever be grateful to them.

15. I wrote my first novel when I was fifteen. It was about a guy falling in love with his girl best friend. It was so sappy, I subsequently burned the only copy I made of it. :D

16. The only reason why I wanted to learn how to sing was because I couldn't sing the songs I composed (yes, aside from writing a sappy novel, I also used to write a lot of sappy pop songs). But after learning how to sing, I kinda got rusty with composing songs. Amazing.

17. The Barong Tagalog that I wore for my high school grad pic is now buried together with my uncle's driver, who passed away some years ago. During his burial, I whispered to him that there was no need for him to visit me to say thank you. Haha!

18. I seriously regret my college creative pic. I always have to explain what the darned thing means. Thank God that the new Comm. Dep't. no longer has a legacy room.

19. I can speak Bicolano (the Catanduanes brand, that is) fluently. And with the proper accent to boot. I even remember being excited to show this off during my first trip to the province. To my disappointment though, everyone there spoke to me in Tagalog.

20. The best Christmas I ever had was when Santa Claus brought me action figures of all the twenty wrestlers I wrote in my Christmas list. As a bonus, I also got a WWF (now WWE) Royal Rumble wrestling ring and a replica of The Ultimate Warrior's Intercontinental Championship Belt.

21. Every month, I get fixated on a particular academic concept. For November, it was phronesis. For December, it was dialogue and dissemination (cf. item 7). For January, it was cultural intimacy (hence my question to Mirca during the B&B conference). This February, it's habitus (cf. item 2).

22. I used to be a huge fan of Marvel Comics. My favorite ones were those in the Infinity Series: The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, The Infinity Crusade, and the Infinity Watch. And my favorite character was, of course, Adam Warlock.

23. I almost failed fifth grade because I played too much computer games. Mortal Kombat, if my memory serves me right. It was just too much fun gouging my opponent's hearts. "Finish him!"

24. According to Jon, Danny and Mirca are ethnographers par excellence. We have a long way to go to be like them, but we're certainly expert lait-nographers. Hahaha!

25. My eyes always swell with tears every time I read the following passage by Roger Silverstone: "We study the media because we are concerned about their power: we fear it, we decry, we adore it. The power of definition, of incitement, of enlightenment, of seduction, of judgement. We study the media because of the need to understand how powerful the media are in our everyday lives; in the structuring of experience; on the surface and in the depths. And we want to harness that power for good rather than ill." It reminds me that despite all the crap involved in it, being a media scholar is worth it.

She may not speak Chinese...

2008-12-11T15:35:02Z

...but I'm sure she'll be an amazing PhD dissertation adviser. This is one of the most momentous days in my life. :)

Distinguished Professor Ien Ang

Following the Leader

2008-12-03T21:01:48Z

In conceiving the Two Step Flow Model of Communication, Elihu Katz and Paul Lazarsfeld make the mistake of dividing people into two distinct categories: (a) opinion leaders and (b) opinion followers. I certainly agree with them that our understanding of media content is filtered by certain people whom we trust because of their competence, values, and connections. But then it is also true that we filter other people's understanding of media content. So contra what Katz and Lazarsfeld have argued, we are actually BOTH opinion leaders and opinion followers.

The problematic model of Katz and Lazarsfeld

Despite Katz and Lazarsfeld's booboo though, I find their notion of opinion leadership analytically valuable. This is especially true when I attempt to make sense of why I do certain things that I do.

For instance, why the heck do I wear too-cool-for-me outfits on certain occasions, when I usually wear frumpy stuff when I am left to my own devices? It's because of my fashion opinion leaders: Jon and Kuchie. As the former constantly reminds me of the need to be fashion vigilant, the latter tirelessly prods me to try on new things (the newest projects: contact lenses, facial moisturizers, eye creams, and--by January--a new haircut)

Kuchie-designed and Jon-approved outfit at the AMIC conference at the Manila Hotel

The disaster that is my fashion taste during the Pacific Worlds in Motion conference in Vancouver

Or why is it that I love eating Arabic dishes, despite their "smells" that Filipinos are taught to feel vile about? Because of Dad, who used to ship shawarma (with pickles, potatoes, and garlic sauce, unlike the "fake" shawarma here that is rendered "Arabic" by an overstuffing of onions and lettuce...blech!), kabsa chicken, and grilled lamb chops directly from Saudi Arabia. Or Indian dishes, which are also supposed to be shunned for the same reason? Because of my neighbors Manpreet and Lakhvir, who used to sneak out chapati and curry dips from their kitchen to share with me.

With my Indian food opinion leaders Manpreet and Lakhvir, plus my cousin, Wenz

During a Sunday lunch with Kuchie, she prodded me about my other opinion leaders. And here are some of the answers I gave during the time-pressured (10 seconds to think!) interrogation:

(1) food tasting: Kuchie
FAVE OPINION: Describe how the dish tastes. Now!

(2) things to read: Jon
FAVE OPINION: Books, books, books!

(3) double entendres: Anjo
FAVE OPINION: And we end on that note!

(4) plotting an academic career: Dr. V, my forever mentor
FAVE OPINION: The world is bigger than ******. (True true!)

(5) suspicion: Mark
FAVE OPINION: Always ask what is not being said.

(6) bluffing: Leloy
FAVE OPINION: Fake it until you make it.

(7) keeping fit : Eleanor, my super motivating Fitness First instructor
FAVE OPINION: 2 pounds a week! 2 pounds a week!

(8) Macbook care: Cheryl
FAVE OPINION: Arix Magic Clean!

