i

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Juan Miguel Ala-Tolentino

A Study on the Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons

of the Philippine Collegian

Thesis Adviser:

Professor Evelyn Katigbak, M.A.

College of Mass Communication

University of the Philippines Diliman

Date of Submission

May 2015

Permission is given for the following people to have access to this thesis:

Available for general public Yes

Available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser No

Available only to those bound by confidentiality agreement No

Students signature: Signature of thesis adviser:

ii

UNIVERSITY PERMISSION PAGE

I hereby grant the University of the Philippines non-exclusive worldwide, royalty-free

license to reproduce, publish and publicly distribute copies of this thesis or dissertation in

whatever form subject to the provisions of applicable laws, the provisions of the UP IPR

policy and any contractual obligations, as well as more specific permission marking on

the Title Page.

Specifically I grant the following rights to the University:

a) to upload a copy of the work in the theses database of the college/ school/ institute/

department and in any other databases available on the public internet;

b) to publish the work in the college/ school/ institute/ department journal, both in print

and electronic or digital format and online; and

c) to give open access to above-mentioned work, thus allowing fair use of the work in

accordance with the provisions of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines

(Republic Act No. 8293), especially for teaching, scholarly and research purposes.

________________________

Juan Miguel Ala-Tolentino

May 2015

iii

A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EDITORIAL CARTOONS

OF THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

by

JUAN MIGUEL ALA-TOLENTINO

has been accepted for

the degree of BACHELOR OF ARTS IN JOURNALISM

by

Professor Evelyn Katigbak

and approved for the

University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication

by

Dr. Roland B. Tolentino

Dean, College of Mass Communication

iv

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

PERSONAL DATA

Name Juan Miguel Ala-Tolentino

Permanent Address 249 Aguinaldo Highway, cor. Malabag Road,

Silang, Cavite

Telephone Number (+63) 935-381-9793

Date and Place of Birth 04 September 1994, Pasay City

EDUCATION

Secondary Level Rogationist College High School Department,

Silang, Cavite

Primary Level Valedictorian, Fr. Luigi Caburlotto School,

Silang, Cavite

WORK EXPERIENCE Editor and contributor for Gospel Komiks Magazine,

Communications Foundation for Asia, 10 months

ACHIEVEMENTS University Scholar: 2nd semester AY 2012-2013

College Scholar: 1st semester AY 2011-2012,

1st semester AY 2012-2013, AY 2013-2014

v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This undergraduate study is listed under my name, but this is in no way a work

undertaken alone. This research would not have been possible without the help of the

following people, to whom I express my gratitude.

To Prof. Evelyn Katigbak, my thesis adviser, for guiding this research back on

track whenever it becomes too convoluted or off-point;

To May Joy Capistrano (editor-in-chief), Ysa Calinawan (graphics editor) and

Patricia Ramos (illustrator), for taking the time off their busy schedules at the Collegian

to assist in this research through the focused interviews;

To my mother, Olive Ala-Tolentino, for helping out in transcribing the interviews,

and for encouraging me in spite of the challenges that this study brought me;

To all the first-year respondents who helped me graduate by participating in the

survey in spite of the inconvenience;

To everyone who led me to the right direction whenever I literally got lost in the

university, to everyone who constructively criticized my work, to everyone - named and

unnamed - who helped craft this study in one way or another:

Thank you.

vi

DEDICATION

To the Philippine Collegian

To critical and fearless artists and journalists

vii

ABSTRACT

Tolentino, J. M. (2015). A Study on the Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons of the

Philippine Collegian. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines

College of Mass Communication.

This study examines the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons in the Philippine

Collegian, the official student publication of the University of the Philippines Diliman,

focusing on the perception of the readers of the publication.

The research was guided by two theories, Grices (1981) conversational

implicature theory and Fishers (1989) narrative paradigm theory, and supported by the

concepts of the elements (Jimoh, 2010) and functions (De Sousa and Medhurst, 1982) of

editorial cartoons.

The editorial cartoons studied were taken from Collegian issues from the school

year 2014-2015, during which the research was conducted.

To gather pertinent data, the researcher employed two methods: surveys within a

sample limited to current first-year students (to ensure that the sample will be students

who have a fresh perspective on the publication and its editorial cartoons), and focused

interviews with the editor-in-chief, the graphics editor, and one of the illustrators of the

publication.

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Title Page i

Approval Sheet ii

Biographical Data iv

Acknowledgments v

Dedication vi

Abstract vii

Table of Contents viii

List of Figures xi

List of Models xi

List of Charts xi

List of Tables xiv

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study 1

B. Statement of the Problem and Objectives 6

C. Significance of the Study 7

D. Scope and Limitations 7

II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Cartoons, Comics and Visual Permanence 8

