THIS YEAR, the Ateneo de Manila University continues its run as the top Philippine institution in the latest edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. However, while Ateneo takes pride in being the top university in the country, the irony is that the rest of the Philippines continue to struggle in a decades-long learning crisis.
In the latest study of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), 15-year-old Filipino students placed among the bottom five poor-performing nations in terms of creative thinking.
In this very reality, the image of Ateneo’s proverbial Hill becomes all the more evident. On top of this hill, here we are Ateneans, rejoicing with pride on what seems to be, however, a triumph only for us.
I can’t help but ponder on how situations like these challenge Ateneo’s student journalists to bridge the gap between our fellow students and the rest of the world. How? Well, I believe for starters, by fostering creative thinking.
PISA defined creative thinking as thinking outside the box or “the competence to engage productively… in knowledge and impactful expressions of imagination.” This very skill that Filipino students seem to lack is precisely where student journalism comes in handy.
For instance, in the Martial Law era, campus journalists held onto their role in sociopolitical discourse amid the state’s heavy censorship. Through fearless narratives, they ultimately mobilized the support of the Filipino youth in the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
Today, student journalists can still equip their fellow students with the necessary information and social awareness to think outside the box, or in Ateneo’s case, to think outside their privileges. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Ideally, one would assume that Ateneans, trained to be persons for and with others, would naturally care about what is happening beyond their bubbles. In reality, however, the stories we publish without an “Atenean angle” tend to receive less audience engagement and traction.
In our Broadcast News staff in The GUIDON, the story productions that garner the most engagement are the ones revolving around “softer” Ateneo-centric stories—what Ateneans wear for their graduation day, the latest food stall at JSEC, or how the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team is gearing up for the upcoming season.
While these stories do reflect the rich culture we have within Ateneo, the bigger challenge lies in how we provide an equal platform to stories that highlight the difficult realities outside campus. It begs the question: how do we get Ateneans to care about what’s happening beyond the Hill?
We go back to the importance of creative thinking yet again; simply stating facts will no longer suffice. This is perhaps why more news publications today are adapting to multimedia and other creative forms of content to stay relevant.
Thus, for Ateneans to connect more deeply with the stories beyond the Hill, campus journalism must be equipped not just with knowledge but also the creativity in telling such.
The main point of this commentary is not to cast the role of student journalism in a messianic light. Student journalism is only the starting point in a larger process of systemic change.
While we wait for such change to take place, we, student journalists, can continue to thrive through our creative efforts, working to make Ateneo a little less of a lonely hill.
Allison is a Communication student expecting to graduate in 2025. Through her passion for storytelling, she aims to re-tell compelling narratives on the issues closest to her heart — women, sports, and politics. Driven by depth, authenticity, and impact, her work focuses on amplifying voices beyond the sidelines.
Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed by the opinion writer do not necessarily state or reflect those of the publication.