(9) food preparation: Mommy
FAVE OPINION: Anak! Prito 'yan, hindi inihaw! (her reaction when she saw the the fish that I was supposed to fry slipped out of the pan and found its way to the open fire)

(10) purpose in life: Roger Silverstone
FAVE OPINION: We must study the media.

And to prove my point about the limits of the Two Step Flow Model, I am hoping that, at least for the nerdy stuff, I am also an opinion leader to others (please?). ;)

Zero Consciousness Zone 2.0

2008-12-01T14:43:17Z

To be sure, this has been the longest ongoing journal that I've had. But as is obvious in the dwindling number of entries that I have written this year, I've grown rather weary of updating it. Perhaps it's because I've lost all my previous reasons to write:

(1) I used to be Lonely Boy (N.B. I make no claims of being as cool a Lonely Boy as Dan Humphrey...but that makes me a lonelier Lonely Boy than him! So there!), pining for the girl of my dreams. Kuchie has made sure that I no longer pine for any other girl.

(2) I used to be a diasporic scholar, eager to share my Lion City stories with my friends (my blog's partner then was my Multiply photo album, kindly created by Meggie _piquant...oh no...I haven't updated that too :| ). My anxious wait for a place at Western Sydney, Leeds, and Cambridge has made sure that I'll have none of that for the time being.

(3) I used to be an MA student, which meant that I had lots of academic papers to upload (I remember scheduling their releases, just so my Livejournal continued to be a Livejournal. Talk about rationalized distribution techniques. :D ). My full-time part-time status has made sure I that I have very little time to write essays now.

But but but, I've finally found a new reason to keep chugging along. The theme of Zero Consciousness Zone 2.0: Comm Theory for Everyday Life. Coming soon! :)

The Proper Distance Project

2008-10-06T13:18:29Z

DEFENSIVE PREAMBLE: Perhaps their interpretations might have been too close(d) and too far sometimes, but the important thing is that my students tried. And that's more than can be said about all of us in our moments of complicity and collusion. :P

Presenting:

Image is everything

2008-10-01T15:16:12Z

I looked at the mirror this morning and realized how bloated I have become over the past few months (damn you coffee and whipped cream...among other things that I've consumed :P). I also noticed that I have slipped back into the habit of not fixing up my hair (or what's left of it anyway). And it dawned on me as well that I the last time I wore a really good outfit was during my botched audition to Philippine Idol (and Jon had to pick pa for me! Haha!). Looking at myself can really be harsh sometimes. Indeed, there is despair in representation.

Rather unfortunately though, my despair of representation continues in other mediated forms:

(1) I presented a paper for the recently concluded International Conference on Gender, Migration, and Development. Everything went quite well, except for how my name was spelled in the programme. This consequently affected how my name was spelled in my ID (I asked the organizers to change it. They were very kind to indulge me, but some cuckoo nicked it from the reception table before I could get it back. Ugh!) and in my namecard (I wanted to have it changed. But then I thought that the organizers might think I was being a diva. Even more despair of representation!). To think that I was in a panel on identity and empowerment. :|

(2) I checked out my faculty profile in the DLSU website (to those who do not know yet, I am presently a mercenary teacher working for ADMU, DLSU, and MC). Yeah, they made me wear a dress shirt and a necktie for the photo. But they still found a way to mangle my academic information (see where I got my MA). If this page went up after the UAAP finals, I would have done a Franz Pumaren and cried foul over it. I am sure it was an innocent mistake though (peace! haha!). Now,if they would read the email complaint I sent and would finally change the darned thing...

(3) One of my DLSU students told me that she had to defend me against one of my former ADMU students who was dissing my teaching abilities (of course, I assumed that my DLSU student was not making bola when she said that she was defending me :D ). 4 out of 10 was this former student's rating, if I remember correctly. Ouch! All I can say is that, sometimes, one's routes can be more hospitable than one's roots. Hmph! Haha!

It's a good thing though that counter-narratives abound. There are favorable representations (not necessarily proper distance! haha!) of yours truly in the ARI ASEAN Scholars website, the Pacific Worlds in Motion conference website, and, yes, in some of my insane students' creations, such as this entry in the mediapolis website. And I know that despite my many misgivings, I am still loved (you know who you people are...I love you back...heehee!). Although perhaps a re-commitment to the gym, a little styling clay, and a wardrobe update (donations are accepted! :P ) are not bad ideas too. ;)

Media Studies: Interactive Edition

2008-09-13T17:03:10Z

Yesterday, I went online as a gay man looking for a high school boy. Yes, you read that right. But no, I haven't decided to be a "curve" (as my students put it) and, God forbid, a predator. It was just for this super fun experiment on online identities we did for my Information Age class. Indeed, while I was busy performing gayness, my nine students also had their hands full portraying an online prostitute, a pedophile, an innocent teen girl, a conservative mother, a hot playboy, a lesbian grandma, among others. And when we were done, we theorized about the complex relationship between the online and the offline world.

No doubt, I have a new approach to my media studies classes. If there's anything I learned last year (cf. Ayee, Franz, and Tami :P), it's this: Academic texts are important, but experiences are too. Hence Media Studies: Interactive Edition. For the coming semester, I'll be offering two of my older classes, now freed up from too many readings and spiced up with what I have termed "critical explorations."

Spread the word! Thanks! :)

1. Com 110.2: Political Communication

The late media scholar Roger Silverstone said, in the end, “We study the media because we are concerned about their power: we fear it, we decry it, we adore it.” This course critically explores Silverstone’s assertion by examining how, in the quest for power, the media control and are controlled by political forces.

