8/8/2019 Bulatlat.com (A Reflection Paper on Bulatlat.com)

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Carmela Quidoles

3MCPJ

Electronic NewsroomProfessor Abella

“Every day silence harvests its victims. Silence is a mortal illness – by Natalia

Ginzburg.” This quotation from an Italian author best fits the advocacy of Bulatlat, an

online weekly news publication: to give voice to the victims of cruelty and injustice.

Bulatlat started after the Estrada administration. Only three people started the

 publication: a UP professor, a writer in a dominant medium, and an economist. The

organization’s advocacies are on human rights, environment, agrarian reform, the urban poor, indigenous community, labor rights, migrant workers, women and children’s rights,

and the economic situation of the country.

They thought of creating a publication where stories of victims of differentmaltreatment are revealed. Mainstream media or the dominant media often disregard the

full account of the victims’ side and pay more attention to the side of those in authority.These type of media concentrate on stories that would catch the interest of their audience,

which is important so they can profit. Since Bulatlat is not as well-off as other media

 platform is, they resorted to the most inexpensive manner of disseminating information:

the Internet.

Last March 20, 2010, our class had the opportunity to visit the newsroom of 

Bulatlat. The jeepney-ride trip we had lasted for almost an hour, and was excruciating for others. We had a minor difficulty in search of its location. Once we’re inside the room,

the people welcomed us. Honestly, I could see in the faces of my classmates their uncertainty on the place: limited equipment, few numbers of staff, confined work area. Itwasn’t the expected newsroom I had in mind. But as we had the chance to ask questions,

it was made clear to me that Bulatlat is not the typical news organization in the country.

Every Monday, they review the published news they had on the prior week. They

discuss about the latest happenings, both in the urban, rural, and international setting

regarding human rights, environment, agrarian reform, and the oppressed. Now and then,

they check dominant media’s online news publication for reference as well. BecauseBulatlat has a limited number of staff, one writer can have two to three stories to cover.

Also, one of the requirements in every article to be written is for it to be comprehensive

and detailed as possible. Since it is a weekly-based news publication, the articles must becomplete and precise already so the readers would have a full-grasp on the issue

 presented.

Bulatlat reaches the international setting since it is in an online platform. The

organization sustains through donations from different parts of the globe. At times,

dominant media cite Bulatlat as their source of news (e.g. ABS-CBN News) because of 

the credible and accurate details on their reports.

8/8/2019 Bulatlat.com (A Reflection Paper on Bulatlat.com)

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The most interesting part I discovered with Bulatlat is their passion in serving the

oppressed. They proved to me that fairness is not just by citing stories from both sides;giving voice to those who were muted by society is more important in their field.

Dominant media have the tendency to suppress stories from ordinary Filipinos who are

maltreated, because they find it uninteresting to unravel. With Bulatlat, they believe thatthese people’s stories are much more important to tell. In whatever angle we look, these

ordinary people are the victims and must be given the opportunity to speak about their 

 burdens, struggle, and hope. Bulatlat lives on to tell tales of courage and continuouslyfight for justice.

They may be deprived of the luxuries that journalists from dominant media have

(i.e. high-quality video cameras or well-ventilated spacious newsroom), but they are proud of what they do. The fulfillment on giving voice to the oppressed is enough to keep

them going.