SINAG, the Official Student Publication of CSSP, is disheartened with BUKLOD CSSP Rep to the USC candidate James Politico’s accusations that an article we published put them in a bad light.
Link: https://sinag.press/news/2021/06/10/majors-mapping-geog-majors/
First, the article was based on journalistic fact and not politicking to instigate a divisive environment during the elections. As opposed to allegations that the said news item is “fake news,” the intent of the article is to shed light on the concerns of Geography majors regarding statements made by Politico during the CSSP Miting de Avance last June 7. When asked on the efforts of the BUKLOD-led CSSP Student Council during the series of typhoons that hit Bicol last October and November 2020, Politico answered, and we quote:
“Dagdag ko na lang din na nagkaroon tayo ng mga action steps para sa mga nasalanta nating CSSP majors na localized sa bawat Departamento. Naisagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng core groups, at sa amin sa Geomajie Core Group ay nagkaroon kami ng emergency general assembly at isang crowdsourcing mapna naipasa namin sa aming departamento para ipakita na ang kalagayan at ang mga kailangan na aksyon mula sa administrasyon.”
In Politico’s reply, it is apparent that the crowdsourcing map can be construed as an effort by the BUKLOD-led CSSP SC, through the Geomajie Core Group, as it was replied to a question particularly addressing the BUKLOD-led SC. Nowhere in the article did we write that Politico was taking credit for the initiative as solely his own. Even our interviewees acknowledged that he can use the geographical concept. However, we have to underscore the omission of an important detail, a missing context—the original idea to initiate a crowdsourcing map was from the Geography majors themselves who were concerned at crafting department-specific demands at that time. To omit this, as seen in the transcript, is to misrepresent the facts.
Let us quote from the statement of Keenan Lane, one of the interviewees: “At kaming mga nagpush na mangyari ang emergency GA at magkaroon ng mapa for concerns ay hindi directly-affiliated o member ng Geomajie Core Group at lalong-lalo na ng BUKLOD CSSP. Mikko Tamura, also an interviewee, said: “Itinuro ko kay James kung paano gumawa nito [crowdsourcing map].” In the name of fairness, we also included Mx. Politico’s explanation of having difficulties adjusting to the remote learning in the province when criticized for not being ‘felt’ by the Geography majors. We stress that the article is based on contentions made by the Geography majors themselves, not by SINAG.
Through Mx. Politico’s response, initiatives by Geography majors demanding to “end the sem” and combining theory into practice were erased. The point of the contention is to represent these omitted facts to the discourse and highlight the role of the Geography student community as a whole, rather than being represented as an effort by the BUKLOD-led SC.
In addition, SINAG enjoys editorial independence as to how it will publish its articles. We assure that the news article in question has been thoroughly verified and edited by the Editorial Board to ensure its veracity. In relation to Mx. Politico’s claims that they were not approached by SINAG, the article was framed to check facts situated in the particular context of their Miting de Avance answer. We believe that the statements Politico publicly made are sufficient to be subject to debunking. We also inform the public that Mx. Politico similarly did not approach SINAG privately to air out personal concerns about the article.
Second, the intention of the news article is to empower CSSP students by providing a platform for their concerns and perspectives. Various students reached out to SINAG saying that Mx. Politico’s claims should be fact-checked. As a campus publication that writes for the people, we took up the challenge and carefully assessed the relevant data. However, SINAG has received undue criticism implying that the publication’s treatment of the issue is akin to “Hollywood” and tabloid scoops. We believe that characterizing our efforts as such is an insult to the members of the CSSP community who expect the college’s official student publication to be at the forefront of fact-checking and holding student leaders accountable.
The objective of the fact-checking article is not to say that Mx. Politico was lying but to provide a safe space for CSSP students to present counter-narratives and hold their student-leaders accountable. In the name of transparency, it is a disservice to disregard the perspectives of concerned students who want to contest other narratives that they think do not adhere to the facts. As a candidate of a political party who believes in multi-perspective activism and student empowerment, we expect you to understand our decision and principles.
Despite having zero funding, a depleted membership, low morale, and a host of other problems, the publication persists in serving the student body and the Filipino people, SINAG is, and will remain, a space to document the struggles and victories of the students and the masses. SINAG’s partisanship belongs neither to SALiGAN sa CSSP nor to BUKLOD CSSP but to the whole CSSP studentry who struggle amidst the ineffective remote learning policy of the state.
Third, at a time when press freedom has to be defended and SINAG’s credibility has been reduced due to red-tagging and mass reporting of our Facebook pages by trolls, we find their public post to be misleading. It risks damaging the publication’s credibility to deliver factual and accurate news reports, despite SINAG’s record of delivering articles that adhere to the principle of contextual and factual accuracy. Thus, we do not share Mx. Politico’s view stipulated in their post.
In relation to this issue, we take full accountability in using the logo of Geomajie Core Group in a manner vulnerable to be misconstrued. We have already rectified the error and changed the photo attached to the article. We sincerely apologize to the Geomajie Core Group for this lapse in editorial judgement.
In the end, SINAG is just doing its job as truth tellers. We agree with this excerpt from Mx. Politico’s statement: “we assert that success will only be possible if we work hand in hand and if we allow our fellow students to feel empowered and supported too.” We expect the next CSSP Student Council to firmly support and work with us in our efforts against red-tagging and defunding and for organizational development and institutional support—such support we were not able to receive from the incumbent Student Council and the CSSP administration.
Despite all the state-sponsored attacks on SINAG, all Konsensya ng Bayan must unite to defend press freedom and hold our leaders to account, in both the university and national level. And as campus journalists, we believe that fact-checking is a journalist’s tool for the democratic interest of all constituents.