The opening block of the course introduces you to the debates about what the field of Political Communication really is about. The next block considers the issues of mainstream political communication through the prism of media (a) institutions, (b) texts, and (c) audiences. The subsequent block approaches political communication from a more practical angle, as it expounds on how (a) political speeches, (b) political ads, and (c) political campaigns are crafted. The penultimate block presents issues of political communication from the radical angle, showing how power plays are communicated in things such as (a) Filipino food and culture, (b) beauty pageants, and (c) sporting events. Finally, the closing block argues that all of us are implicated in the constant struggle for power that defines the relationship between those who produce and those who consume the media.

PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL COMMUNICATION

Week 1: WHAT IS POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
• The boundary question: Politics and the political (to be lectured)

PART 2 COMMUNICATION AND POLITICS 1: ISSUES

Week 2: INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH: MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY
• Reading: The Public Sphere (Habermas)
• Critical Exploration: guest lecture by a network journalist

Week 3: TEXTUAL APPROACH: NEWS FRAMING
• Reading: The Agenda Setting Function of the Media (McCombs)
• Critical Exploration: film viewing of Control Room

Week 4: AUDIENCE APPROACH: PUBLIC OPINION
• Reading: The Construction of Public Opinion (Lewis)
• Critical Exploration: trip to SWS

PART 3 COMMUNICATION AND POLITICS 2: STRATEGIES

Week 5: CRAFTING POLITICAL SPEECHES
• Reading: Speeches that Moved a Nation (Quezon)
• Critical Exploration: analysis of famous speeches

Week 6: CRAFTING POLITICAL ADS
• Reading: The Resonance Model of Political Communication (Iyengar)
• Critical Exploration: analysis of TV political ads

Week 7: CRAFTING CAMPAIGNS
• Reading: Political Marketing/ Spin (Scammell)
• Critical Exploration: guest lecture by a political campaign consultant

Week :8 PREPARING CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

Week 9: PRESENTATION OF CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

PART 4 COMMUNICATION AND THE POLITICAL

Week 10: CULTURE AND POWER PLAYS
• The politics of food and culture
• Critical exploration: trip to old Mnila

Week 11: MEDIA AND POWER PLAYS
• The politics of entertainment TV
• Critical exploration: guest lectures on Miss Universe and on gymnastics

PART 5 CONCLUSION

Week 12: POWER AND COMMUNICATION
• Reading: Regulation and Literacy (Silverstone)

Weeks 13-16: PREPARING THE RESEARCH PAPER/ CONSULTATIONS

Finals Week: SUBMISSION OF THE RESEARCH PAPER

2. Com 106.1: Audience Studies

The late media scholar Roger Silverstone said, “while it is perfectly possible to privilege those mass media as defining and perhaps even determining social meanings, such privileging would miss the continuous and often creative engagement that listeners and viewers have with the products of mass communication.” This course delves into the studies regarding these listeners and viewers—the so-called media audiences—to see how they have been conceived and reconceived over time. To do this, it approaches them from three different perspectives: industry, media studies, and politics/journalism.

The first block of the course looks at audiences from view of media organizations, considering both the strengths and weaknesses of considering them through the prism of media ratings and target markets. Next, it takes the perspective of critical and cultural studies, tracing how the understanding of audiences has moved from being passive to having constrained creativity. Then, it moves into the realm of the political, examining the audiences as citizens, whose degree of public/civic engagement is enabled/disabled by the media. Finally, it closes on a moral (not moralistic) tone, discussing how audiences are implicated in the imperative to establish a global space of appearance that is welcoming of the Other.

PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO AUDIENCE STUDIES

Week 1: COURSE OVERVIEW: THE AUDIENCE IN US ALL

PART 2 THE INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Week 2: THE TARGET AUDIENCE: THE PRODUCTION PERSPECTIVE
• Reading: The media’s view of the audience (Toynbee)
• Critical exploration: guest lecture by a scriptwriter

Week 3: THE TARGET MARKET: THE ADVERTISING PERSPECTIVE
• Reading: Ratings analysis in advertising (Webster et al)
• Critical exploration: guest lecture by an advertising professional

Week 4: ASSESSING THE INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
• Reading: Revolt of the viewer? The elusive audience (Ang)
• Critical exploration: sharing quirky audience stories

PART 3 THE MEDIA STUDIES PERSPECTIVE

Week 5: FROM PASSIVE AUDIENCES TO POWERFUL AUDIENCES
• Reading: Understanding popular culture (Fiske)
• Critical Exploration: viewing moral panics videos

Week 6: THE TWIN TRADITIONS: RECEPTION RESEARCH AND THE EVERYDAY LIFE APPROACH
• Reading: Television, drama, and audience ethnography (Gillespie)
• Critical Exploration: plotting out a classmate’s media history

Weeks 7-8: PREPARING FOR CREATIVE PRESENTATIONS
• Children
• Fans
• Diaspora
• Gamers

Week 9: PRESENTATION OF CREATIVE PRESENTATIONS

PART 4 THE POLITICS/JOURNALISM PERSPECTIVE

Week 10: PUBLIC OPINION
• Reading: The construction of public opinion (Lewis)
• Critical exploration: trip to SWS

Week 11: MEDIA AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT/DISENGAGEMENT
• Reading: Crisis of public communication: A reappraisal (Curran)
• Critical exploration: serious news and trashy news quiz bee

PART 5 CONCLUSION

Week 12: AGENCY AND RESPONSIBILITY
• Reading: The mediapolis and everyday life (Silverstone)

Weeks 13-16: PREPARING THE RESEARCH PAPER/ CONSULTATIONS

Finals Week: SUBMISSION OF THE RESEARCH PAPER

The Return of the Repressed

2008-08-25T09:14:02Z

Now that Kuchie has her camera back, she can't seem to stop herself from taking an insane amount of photos. And although I seem oh so happy in them, rest assured that there is a much more complex socio-political struggle behind all that (Kuchie, don't hurt me! Heeeee! :P). But they're interesting photos anyway, especially since they reveal the discourse she constructs about my friends and I. Haha! So, here they are. Presenting the Kuchie Press Photo Exhibit (note to self: do not let Kuchie view next year's World Press Photo exhibit):

Kuchie forcing me to eat the fake food that she crafted. Yum! Cottony!