B. How Cartoons Work 10

1. Caricature 10

2. Symbolism 11

ix

3. Social Commentary 12

C. Mainstream Editorial Cartoons in the Philippines 15

D. Campus Journalism and the Philippine Collegian 18

III. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

A. Theoretical Level 22

1. Conversational Implicature Theory 22

2. Narrative Paradigm Theory 24

3. Elements and Functions of Editorial Cartoons 25

B. Conceptual Level 27

C. Operational Level 30

D. Operational Definition of Terms 31

IV. METHODOLOGY

A. Research Design and Methods 33

B. Concepts and Indicators 33

C. Research Instruments 34

D. Units of Analysis and Sampling 35

E. Data Analysis 37

F. The Researcher 37

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Profile of Respondents 38

1. By Age 38

2. By Sex 39

x

B. Readers Exposure to the Collegian and Its Editorial Cartoons 39

C. Readers Perception of the Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

41

1. Readers Perception of the Overall Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

42

2. Readers Perception of the Entertainment Function of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

43

3. Readers Perception of the Aggression-Reduction Function of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

46

4. Readers Perception of the Framing Function of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

50

5. Readers Perception of the Agenda-Setting Function of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

53

6. Comparison of Readers Perception of the Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian Per Function

56

VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 59

VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 61

BIBLIOGRAPHY 63

APPENDIX A: Sample Survey Form 68

APPENDIX B: Focused Interview Guide Questions 70

APPENDIX C: Selected Editorial Cartoons from the Philippine Collegian,

A.Y. 2014-2015

71

xi

LIST OF FIGURES

Number Title Page

1 Editorial cartoon from the Collegian (Tomo 91, Issue 12: 2013) 2

2 Call for Submissions for the 2011-2012 Philippine Collegian

Anthology

3

3 Editorial page of the Collegian (Tomo 25, Issue 11: 1972) 19

4 Editorial page for Rebel Kule (2013) 20

LIST OF MODELS

Number Title Page

1 Conversational implicature theory 24

2 Narrative paradigm theory 25

3 Elements and functions of editorial cartoons 27

4 Integrated conceptual framework 30

5 Operational framework 30

LIST OF CHARTS

Number Title Page

1 Readers perception of the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Overall)

43

2 Readers perception of the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Per question, measures of central tendency)

57

3 Readers perception of the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Per question, frequencies)

58

xii

LIST OF TABLES

Number Title Page

1 Concepts and indicators 33

2 Colleges of UP Diliman included in the study 38

3 Distribution of respondents by age 39

4 Distribution of respondents by sex 39

5 Exposure to the Collegian (Measures of central tendency) 40

6 Exposure to the Collegian (Frequencies) 40

7 Readers perception of the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Overall)

42

8 Readers perception of the entertainment function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Measure of central tendency)

43

9 Readers perception of the entertainment function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Frequencies)

44

10 Readers perception of the entertainment function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Per question)

46

11 Readers perception of the aggression-reduction function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Measures of central tendency)

47

12 Readers perception of the aggression-reduction function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Frequencies)

47

13 Readers perception of the aggression-reduction function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Per question)

49

14 Readers perception of the framing function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Measures of central tendency)

50

15 Readers perception of the framing function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Frequencies)

51

16 Readers perception of the framing function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Per question)

52

xiii

17 Readers perception of the agenda-setting function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Measures of central tendency)

53

18 Readers perception of the agenda-setting function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Frequencies)

54

19 Readers perception of the agenda-setting function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian (Per question)

56

1

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

An editorial cartoon is the picture that tells the thousand words of crap

journalism thats framed around it, said Alan Coren (2007), former editor of British

satirical magazine Punch.

Obnoxious and merciless as it may be, Coren has a valid point about the potential

of editorial cartoons. He compares the sometimes overlong prose that journalists tend to

write with the brevity and conciseness of the one-panel editorial cartoon - both of which

can contain more or less the same message.

Katz (2004) said that political cartoonists have a critical voice with persuasive

power. In fact, this has enabled cartoonists to (achieve) unprecedented visibility and

influence in the social sphere. Swobodal (2003) also said that cartoonists are not

comedians, (but) people who make a difference in the community.

In the Philippines, Lent (1999) has written extensively about his belief of the

countrys rich tradition in cartoons and comics. In fact, Cruz (2009) argued that

cartoonists and comics creators must be considered for the National Artist Awards a

recognition of their potentially influential position in society.

The question is, do editorial cartoons really work? Are they really effective as

tools for social commentary?

One of the biggest challenges that cartoonists have to contend with to be effective

is the competition, in the form of new media technologies. In this multimedia- and

internet-driven age, editorial cartoons struggle to remain relevant amid the information

overload that characterizes twenty-first century media, and the ever-shifting demands of

its twenty-first century audience.

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To cater to the shorter attention spans of its audiences, news and social

commentary are now being packaged in a more graphics-based manner. In fact,

newspapers, even school-based ones, are adopting more dynamic formats.

For example, the most recent iteration of the student publication of the University

of the Philippines Diliman, the Philippine Collegian, usually contains a colored

illustration on the front page reflecting the content of the particular issue, small

illustrations enhancing feature articles in the middle, and the occasional photo montage

on the back page.

The Collegian went through numerous name changes over the years (Valenzuela,

1933) - College Folio in 1910, Varsity News in 1917, and Philippine Collegian in

1922. Recently, the publication has briefly shifted to its informal moniker Kul, only to

return to being the Philippine Collegian.

According to Caparaz (2014), the Collegian has been consistent in exposing the

problems in society and the university and in criticizing the lapses of the government.

He also acknowledged the papers creative editorial cartoon that mirrors the major

issues the paper addresses.

However, Caparaz said that the publication has failed to re-invent itself.

Figure 1. Editorial cartoon from the Collegian (Tomo 91, Issue 12: 2013)

Over the years, the Collegian has

fallen out of popularity. This is due to a new

generation of students who are less

interested in social and political issues.

During school year 2011-2012, the

3

Collegian gave more focus to soft news (instead of hard news about politics and the

government) and local, university-wide issues. The Collegian also began to get the

student more involved, especially with its publication of an anthology.

Figure 2. Call for Submissions for the 2011-2012 Philippine Collegian Anthology

On the other hand, a study conducted

by the Collegian (2012) determined that its

readers still regard the publication as relevant.

The Collegian conducted a university-

wide survey last September 2012 in order to

support its petition to increase the student

publication fee, from P40 to P72 per

semester. The Collegian usually publishes 32

issues per year and 15,000 copies per week,

and the fee increase would sustain the

publication for at least ten years.

The Collegian needed the fee increase due to its P230,000 average annual deficit

of P230,000. This deficit is due to the rising operating costs of the publication, while the

fee that students pay for remains as it was in 1989, depreciating the value of the

publication due to inflation.

Along with the 53.08 percent of the students who signed the petition, a stratified

random sampling survey among 997 respondents revealed that 87.26 percent (or 870

respondents) agreed with the fee increase. Moreover, 82.34 percent (or 821 respondents)

said they read the Collegian, while 90.77 percent (or 905 respondents) said that student

4

publication is relevant in their university life. The respondents also rated the Collegian

4.00 out of 5 for its layout, 4.07 for its content, and 4.36 for its overall quality.

