What was your first job as a journalist?
I was news editor of the Philippine Collegian, official student publication of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
Social media platforms are giving journalists the opportunity to further disseminate information and to interact with their audiences.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
My favorite fictional journalists are Will McAvoy (The Newsroom), Anna Matsuda (The Journalist) and Kim Baek-Jin (Argon).
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Biased for the truth, a journalist speaks truth to power and serves as a voice for the voiceless.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Sorry but the funny hashtag I have in mind is adult-oriented. Feel free to contact me if this intrigues you.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer to be pitched via email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
The devices I mainly use are a laptop and a mobile phone. Obviously, I use various software programs for writing and editing.
What's your favorite social network?
My favorite social media platform is Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
I hope that journalists interested in Third World issues would follow me and work with me.
Why did you become a journalist?
I want to help shape public opinion.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I prefer writing about the media situation, particularly the prevailing culture of impunity.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Please keep the torch of press freedom burning.
When's the best time to pitch you?
The best time to pitch stories would be early in the morning (GMT+8).
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I am usually requested to write a Philippine yearender for an international audience.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The worst pitch I ever got was a "praise release" that promotes a certain product.
What's your favorite drink?
I prefer to drink tea.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
If I'm not at a computer, I would most likely be sleeping.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like reading the news from various sources, including the alternative media to which I belong.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The human rights and economics beats are said to be uninteresting. No. The challenge is to make the uninteresting interesting.