Mamma mia! Photography instead of gastronomy!

iMe gusta comida en el ristorante! iNo mas fotografia! iGaaaah!
(No hablo Italiano. Lo siento.)

the culture industry UNconsidered

Performing "class!" (with Eleanor and Pres)

respite in the midst of a fast(food) life

Mad Hatter me

Come out, come out wherever you are...

Cosmopolitans of the world, unite! (Beck)

The Public Sphere

Jon performing subservient Asian woman mode...

...performing Chinese-ness...

...and performing masculinity. :D

The requisite pensive scholar shot.

The Rafa in me

2008-07-07T10:04:01Z

When I logged on to ESPN this morning to check who won Wimbledon this year, I couldn't help but give a loud whoop when I saw a huge photo of Rafa hositing the most glorious trophy in tennis. Good thing I was the first person inside DLSU's Communication Dep't. Otherwise, they might've thought that their Atenean professor was loony (or was cheering because ADMU trounced them in last Sunday's basketball game. In that case, I'd get fired! Animo forever...or something like that. Haha!). Really though, the reason for my ecstasy was that finally, the longstanding world no. 2 trounced the longstanding world no. 1 in grass. The Federer Express derailed...in his own kingdom to boot! And to me, it's always inspirational when the underdog wins. Perhaps this is because, in my academic life, I've always been only second best as well.

In high school, I was mostly no. 2 in class. And I graduated with a silver medal. In university, I was no. 2 in the Dep't. And I graduated magna cum laude. In my present life as a scholar, I still find myself dealing with the no. 2 many times. But like Rafa, I feel that one day, my 2nd chance (well, technically, third in his case...but you get the drift) to hoist my very own trophy will come. And for now, I'm pinning all my hopes on this PhD dissertation proposal:

Capturing Manila: National identity and the photographic representations of Manila by its local and transnational migrant residents

It has been argued that the representations of places within a nation—may they be postcards, magazine spreads, or promotional videos—can foster “strong cognitive, habitual, sensual, and affective senses of national identity" (Edensor, 2002). These become especially significant in the case of depictions of cities that have multicultural, migrant populations. In such a setting, the images that are included and excluded in urban portrayals give rise to issues of “cultural visibility, social segregation, and diasporic exclusion” (Georgiou, 2006).

To be sure, there has been a significant amount of research done to examine the relationship between representations of the city and constructions of national identity. Most of these though have focused on the images that circulate in the various mass media (e.g., Avraham, 2000; Sadler, 2005; Stanek, 2004). Although these studies are important, there is also a tremendous need to emphasize the usually media-marginalized, even media-absent, views of migrant residents (de Block & Buckingham, 2007). Acknowledging these other perspectives are very important, especially in the context of developing nations. In countries such as those in Southeast Asia, depictions of the city tend to be loci where issues of globalization, national integration, and localization are played against one another in an intensified manner (Evers & Korff, 2000). Certainly, the migrants’ perceptions of the city should be part of these great debates, as their experiences can be very different—and in many instances more difficult—than the locals (Bandhauer, 2008).

It is in light of the above that this study seeks to examine how ideas about Filipino national identity are embedded in the photographic representations of Manila by its local and transnational migrant residents. This study will use a bottom-up approach that will shift the focus from media discourses towards the perspectives of those migrants who actually inhabit the city (Castells, 1983). Quite importantly, it will attempt to use photography as a key ethnographic tool. In this age where media consumers/users are given more and more platforms to speak (Silverstone, 2006), it is important to give the marginalized migrants a chance to participate as well. And indeed, taking pictures seems to be one of the more fruitful ways to do this, as proven by the plethora of projects that have used it to provide a voice to those who are not usually heard (e.g., de Block & Buckingham, 2002; Ewald, 1996; Miller, 2006).

Some of the questions that this study shall explore will be: (a) What places in Manila will the participants photograph? (b) What ideas about the nation will be manifested in the participants’ photographs? (c) How will the participants talk about their photographs in relation to the issue of national identity? (c) How will the participants’ migration experiences influence their photographs and their talk about these? In order to address these, this study closely examines the lives of fourteen participants: seven local migrant residents of Manila (i.e., those from provinces within the Philippines) and seven transnational migrant residents of Manila (e.g., Indian entrepreneurs, Vietnamese refugees, Japanese retirees). Each of them will be asked to take photographs that they think best represent Manila. Then, they will be asked to select ten of these that they will upload online to share with others. This step is crucial because, as has been argued, articulations of national identity become pronounced whenever these are done in relation to a perceived other (Madianou, 2005) and against their desires and fears regarding us (Edensor, 2002). To be sure, the other as audience, however ambivalent, becomes a concern when one goes online (Van Dijk, 2004). In order to make sense of how the participants’ ideas of the nation are embedded in their selected photographs, social semiotics will be applied to the pictures. And in order to situate these in the participants’ experiences, the everyday life approach will be employed, focusing on the participants’ migrant contexts and their talk about their experiences.

KEY WORDS: national identity, representation of the city, migration, photography as voice, social semiotics, everyday life.