The study reignited support for the publication.

In fact, then student council chair Theresa Carlos (Collegian, 2012) of the

National College of Public Administration (NCPAG) said that the publication is

important to the students, since it provides information on current university- and nation-

wide events and issues to the students, helping them decide and act accordingly.

Then editor-in-chief Maria Katherine Elona (Collegian, 2012) cites this

overwhelming support from its publishers, the students as a challenge to the

publication to continue its tradition of critical and fearless campus journalism.

Recently however, the publication is suffering from production issues.

One of the major issues that recently plague the publication is the decreasing

number of staffers. In fact, current graphics editor Ysa Calinawan (2015) said that she has

to illustrate as well as edit because of the lack of illustrators.

Mary Joy Capistrano (2015), current editor-in-chief, says that the new batch of

student writers and artists have lost their commitment to the publication, a

phenomenon which she acknowledges as something that cannot really be taken against

them, since the staffers struggle to balance work and academics.

In spite of the support of the students, Calinawan also remains aware of the short

attention spans of the publications readers. That is why she considers editorial cartoons

to be important to the publication.

In fact, Capistrano maintains that the editorial cartoon is the summary of the

publications general stand on issues.

5

Meanwhile, Calinawan says that editorial articles tend to be time consuming

to read, inherent with the prose form, which makes editorial cartoons effective, since

they utilize visual keys, metaphors, and symbols to form and explain a message.

Another related line of questioning to the issue of the effectiveness of cartoons is

the nature of this effectiveness. Do cartoons just get ones attention, or do they go beyond

mere shock value, to actual opinion formation?

According to Calinawan, anyone can understand and relate to the message that

editorial cartoons deliver. However, what is this message that the Collegian aims to

communicate through its editorial cartoons?

The Collegian maintains a stand for democracy and academic freedom. Its history

is marked by its practice of interrogating accepted modes of thinking and overturning

paradigms which (breed) criticism of the powers that be (Nava, 1996).

However, this criticism was not always welcome, especially at times when to

be informed was an offense. In fact, Arao (2010) maintains that campus journalism

should contextualize national issues to local concerns, to make them significant to the

lives of the student readers of the publications.

The editorial cartoons of the Collegian have been an integral part of its

journalistic advocacy. In fact, Calinawan (2014) said that apart from the editorial itself,

this is where you can distinguish the publication's advocacy and where it stands in terms

of political views.

Although editorial cartoons alone won't be able to just form collective action,

they can shape the collective consciousness as a propaganda material, from which

the publication can move to mobilization.

6

Ninety years after its inception, the effectiveness of the Collegian and its editorial

cartoons as tools for social commentary is ripe for study.

B. Statement of the Problem and Objectives

This research studies the editorial cartoons of the Philippine Collegian, the official

student publication of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and determines their

effectiveness from the perspective of its readers.

Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What does the Collegian aim to achieve in the publication of editorial cartoons?

Does the Collegian consider these cartoons as effective tools for social

commentary?

2. Are the editorial cartoons in the Collegian effective as tools for social

commentary, according to its readers?

Statement of Hypothesis

This study believes that the editorial cartoons of the Collegian are perceived to be

effective tools for social commentary by its readers.

Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to identify the perceived effectiveness of the

editorial cartoons of the Collegian from the perspective of its readers.

Specifically, the study aims to:

1. analyze the perception of the publication itself, the Collegian, in the context of its

editorial cartoons and their intended purposes for them; and

2. determine the perceived effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian

according to its readers.

7

C. Significance of the Study

This study can help similar researches about the potential of editorial cartoons and

other similar alternative forms of social commentary.

There is a current dearth of research about editorial cartoons. This study can spur

similar studies, especially about the role of editorial cartoons in mainstream, campus and

other forms of alternative journalism.

On a smaller scale, this can benefit both the publication (the Philippine Collegian)

and its consumers (the UP students). By determining the level and extent of the

effectiveness of the publications editorial cartoons, one can find ways to make them

more effective.

On a larger scale, this can spur the increased study of editorial cartoons as an

effective medium of expression in other areas such as social development and education,

among others.

D. Scope and Limitations

The study focuses on the perceived effectiveness of editorial cartoons of the

Collegian on its own, as well as in the context of the entire publication.

However, its effectiveness compared to other editorial cartoons in other

publications is beyond the scope of this study, as it is also limited to the Collegians

editorial cartoons.

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II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Cartoons, especially those which deal with politics and other pertinent social

issues, are now being considered a distinct and established genre (that) provides

political commentary aimed at reorienting the public (Kondowe, W., Ngwira, F. F. and

Madula, P., 2014).

The previous literature on editorial cartooning dealt with its ties to the comic form

(especially with its visual permanence), its functions in society, its elements and their

interplay (caricature, symbolism and social commentary) and its effects.

A. Cartoons, Comics and Visual Permanence

Editorial cartoons exploit the advantages of the cartoon form as a primarily visual

medium, especially on its visual permanence.

Linus (2009) defines editorial cartoons as a uniquely visual medium for orienting

social issues. The visual component of editorial cartoons lies in their similarity to

another form of media comics.

Depending on the definition, cartoons have been included or excluded from the

category of the comic form. McClouds (1993) definition of comics emphasized the

panel-to-panel transition (the juxtaposition of pictorial and other images in deliberate

sequence). In this definition, cartoons are obviously excluded because of its one-panel

limitation.

However, Harvey (2001) defines comics as pictorial narratives or expositions in

which words usually contribute to the meaning of the pictures and vice versa. Here,

single panel art like editorial cartoons are defined as comics, with a particular emphasis

on the interplay of the written and visual (Versaci, 2001).