Sonia, Myria, and Nikos, give me a chance to bring out the Rafa in me. Everyone else who is my friend, wish me luck! :) Vamos!

Call it Technological Determinism...

2008-06-09T22:28:44Z

Note to self: There shall be a moratorium on eating out (unless it's a monthsary), on new books (unless they're from the infamous "UP Press"), no new clothes and shoes (unless they're gifts from Kuchie...haha!), or any other extra expense until I have enough money for:

Available in the Philippines soon! Via Globe Telecom! Droooool!

Save Media Studies, Save the World :)

2008-05-18T10:30:52Z

Dear Silverstone's Army,

Spread the word! Tell the yet uninitiated to sign up for one (or both!) of the following media studies classes:

-----

(1) COM 109: The Information Age
Lecturer: Jason Vincent A. Cabañes (MA Communication Ateneo de Manila U, ASEAN scholar)

We live in a world where information technology seems to be a central component of our lives; from something as familiar as our mobile phones to something as dazzling as satellite communication systems, information technology does appear to be intertwined with the texture of our everyday experience. Some take an unbridled celebratory approach to this so-called Information Age (e.g., Toffler, 1996), depicting it as nothing short of a digital nirvana. Meanwhile, others have argued for a more cautious stance towards it (e.g., Robbins & Webster, 1999), saying that it may be nothing more but a variation on the same inequality-plagued society that we have always had.

This course participates in the great debates about the relationship between technology and society. It begins by examining the various approaches to this topic. Then, it delves into the plethora of issues related to it: from the economic (e.g., the call center industry boom in the Philippines), the political (e.g., the censorship of Yahoo! In China), the cultural (e.g., the increasing popularity of Second Life), and, most importantly, to the moral (e.g., the Internet as a forum for the Global South). In the end, it is hoped that the students of this class will come to understand that since technologies are part of our efforts to conquer the unknown, they will always be suffused with our own paradoxes and contradictions (Silverstone, 1999). Ultimately then, our attempts to understand them are attempts to understand ourselves too.

(2) COM 110.10: Media and Globalization
Lecturer: Jonathan Corpus Ong (PhD Sociology Cambridge U, Bill Gates Scholar)

“The anthropologist arrives in the city on foot, the sociologist by car and via the main highway, the communications specialist by plane” (Garcia Canclini, 1995).

Media studies scholars have been criticized in the past for being elitist, detached, even corrupt for celebrating American (global?) popular culture. The course Media & Globalization is a critical intervention in academic discourse by highlighting the social, political, cultural, and ultimately moral relevance of understanding the media’s role in processes of globalization. According to bestsellers, communication technologies are key to the “death of distance” and the “flattening” of the world. But this course stresses that the media are enabling and disabling, they include and exclude; the mediated “global village” is not open to all. Media & Globalization is then global in scope (we study CNN news, American Idol, Benetton print ads, Korean soaps) yet simultaneously local, if not always-already personal (we ask ourselves, “How do I contact my relatives abroad? How did I react to the tsunami disaster? When do I feel Othered?”). The aim is to enable students to critically evaluate the media’s capacity to make visible distant others as well as recognize their own duty to be responsible consumers and producers in today’s world.

This elective, on its second year, emphasizes both theoretical and creative work, and welcomes students from all tracks/courses, especially those who are active media users/pop culture fans. Exciting plans for MAG 2.0 include a visit to GMA Network, dialogue with renowned journalists and advertisers, a student-run version of MediaTalk@admu, and a guest lecture from a Pakistani journalist. The course is designed and taught by Jonathan C. Ong, who will arrive from Cambridge by plane.

-----

I hope to see you in our classes this coming sem!

I'm moving out! Heeeeeelp!

2008-04-14T02:51:05Z

I'm moving out of my house and looking for a place to stay (the why of this is for another entry at a time when I have regained my bearings). And I must say, it's an unbelievably difficult thing to do! Friends, if you can help me with the following, I shall be eternally grateful to you:

(1) I'm on the lookout for a nice and reasonably priced place (i.e., around 3-5K) that's near Katips, in Proj. 3 or 4, or near any LRT2 station.

(2) Alternatively, be my roomie and share the rent for a nice condo, like Burgundy or Regina. Not only will I be the neatest roomie ever, you'll also have an instant Social Sciences query database (i..e., me) right at your pad. And oh, ADMU rules DO NOT apply. Do whatever (that won't get us in jail) and I'll keep mum about it all. :D

Heeeeeelp!

The day before the defense...

2008-03-02T08:37:58Z

(1) I didn't expect it to be this way (what with my string of wonderful classes since I've started teaching--block A3 08! block A 09! PolComm 07! Awwww...), but my return to teaching this semester has been, well, rough at the very least. Apparently, my usual pedagogical style didn't work this time around. At least that's what I hear from the grapevine. With all preparation I've poured into my classes, I can't help but be heartbroken. And also start thinking about whether this vocation--with all its attendant sacrifices--is really worth the effort.

(2) Thes-is killing me. I haven't had a proper sleep in days, what with the tremendous preparation needed for my oral defense on Monday (which coincides with the deadline for my Canada conference paper! gaaaaah!) and the submission of the final bound copy only a week after it. So far, the only fun part has been preparing the cheese platter for my panelists (Havarti! Camembert! Danblue! I sound cultured! Haha!), which I've been doing together with Kuchie. Thanks love! :) And oh, I'm excited about my slides. I have Maitel to thank for my migration from Powerpoint to Keynote:

The Powerpoint version of my presentation opening slide (which I used in Singapore)

The Keynote version of my presentation opening slide (which I will use on Monday)

(3) For all the stress that I'm undergoing now, at least there were two pieces of good news recently.

First, I finally secured my first journal publication, with the acceptance of my survey of audience theories to the Loyola Schools Review. It's really not that much of a journal, but hey, baby steps still count. I plan to submit a distilled version of my thesis to an international journal though. I hope I make it internationally too.

The other thing is that, according to Tin, which she said was according to Jon, my photo (together with the other ASEAN scholars) appeared in the official newsletter of the Asia Research Institute (ARI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). As with the above, baby steps. Next time, I'll get my own blow-up. Haha!

To block A3 08

2008-02-22T08:44:23Z

The first ever Comm theory class I taught will be graduating in a few weeks time. And I'm really feeling emo about it. Guys, I'll super duper miss seeing you around the Department! No more hilarious stories from Mac, Parel, and Neil, no more intellectual battles to fight with James, no more heart attacks induced by Juliane, no more chismisan with Myka, no more vitriolic outbursts from Kryng, no more witty movies from Gino, no more theory bashing sessions with Tin, etc, etc, etc. *sniff-sniff*

I'm sure though that my emo-ness is nothing compared to what you guys are going through now. So, just to encourage you to continue prodding forward despite how daunting the next few months may seem, below is a reminder of why you want to leave college. Think about it. You'll no longer have to suffer things such as my torture instrument for my present Com 101 class:

FINAL ORAL EXAMS: THESIS STATEMENTS

1. Roger Silverstone asserts that the media are central to our everyday lives. Indeed, he says that the endeavor to study it must move away from the significant and move towards the mundane, where we can see how implicated these are in our understanding of (a) common sense, (b) space, and (c) reality.

2. One of the most important contributions of post-modernism is reflexivity To be sure, this has led to a greater awareness of the ontological and epistemological suppositions of the three major camps in the social sciences: (a) positivists, (b) interpretists, and (c) realists.

3. The study of media organizations reveals the complexity of the decisions that media practitioners confront in their field. In specific, Gerhard Maletzke says that they have to deal with both (a) their self- image, personality, and social environment and (b) the pressures and constraints of the media’s public character.

4. Nick Couldry argues against Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz, saying that their notion of media events only reinforces the ideological myth of the social center. Moreover, he takes a critical approach to liveness and reality tv, saying that these serve as rituals that add another dimension to the abovementioned myth, making it the myth of the mediated center.

5. Semioticians describe the process of signification as arbitrary and, therefore, political. The changing ideas about this can be traced from the thoughts of (a) Karl Marx (ideology), (b) Louis Althusser (signification), and(c) Antonio Gramsci (hegemony).

6. Discourse analysis involves the process of examining the construction of social reality that dominates media talk. Through it, we can be more cognizant of the issues of the problems raised by media representations of both (a) gender/sexuality and (b) race/nation/ethnicity.

7. The scholars working within the Effects Tradition moved from conceiving the media as having (a) direct effects, (b) to limited effects, (c) to minimal effects, and finally (d) to powerful effects. Although distinct from one another, these approaches all subscribed to the suppositions of
information theory.

8. Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding model eschews both the notion of a powerful media and a powerful audience and instead argues that there is a skewed but dialectical relationship between the two. This can be seen in its key concepts of the (a) preferred reading and (b) various decoding positions.

Although I'd be in cloud 9 if you could still discuss in-depth any one of these (no prizes though! haha!), what'd make my day as your former teacher is for you to approach whatever endeavors you pursue with a critical stance. Don't succumb to the ossifying ways of the grown-up world (Indeed, the very word grown-up seems to say that one cannot grow any further! Boo!). Always, always, always ask: What is not being said?

Oh, and since I'm finishing my MA as well, I hope to see all of you come graduation day. So that we'll all march together.

P.S. My parents won't be around during grad. So I'm relying on you guys to be my family. When I go up the stage, don't forget to clap. Hahahaha! *hugs for everyone* :')

:)

2008-02-16T04:25:11Z

Context matters. Pizza, pasta, chicken, and wine chilled in a plastic pitcher may not be much. But when you're with your beloved, they're all it takes to make a perfect Valentine's Day. Heeeeeeee! :)

:(

2008-02-05T07:52:39Z

The five lines I would like to sing to my Kuchie:

(1) "Nothing's gonna harm you/ Not while I'm around..." (Nothing's Gonna Harm You, Sweeney Todd OST)

(2) "It starts in my toes/ And I crinkle my nose/ Where ever it goes/ I always know/ That you make me smile/ Please stay for a while now..." (Bubbly, Colbie Caillat)

(3) " [Kuchie], I'll be yours forever/ 'Cause I never wanna be / Without love/ [Kuchie], never set me free..." (Without Love, Hairspray OST)

(4) "Because a life without love would only be a living hell/I don't wanna be alone and I don't want no one else..." (Dream Myself Awake, Taylor Hicks)

(5) "Whatever comes our way/ Oh we'll see it through/ You know that's what our love can do...Coz you're my everything..." (Everything, Michael Buble)

I miss you soooooooooo much. My princess. :(

Media in Focus

2008-02-01T07:48:35Z

Thanks to Pat Evangelista, the despair of speaking into the air during MediaTalk3 was transformed into the joy of speaking into the airwaves (well actually, cable TV...haha!) for Media in Focus. I'm so happy that they gave me an opportunity to talk about the finer points of understanding the realtionship between media institutions and media audiences in relation to the issue of shock jocking.

Please do watch the replay of my guesting at 5pm this Saturday on ANC. And once I get a copy of it, I'll post it as well.

World, hear us!!!

MediaTalk 3

2008-02-01T07:46:56Z

I don't exactly know how to feel about MediaTalk 3.