9

In fact, studies on the picture superiority effect (Curran and Doyle, 2011;

Defetyer, Russo and McPartlin, 2009) have proven that meaning is more easily and more

efficiently transmitted in pictorial (for example, editorial cartoons) rather than textual (for

example, journalistic prose) form.

Cartoons and comics are composed of pictorial and other images (McCloud,

1993), making them fundamentally visual (media) (Yang, 2003). These make up the

visual permanence of the cartoon format.

Editorial cartoons combine the directness of its visual presentation (compared to

journalistic prose which is permanent, not visual) and its permanence (compared to

television which is visual, not permanent).

Olowolayemo (2012) elaborated on the way cartoons combine verbal and visual

elements, in order to evoke a particular response from the audience. This response

depends on the intentions of the cartoonist and the cartoons interpretation by the reader.

In just one panel, cartoons express opinions, construct relevant social perspectives, and

disseminate pertinent information about current social issues

Jimoh (2010) elaborates on this conciseness. According to him, the three major

elements of cartoons are images (the symbols), captions (the written words) and the

social commentary (the spoken and unspoken words).

Cartoons condense these information into one panel, unlike comic strips or comic

books (media with multiple panels). This is why cartoons may be complicated and

difficult to decipher at first glance.

The effectiveness of cartooning depends on whether it is mysterious enough to stir

interest, yet not too complicated as to turn off the reader and completely obscure its

10

message. The medium can be potentially rich with meaning. However, this doesnt

necessarily mean that it possesses richness, insofar as it mediates effective

communication (Dennis and Kinney, 1998).

The effective delivery of the message depends on the cartoonists versatility.

Cartoonists need to possess a good grasp of social affairs, clearly identifiable political

issues and problems that are local and international, deft craftsmanship, (and) snappy

graphic language (Olaniyan, 2000).

B. How Cartoons Work

How do editorial cartoons create their messages within the single panel?

Being a visually permanent medium, cartoons use the language interplay between

verbal and nonverbal devices to provide exaggeration, contradiction and metaphor

(McCloud, 1993; Yang, 2003).

1. Caricature

Humor in cartoons is a complex process (Tsakona, 2009).

The most powerful weapon that editorial cartoons use is the exaggeration of the

features of its subjects usually politicians. This is referred to as caricature, or

distorted portraiture that emphasizes the characteristic traits of an individual (Kondowe,

W., Ngwira, F. F. and Madula, P., 2014).

In fact, Radcliffe (2004) said that if we dont laugh, it hasnt worked. Humor is

what makes editorial cartoons entertaining. According to Lawate (2012), cartoon humor

is often slapstick and exaggerated, yet aim at making a realistic appeal.

Editorial cartoons exaggerate in order to, in part, entertain. However, for them to

be truly effective, to go beyond mere humor, it has to be more that what it appears to be.

11

In fact, Lawate admits that sometimes, cartoons may appear silly to readers. However,

as it seemingly (underplays) the severity of a situation, it actually (establishes) the

severity of the same.

The hyperbole and satire in cartoons are the tools by which cartoons challenge the

status quo and emphasize social issues (Sterling, 2009).

Moreover, the levity provided humorous exaggeration in editorial cartoons help

create a safe platform for social commentary (Ashfaq and Hussein, 2013).

2. Symbolism

However, editorial cartoons go beyond mere entertainment. Their depictions of

their subjects in humorous ways are guided by the use of icons, or symbols representing

objects or concepts. Through symbolism, cartoonists subtly inform, educate and

entertain the readership (Adejuwon and Alimi, 2009; Nyoni et. al., 2012).

Caricature parodies its subjects, but the allusion of the symbols in cartoons

generate the context of the parody, the situation or context into which the individual is

placed (Lawate, 2012).

The true meanings of cartoons are buried in humor, and the true intended

meanings and the reasoning behind them is hidden through abstraction (Kondowe,

Ngwira and Madula, 2014).

Many studies on the symbolism of editorial cartoons (Conners, 2007; Edwards,

1997) focus on electoral commentary. This is because elections are the primary period for

the activities of politicians. Politicians are, admittedly, the usual subjects for cartoons,

and elections make them ripe for satire.

12

The symbolism in cartoons makes up the narratives that they seek to tell, which

ties in to the narratives of its readers (Fisher, 1989).

These narratives are subsequently formed by the values of the creators and

consumer of the media message. The synchronicity of the narratives involved - those of

the producers of the medium as well as the organization involved in crafting its me

cartoonists/publications narratives against the readers) determines the mediums

effectiveness.

This power of narratives is supported by Randels (1998) who said that narratives

(can) evoke rich ethical and moral concerns in ways that incorporate both descriptive and

prescriptive elements. This was supported later on by Dennings (2006), who said that

storytelling using narratives is effective in communicating strategic issues.

According to Griffin (2009), when someone decides to believe in a narrative, one

does not just affirm shared beliefs, acknowledges that these values will ultimately

influence ones beliefs and value.

3. Social commentary

With all these, Burack (2011) concluded that editorial cartoons can go beyond

mere comic relief. Cartoons can potentially be tools for social commentary, using satire

as the jumping-off point.

According to De Sousa and Medhursts (1982), cartoons have four functions in

social life: (1) entertainment, (2) aggression-reduction, (3) agenda-setting and (4)

framing. For cartoons to be effective social commentaries, they have to be effective in all

these functions.

Navasky (2011) elaborates on the incendiary quality of political cartoons.

13

Cartoons are, for the most part, considered harmless. However, they are often the

cause for highly violent reactions by the people, especially when the subjects of the

offending cartoons (or the readers themselves) consider the satire too offensive.

In a way, this violence proves that cartoons are effective, in the sense that they

induce an effect. They can certainly grab attention and induce reaction and actual action.

Whether this effectiveness is positive or negative depends on ones interpretation.