On the one hand, it was a rather horrid experience to have reserved Leong Hall and have around 30-40 people watch. I mean, the irony of it all! The topic was public connection, and the seminar didn't seem to connect with the public.

On the other hand, the speakers were absolutely brilliant. In fact, the general consensus appeared to be that this installment had the best set of speakers (note to Franz, Dre, and self...it wasn't us who sucked...or so I think. Haha!). Leloy was great in working up the crowd with his lucid theorization and his mix of popcorn and nerd humor. Kamyl was impassioned about her call for the youth's relationship with the media and politics to be understood in a more nuanced manner. Pat was brilliant in narrating her experience of being both in the mainstream (as a media practitioner) and from the margins (as someone who was assumed to be the voice of the youth). And Danton was insightful and, of course, superbly entertaining in sharing the LGBT community's experience with media and politics. But then again, all these only made the poor attendance more heartbreaking.

In the hopes of reaching out to more people then, here is a podcast of the the talks of Leloy, Kamyl, Pat, and Danton together with most of the open forum as well (thank you so much Karl Fajardo of Guidon!). As for those who want visuals, the pictures will follow. Henson, our official photographer (ibang level talaga ang MediaTalk!), is in Immersion at the moment. But he says he'll upload it by Tuesday.

And oh, since I wasn't part of the recording (the despair of representation!), I'd like to post my closing spiel for MediaTalk.

"Before we conclude this final edition of the Media and Morality series of MediaTalk@ADMU, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the people who have made this endeavor for a more Other-oriented mediapolis possible. First, thank you to Jonathan Corpus Ong, the creator of this entire series. Thank you as well to our Department Chair, Mark Escaler, and the CCRT-MIRLab Director, Maitel Ladrido, for providing us with tremendous institutional support. Thank you too to the MIRLab people, especially Lesley, Henson, and Rona, and all the media studies students who have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this project. Finally, thanks to the faculty and students who have supported us.

Let me end by going back to the thoughts of the sorely missed Roger Silverstone, the scholar who has been our inspiration throughout all the three MediaTalks. Despite knowing that the dialectical relationship between media institutions and media audience is skewed towards those who are in power, Silverstone persistently reminded all of us—those who produce the media, those who consume the media, and even those who are represented by the media—that that we have human agency, and therefore, have no exit from our duty to create a moral mediapolis, may it be through proper distance (as in MediaTalk1), alternative narratives (as in MediaTalk2), or public connection (as in MediaTalk3). Indeed, if we are to believe in our capacity to chart our destiny in this mediated world, I reckon that we cannot but accept this responsibility. So we must go on studying the media. And we must heed Roger Silverstone."

Save media studies, save the world! :)

Salute

2008-01-28T19:11:54Z

Acknowledgements for my MA thesis

This text is a testament to the complexities of performing our cultural identities in an ever-globalizing world. I must say that it has been a difficult task for me to make sense of all the subtle inflections of this subject. But, I have been able to pull through because of so many people who have allowed me a better understanding of my topic, whether through theory or through practice.

First, I would like thank the diasporic Filipino academics who tirelessly helped me think through the key concepts of this work. I owe the first inception of its statement of the research problem to my dear friend and colleague, Jozon Lorenzana (from India). This entire project would not have been conceived in this particular fashion if not for our tea sessions. Then, I owe its theoretical framework to my best friend—and cheerleader eternal—Jonathan Corpus Ong (from the UK). I wouldn’t even know diaspora or, more importantly, jazz-pora if not for our endlessly evolving intellectual genealogy. Finally, I owe its decisive shift from Friendster to Blogger to one of the most welcoming compatriots I met overseas, Beatriz Paredes Lorente (from Singapore). I shall forever be grateful for our fateful conversation during my short field trip to Nanyang Technological University.

With Anjo at a bus stop in Singapore; With Jon at ARI-NUS; With Bea at the ASEAN Graduate Conference

I would also like to thank my mentors, who were with me as I grappled with the various difficulties of this work. I shall never forget the extremely valuable, if intellectually taxing, conversations I had with my research mentor at the Sociology Department of the National University of Singapore, Dr. Ho Kong Chong. Thank you for pushing me to my limits. Too, I shall fondly remember the enriching activities I had with my writing mentor at the Asia Research Institute, Dr. Kay Mohlman. Thank you for your nurturing spirit, which has made me love the craft again. Last, I shall be always indebted to my research mentor here at the Communication Department of the Ateneo de Manila University, Dr. Violet Valdez. Thank you for providing me with all the opportunities possible to help me hone my skills in my chosen field.

With Dr. KC at Kent Vale; With Dr Kay at the ARI Library; With Dr V at Clarke Quay

I would like to thank as well those people who commented on my work and/or prodded me on during trying times: Prof. Duncan McCargo from the University of Leeds, Dr. Merlyna Lim from Arizona State University, Dr. Cherian George of Nanyang Technological University, Dr. Maria Luz Vilchez from Ateneo De Manila University, Gan Cheong Soon from University of California, Berkeley, my fellow ASEAN scholars (especially Tessa Maria Guazon from the University of the Philippines and Leow Wei Yi from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), and my fellow faculty and my students here at the Communication Department.

With Duncan and co at Curry Favor; With Ma'am Marlu at the Hilton Hotel Orchard Road lobby

With my fellow ASEAN scholars at the ISEAS Library

Finally, I would like to thank the young Filipino professionals in Singapore who shared their life stories with me. And of course, thank you to my parents as well, whose life stories as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) serve as my inspiration for this project.