An extreme example of this is the Muhammad cartoons controversy of 2005. A Danish

newspaper, the Jyllands-Posten (or Jutland Post), published 12 editorial cartoons, most of

which depicted Muhammad. However, some groups considered the cartoons

blasphemous, considering the Islamic tradition of aniconism, which avoids images of

divine beings and prophets. This led to violent riots worldwide (Henkel, 2010).

However, for cartoons to be truly effective, they have to go beyond shock value.

Studies put forward the premise that political cartoons represent public opinion as

campaign media during elections (Edwards and Ware, 2005), or even during non-

electoral issues (Baldry and Thibault, 2006) as platforms for the public voice.

Nevertheless, this representation can sometimes be manipulative. Conners

(2005) studied editorial cartoons during the 2004 American presidential campaigns. He

concluded that they were used as tools to influence the opinion of voters about the

candidates, simply by the cartoonists choice of subjects to parody.

Thus, Conners argued that editorial cartoons became part of the presidential

campaigns of the time, simply by the framing they provided for the readers regarding the

candidates. Meanwhile, Caswell (2004) takes the middle ground and maintains that

cartoonists both mold and reflect public opinion.

14

Studies conducted by Abiola (2011), Olowolayemo (2013), and Wahyuningsiha

(2008) analyzed social commentary in the deliberate caricature of political cartoonists in

different publications. Abiola studied cartoons from The Guardian, The Nation, and The

Punch, the three main daily newspapers in Nigeria, while Olowolayemo focused on The

Punch. Finally, Wahyuningsiha studied The Born Loser, an Indonesian political

cartoon strip. They concluded that even though cartoons are positively motivated - i.e.,

they aimed to question authority and draw attention to social issues - they usually fail to

deliver their message efficiently (Khir, 2012).

According to Grice (1989) and Levinson (2000), if we consider cartoons as one

side of a conversation between the cartoonists (as well as the publication itself) and the

readers, then we can determine how effective the message of the former has been

transmitted to the latter. If the intended message has been delivered (which is sometimes

different from any of the implied messages that can be interpreted), then we can say that

the conversation is effective.

Olowolayemo (2013) concluded that most cartoonists are not good

conversationalists, in the sense of conversation as defined by Grice. According to

Olowolayemo, most cartoonists do not form their message properly. They tend to fail to

present their message as clear, fair, constructive and ethical - at least, as they are

perceived by their readers. Moreover, the depth and breadth of political cartoon

commentary is usually limited. According to Kondowe, Ngwira and Madula (2014), most

cartoonists use their work to attack political figures.

The quantity and quality of this effectiveness of this social commentary is

debatable. On the former, Manning and Phiddian (2004) said cartoons may contribute to

15

public opinion among those who read the editorial pages, but they are not a large direct

influence. On the latter, Hogan (2003) decries the very, very negative commentary.

Cartoonists provide readers with regular images of politicians as liars, cheats,

compromisers and fools. Compared to other mass media journalists, there is a seeming

lack of the compulsion against fair, objective and unbiased reportage. Here, bias is

defined not as the preference for a particular political party, but the bias against politics

and everything political itself.

In fact, Radcliffe (2004) said cartoonists dont have to provide evidence, be

reasonable, or even offer balanced and constructive opinion.

In a way, editorial cartooning is the butchers knife to journalisms scalpel. In a

way, they are given more leeway in their presentation of their stories. The question is, are

cartoonists responsible with this power?

C. Mainstream Editorial Cartoons in the Philippines

Editorial cartoons have been an indispensable part of newspapers in the

Philippines. From Kalayaan to the La Solidaridad, even up to the more recent

publications like the Manila Bulletin and the Philippine Inquirer, cartoons have never left

Filipino periodicals (Ladrido, 1973).

However, do these local editorial cartoons succeed in transmitting their message

to their readers? More importantly, do they remain relevant, and how?

Studies on local mainstream publications and their cartoons have shown that the

final meaning that is imbued in editorial cartoons is generated in a complicated process.

One of the interesting elements in this process is the one that exerts the greatest degree of

16

control on the cartoons - forces from within and without, in the form of the editorial

board and the persons and organizations that influence their decisions.

Institutional pressures (or editorial policies) can change cartoon elements (Billoso,

1991; Campos, 1986; Casimiro, 1988; Lopez, 2008). This can create the possibility of the

generation of deliberately manipulated meanings.

Lopez (2008) discovered that even as political cartoons (reduce) lofty world

figures and issues to ground level and (expose) them to sharp ridicule, the personal

opinions of the cartoonists are screened by editorial policies and packaged to

conform to the stand of the publication.

Lopez determined this using content and semiotic analysis, comparing the

editorial cartoons of Manila Bulletin and Philippine Daily Inquirer from 2004 to 2007.

Although there remain some cartoonists who stand by their opinions as they

present them in their cartoons, the usual trend is for cartoonists to illustrate a worldview

consistent with the publication he/she is working for, in spite of disagreement.

Bismonte (1992) counter-argues that editorial policies should not be the

packaging of the message as to distort its message, but to present it as to make it

comprehensible to the public. Bismonte acknowledges the difficulty of compressing

complex messages in one panel, and underlines the important role that editorial policies

can play in doing the same.

Moreover, Cua (1982) insists that publications do not directly censor their

cartoonists opinion, thus reinforcing the idea of the autonomy of cartoonists. The only

censorship that Cua observed in her comparative content analysis of the cartoons of the

Bulletin Today and the Daily Express.

17

In fact, Mesina and Recio (2012) also said, editorial cartoonists have vast

authority on shaping and interpreting the meaning of a certain sign and object.

Their study focused on President Benigno Aquino IIIs portrayal in the editorial

cartoons of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star and the Manila Bulletin.

However, they found that aside from the vast authority that cartoonists exert in their

satire, editorial policies still come into play.

For example, Manila Bulletin cartoons have to conform to the publications

progress-oriented and conflict-avoidant stand, while Philippine Daily Inquirer

cartoons cannot attack the Roman Catholic Church.

On the artistic side, Ramos (2013) focused on the same subject, President

Benigno Aquino III, and his portrayal in the Philippine Daily Inquirers cartoons.

According to him, the aesthetics that cartoonists imbue in the editorial cartoons

that they create, as well as the process that go into their creation, (are) purely hedonistic

and forms ideations from the artists point of view.

This gives a perspective that supports control on the cartoonists side, and which

emphasizes the role of this art form in society.

Editorial cartoons in the country are also seen as the gauge of public opinion. In

fact, Ladrido (1973) said that some readers consider editorial cartoons as the teaser or the

glimpse to a newspapers stand. Casimiro (1988) also emphasized the role of cartoons

as publication indices, tracking the evolution (or lack thereof) of the editorial policies

of the publications where they are printed.

18

According to Cua (1982) editorial cartoons are used as attention getting

devices. Cartoons do this by depicting familiar scenes, with the familiar faces involved

in the relevant issue of the day.

However, a disconcerting possibility was studied by Batnag (1990) - maybe

editorial cartoons are not really accurate representations of the public pulse so to speak.

Some readers consider cartoons as the official illustration of the public sentiment on a

specific issue. However, Batnags research found that this representation is misplaced -

even impossible.

While cartoons can be used as a gauge of public opinion, they do not, probably

cannot, accurately reflect public opinion, Batnag concluded.

Finally, Ramirez (1998) described the role editorial cartoons play in our country

where the political system (and the people themselves) are used to a reactive rather than

proactive role.

When the human agents in society are stuck in passive roles, cartoons persuade

them to be active participants. Cartoons become the catalyst, instigator, protagonist and

antagonist in the worldview they construct for and with the reader.

In the end, the goal is to (lure) the reader into political process.

D. Campus Journalism and the Philippine Collegian

During Martial Law, the Collegian was a member of the mosquito press, the

moniker former dictator Marcos dubbed campus journalism when it became the

alternative journalism of the time (CEGP, 2014).

During that time, the Philippine Collegian rushed in where the national

newspapers feared to tread. In these cases, campus journalism has proven itself to be a

19

powerful tool for social commentary, even when under threat (De Quiros, 2006). In fact,

three of the publications editors Abraham Sarmiento Jr., Antonio Tagamolila, and

Enrique Voltaire Garcia III suffered harassment from the martial regime due to their

association with the Collegian, which allegedly led to their deaths (Galimba, 2011).

In the university, the "College Folio" of the College of Engineering was one of

the first campus publications in the university when it began in 1910. This was later

followed by other college-based student publications.

For example, the College of Mass Communication publishes Tinig ng Plaridel,

the College of Engineering publishes Engineering Logscript, and the College of

Education publishes Education Quarterly.

Figure 3. Editorial page of the Collegian (Tomo 25, Issue 11: 1972)

The university administration also prints

out two publications the UP Newsletter and

the UP Forum.

Arao (2010) emphasized that campus

papers should help provide relevant information

and analysis to help make informed decisions,

raise the level of discourse, and shape their

public opinion.

The role of campus journalism in the

Martial Law examples mentioned before were

those wherein the publication became a tool for

20

commentary against the government. The next examples find the Collegian assuming the

role of a tool for social commentary against the university administration itself.

For example, former Collegian editor-in-chief Homobono Adaza was removed

from office for an editorial against the UP administration (Arcellana and Nuqui, 2009).

The publication insists on independence from the university administration. In

fact, during the second semester of school year 2006-2007, the Collegian published a

Rebel Kule when its funds were withheld by university officials.

The university said the funds were public, and thus subject to government

procurement laws and bidding processes (Yap, 2006), but the Collegian countered that

the publication was student-funded, and thus was exempt from such laws.

Figure 4. Editorial page for Rebel Kule (2013).

In fact, the Rebel Kules editorial

(State of Rebellion) maintained that no

matter how tight the administration maintains

its grip on the publications operations, it can

never contain its fierce resistance (Castro,

2006). This resistance is ingrained in the

Collegians social and political stand.

This is an arguably unique

characteristic of the Collegian. Cabahug

(2008) conducted a comparative study of the

stands of campus publications during the

1910s. The study found that the Collegian

21

was critical and informative, compared to the informative and balanced stand of

Ateneo de Manilas The Guidon and the well-balanced stand of the University of Santo

Tomass The Varsitarian.

The stands of the two latter publications were weak, because of the apolitical

attitudes of the students from the private universities, compared to the more radical and

liberal students of state-run universities like UP.

The same trend appeared in Bolanes (2008) study of publications from the same

universities at present. The differences between the social and political stances of the

publications can be seen just from the number of political news covered by each.

For example, Bolame found that the Collegian covered 144 political news from

2005-2007, compared to The Guidons 89 and the Atenean Matanglawins 54.

The Collegian is a tool for social commentary in particular, its editorial

cartoons. However, the reception of this message changes. For example, a study by

Ramos (2009) found that students considered the Collegians coverage of national issues

okay in 2005-2006. However, in 2006-2007, they now considered it too negative and

criticizing.

Nevertheless, even though the reception of the message of cartoons changes, the

important question is their continued relevance in society.

22

III. STUDY FRAMEWORK.

This research is guided by two theories - Grices (1981) conversational

implicature theory and Fishers (1989) narrative paradigm theory.

The framework is also supported by Jimohs (2010) definition of the three

elements of editorial cartoons, as well as De Sousa and Medhursts (1982) four main

basic functions of editorial cartoons in social life.

The researcher chose these theories because they deal with the narratives in

media, more specifically satirical narratives like editorial cartoons, and how readers

perceive and use them.

A. Theoretical Level.

1. Conversational Implicature Theory

Conversational implicature, sometimes abbreviated as CI, is a concept introduced

by Grices (1981) theory. According to the theory, this implicature occurs when an

alternative meaning other than the one intended by the reader is delivered, or implied, to

the reader during the conversation between the sender and the recipient of the message.