Dad and Mom at Raffles Place

26 January 2008
Manila

Plug: MediaTalk 3

2008-01-22T13:59:14Z

MediaTalk@ADMU Seminar Series
Media and Public Connection

30 January 2008
4:30-6:00pm
Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall Auditorium
Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights Campus

Many academics have argued that one of the crucial cornerstones of a healthy democracy is a healthy media. The late media scholar Roger Silverstone echoes this sentiment as well. Indeed, he says that, one, the media must be hospitable not just to the voices of those in the mainstream politics (e.g., the traditional political parties, the business elites, etc.), but also to the voices of those in the political margins (e.g., the urban/rural poor, the ethnic minorities, the LGBT community, the youth etc). He also says that the media must contribute to fostering political responsibility, allowing for citizens who actively dialogue on relevant social issues.

Rather unfortunately though, today’s media sphere has not been able to live up to this. Instead of allowing various groups to be heard, it opens its doors mostly to the political mainstream. In the few times that the politically marginalized are acknowledged, they are made to appear, as Silverstone says, “always, always, on my terms.” Because of this, it has also fostered much cynicism, especially among the youth. Instead of encouraging them to engage in the political process then, they tend to disengage them.

In this third seminar of MediaTalk@ADMU entitled, “Media and Public Connection,” scholars from the Department of Communication dialogue with those who are implicated in the abovementioned issue: those who produce political media content, those who consume political media content, and those politically marginalized groups whom the media re-present. In their discussions, they shall try to examine how the media’s treatment of those on the political margins enable/disable the active political engagement of the youth.

1.    LELOY CLAUDIO (Comm. Dep’t.) presents the key theoretical issues regarding media as both enabling/disabling the public connection of the youth.

2.    DANTON REMOTO (Chairman, AngLadlad) speaks on the experiences of his LGBT rights-oriented party in having their voice heard through the mainstream media.

3.    PATRICIA EVANGELISTA (Executive Producer, Media in Focus) talks about her experience of being both part of the political mainstream (as a media practitioner) and of the political margins (as an advocate of the youth).

4.    A COMMUNICATION STUDENT (selected from a list of applicants) talks about his/her experiences of seeing politics in the media. He/She discusses how these influence (a) her trust and cynicism of those in the political mainstream, (b) concern for those in the political margins, and (c) interest in actively engaging in politics.

5.    JASON CABANES (Comm. Dep’t.) serves as the chair of the seminar.

Thesis insanity...

2008-01-22T13:44:58Z

One hour into my work:

Two hours into my work:

Three hours into my work:

I don't know how long I can keep this up!

*blag!*

...

Visiting the periphery

2008-01-13T06:25:08Z

One of the things that I'm rather ashamed of is that I've been to more places outside the country than inside it (yes, there is still a part of me that wants to perform, as I say in my dissertation, patriotic pride). So far, these are the only local places that I have been able to spend considerable time in outside Mega Manila:

1. Legazpi City
2. Baguio City
3. Cabanatuan City
4. Catanduanes, Bicol
5. Nasugbu and Taal, Batangas
6. Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija
7. Sariaya and Tiaong, Quezon
8. Lingayen, Pangasinan
9. Subic and Sariaya, Zambales
10. Clark and San Fernando, Pampanga
10. Cebu City
11. Loboc, Bohol
12. Kalibo, Aklan

I haven't even been to Boracay, Palawan, or Ilocos! And I have yet to set foot in Mindanao!

To increase the items in my pitiful Philippine travel list (and, well, I wanted to tag along with Kuchie and her friends! Haha!), I decided to brave the huge waves caused by the "hanging habagat" and spend my Christmas/New Year holiday in the island of Mindoro. And like most of my other trips to the Philippine peripheries, I found it rather traumatizing (although, of course, fun as well). What shocked me this time around?

(1) Gloria Arroyo's Strong Republic Transit System (SRTS) is a complete mess! The ferries I rode back and forth were uncomfortably overcrowded. And my companions and I almost died on the way home. But that's for a more philosophical/existential blog entry. Haha! Even worse, the ports that I saw were viable shooting locations for our local action movies. Seeing that GMA keeps on bannering them, I find it amazing that they're unbelievably shabby. As Mike Enriquez said, what we have in this country is "transPOORtation."

(2) Urban planners in the country haven't seemed to learn from the experience of Manila. Like the NCR, the capital of Oriental Mindoro, Calapan City, is also bursting to the seams with horridly constructed buildings, excessively noisy tricycles, and messy sidewalk vending stands. If that's not enough, their river is also a mini-version of Pasig River. Dear Governor Panaligan and cohorts, please remember that the goal isn't only modernization (and, from what I remember from my Managing Governance class, even this is a contested term). How about aesthetics? How about our environment? Stop making the country one big Metro Manila! One modern monstrosity is enough for our archipelago.

(3) Catholicism is still alive and kicking in the provinces. The jampacked cathedral serves as a fortunate/unfortunate (depending on whether you hate organized religion or not) contrast to increasingly secular discourse I get to encounter in Manila. As a bonus, I got to go to mass for the first time in half a year. Yey!

(4) I realized that the standard of living in the capital really is exorbitant. In Calapan City, I could get delicious food for a fraction of the cost in Manila. To put things into perspective, I spent less than a thousand pesos during the entire length of my stay in the island. Suddenly my salary as a teacher didn't seem so measly. Haha!

All in all, my Mindoro experience was bittersweet. Yes, being reminded of the third-worldliness of the Philippines is always horrible for me. I must say though that there were enough good things in the island to warrant a return trip (just as long as I don't encounter those terrifying tsunami-like waves again). Of course, on top of this list is the promise of Puerto Galera.

To the people of Mindoro: See you this summer! :)