This is particularly important in the study of satirical and other comedic media

such as cartoons. In fact, the theory has been the one most often used in recent linguistic

studies on humor-related discourses like cartoons (Abiola, 2011; Khir, 2012;

Olowolayemo, 2013).

According to Thomas (1995), conversational implicature occurs when the

producer of the message does not observe the conversational maxims of the cooperative

principle in the construction and delivery of the message.

23

According to the cooperative principle, a conversation should first agree on the

accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange (Levinson, 2000). For most forms of

media, this direction is mostly one-way. For example, a medium like an editorial cartoon

will have the bulk of the responsibility on the cartoonist for constructing and delivering

the message, while the reader receives and interprets the message in the cartoon.

The effectiveness of the communication described above is dependent on how the

creator constructed the message. According to Grice, a well-constructed message (the

main contribution to the conversation, so to speak) depends on how well the creator

follows the following maxims: (1) quantity or informativeness, (2) quality or truthfulness,

(3) relation or relevance and (4) manner or perspicacity.

For the maxim of quantity, the presentation of the message should be more or less

as informative as required - not too much or too little information.

For the maxim of quality, the message should be perceived as sincere and truthful.

For example, even with the hyperbolic and exaggerated language of editorial cartoons,

the message should be grounded in truth, either with explicit or implicit corroborating

evidence.

For the maxim of relation, the message should be relevant.

Finally, for the maxim of manner, the message should not be obscure nor

ambiguous, and it should be brief and orderly.

The theory states that if one or more of the aforementioned maxims are misused

or abused in the construction of the message, an alternative meaning can be generated

(Thomas, 1995). This can lead to miscommunication and therefore the failure of the

conversation.

24

Model 1. Conversational implicature theory.

2. Narrative Paradigm Theory.

According to Fishers (1989) narrative paradigm theory, all meaningful

communication is a form of storytelling. Consequently, all forms of communication can

be considered as stories.

Humans are storytellers. In fact, according to Hardy (1968): We dream in

narrative, daydream in narrative, remember, anticipate, hope, despair, believe, doubt,

plan, revise, criticize, construct, gossip, learn, hate and love by narrative.

These narratives are where we interpret and reconstitute cultural, social and

personal reality (Bruner 1986, Fisher 1987). These stories are shaped by the culture and

character of both their producers and consumers.

According to Connell, Klein and Meyer (2004), stories are a knowledge-bearing

medium, while according to Seely Brown (2004), narratives are a knowledge medium

in organizations. Considering these, stories can be defined as forms of media.

The theory presupposes a world of stories, with narratives that are contained in

different forms of media, and which contain different perspectives and different ways of

framing those perspectives in. Jameson (2001) adds that this process of choosing is a

process of continual recreation. For example, regarding one event or issue, one can

25

choose to get his worldview from the news coverage on television or radio, from opinion

pieces on blogs, or from edit orials and editorial cartoons.

How do readers choose their narratives? According to the theory, they choose

those which match their values and beliefs, their good reasons.

These good reasons are the following: (1) the values within the stories; (2) the

relevance of those values to the reader; (3) the consequences that the reader expects out

of believing in those values; (4) the overlap of the world view of the stories and the

reader; and (5) the conformity of the message with what the reader believes is an ideal

basis for conduct.

The perception of the match of these values are affected by many factors.

For example, Fisher says that it is not enough that the values of the narratives that

the readers choose are similar to those of the readers. These values should be perceived

by the reader as rational. The perception of rationality in stories depends on - or more

specifically, (1) probable, (2) coherent, and (3) sincere.

Model 2. Narrative paradigm theory.

3. Elements and Functions of Editorial Cartoons

Editorial cartoons are visually permanent media (McCloud, 1993; Yang, 2003).

26

Considering this, they are made up of distinct elements that comprise visuals, but

go beyond their surface value (Jimoh, 2010). The first two elements are the more easily

observable ones - the images and the text. However, the most important element of

cartoons is the interplay between the two previous elements, which according to Jimoh

comprises the social commentary.

However, in order to be effective, narratives have to be constructed in a way that

successfully communicates this social commentary.

According to De Sousa and Medhurst (1982), the construction of these elements

can be guided by the four functions of editorial cartoons in social life: (1) entertainment,

(2) aggression-reduction, (3) framing and (4) agenda-setting.

The first function, entertainment, relies heavily on the visual components of

cartoons. This stage of effectiveness is arguably the most crucial, since the next stages

wont materialize without it.

If readers dont notice the cartoons, then the cartoons wont even have the chance

to affect its readers further.

The second function, aggression-reduction, takes the humor of cartoons beyond

mere entertainment. Using humor, cartoons the decreases its readers aggression (more

specifically, frustration and annoyance) regarding social issues, as a venue for catharsis,

helping them place the issues they tackle under a better perspective. The shock value of

the hyperbolic caricature and humor of cartoons disarms the reader by laughter, and then

sets the stage for deeper understanding of its message.

The third function, framing, is wherein cartoons provide the (literal and

figurative) frame for the readers to view the social issues they tackle.

27

The framing of cartoons will depend on the choice of issue the cartoonist tackles,

as well as the elements that the cartoon exaggerates. Here, the reader also evaluates the

framed message if it is consistent with his or her own perspective, or else if it is

convincing enough to reorient his or her perspective.

The final function, agenda-setting, dictates how the readers perceive and use the

message (especially by how it was framed), and guided by the agenda set by the cartoons.

This function is primarily concerned with cartoons as contributors to the

construction of its readers worldview. Here, the effects of cartoons extend beyond their

actual consumption into actual reaction to and action about the framed message in the

cartoons.

Model 3. Elements and functions of editorial cartoons

B. Conceptual Level.

This studys framework is divided into four stages, guided by De Sousa and

Medhursts (1982) four main basic functions of editorial cartoons in social life: (1)

entertainment, (2) aggression-reduction, (3) agenda-setting and (4) framing.

28

In each stage, the elements of the cartoons (according to Jimoh, 2010) will be

supported by certain element s from the narrative paradigm and conversational

implication theories.

The first stage, entertainment, is concerned with the superficial attractiveness

visual components of the cartoons. If cartoons can get its readers attention, then it has

already proven itself to be effective.

After the images and the captions (as elements of the entirety of the cartoon) have

gotten the attention of its readers, now they have to be understood, at least at the

superficial level. In other words, the images and captions should be legible enough. The

symbolism should be intelligible, accessible and not too esoteric.

Moreover, the humor in the cartoons should be entertaining and should make the

reader want more, instead of putting the reader off completely.

Another factor that can affect this stage is the context of the cartoons within the

publication itself, in its physical position within the paper. For example, for some

publications, cartoons are the main attraction of the editorial page. However, with the

graphics-heavy format of some publications, cartoons can get somewhat buried.

This stage is also integrated with the first CI maxim, that of quantity. The cartoon

should present its message in a way that shows just enough information, as well as

presenting the message in a way that shows it to be insightful and easily understandable.

The second stage, aggression-reduction, deals heavily with humor. Now, the

cartoons are expected to first elicit a reaction from the readers. The humor may be light-

hearted or a bit darker, but the important thing is that the cartoons made readers laugh,

and more importantly, make them ready and willing to understand the message better.

29

Moreover, this stage is integrated with the fourth CI maxim, manner. In order to

properly be cathartic, cartoons have to be constructed in an insightful way, and must

certainly be perceived by the reader as such.

The third stage, framing, is integrated with the narrative paradigm theory, as well

as the third CI maxim, that of relation. Considering the potential differences between the

values of the reader and the cartoonist (and the publication), the match between them will

determine if the reader will acknowledge and accept the cartoons message, depending on

how the editorial cartoons frame the intended message through its construction and

combination of its implicit and explicit elements.

Moreover, this stage is also integrated with the second CI maxim, that of quality.

The reader needs to perceive the cartoon as truthful and sincere, in order for the reader to

accept the framing of the cartoons message.

The final stage, agenda-setting, is integrated into the narrative paradigm theory

and the third CI maxim, that of relation. Effective communication will occur only when

the reader accepts the message of the as relevant, and move to reaction and actual action

because of it.

Moreover, the interplay between the values of the creators and the consumers of

the editorial cartoons also contributes to the latters perception of the medium. For

effective communication of the formers message, the editorial cartoons should set its

agenda in a way so as to reinforce the values of the latter, or else be convincing enough

so as to change them.

The integrated conceptual framework below combines all the aforementioned

elements in order to determine the effectiveness of editorial cartoons.

30

Model 4. Integrated conceptual framework.

C. Operational Framework

The operational framework of the research indicates the specific aspects of the

elements of the research to be studied.

The medium under study are the editorial cartoons of the Philippine Collegian,

within A.Y. 2014-2015. The study of this medium will be guided by the theories and

related literature iterated above.

The users of this framework are the UP Diliman student population who read their

cartoons, specifically first-year students.

Model 5. Operational framework.

STA

GE

ON

E:

Ente

rtai

nm

ent

(CI M

axim

of

Qu

anti

ty)

STA

GE

TWO

: A

ggre

ssio

n-R

edu

ctio

n

(CI M

axim

of

Man

ner

)

STA

GE

THR

EE:

Fram

ing

(CI M

axim

of

Qu

alit

y,

Nar

rati

ve P

arad

igm

)

STA

GE

FOU

R:

Age

nd

a-Se

ttin

g

(CI M

axim

of

Rel

atio

n,

Nar

rati

ve P

arad

igm

)

STA

GE

ON

E:

Ente

rtai

nm

ent

(CI M

axim

of

Qu

anti

ty)

STA

GE

TWO

: A

ggre

ssio

n-R

edu

ctio

n

(CI M

axim

of

Man

ner

)

STA

GE

THR

EE:

Fram

ing

(CI M

axim

of

Qu

alit

y,

Nar

rati

ve P

arad

igm

)

STA

GE

FOU

R:

Age

nd

a-Se

ttin

g

(CI M

axim

of

Rel

atio

n,

Nar

rati

ve P

arad

igm

)

(Editorial

Cartoons)

AUDIENCE

(First Year UPD

Students)

31

D. Operational Definition of Terms

1. Agenda-setting - function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian which focuses on

their ability to convince readers of their message and intended meaning, and

consequently move them to reaction and actual action.

2. Aggression-reduction - function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian which

focuses on humor and catharsis, in order for the medium to guide the reader to deeper

understanding of the intended meaning

3. Caricature - element of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian that deal with

humorous depiction of characters, usually through the exaggeration of features.

4. Cartoons - single-panel drawings such as the editorial cartoons of the Collegian,

showing the features of its subjects in humorously exaggerated ways; also known as

editorial cartoons or political cartoons.

5. Conversational implicature (CI) - phenomenon when the readers of the editorial

cartoons of the Collegian interpret a different meaning from the cartoons other than

what was intended by the publication.

6. Entertainment - first function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian, which focuses

on their superficial attractiveness and clarity, especially regarding their visual

components.

7. Framing - function of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian which focuses on their

presentation through the construction and combination of their elements in order for

the intended message to be acknowledged and accepted by the readers.

8. Manner - CI maxim that deals with how the information within the editorial cartoons

of the Collegian is arranged.

32

9. Maxim - rules based on the CI theory which state the considerations in creating media

such as the editorial cartoons of the Collegian to avoid conversational implicature and

to make them effective as tools for social commentary.

10. Quality - CI maxim that deals with the quality of the information within the editorial

cartoons of the Collegian.

11. Quantity - CI maxim that deals with the amount of information in the editorial

cartoons of the Collegian.

12. Relation - CI maxim that deals with the perceived and actual relevance of the editorial

cartoons of the Collegian and their meaning.

13. Social commentary - element of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian that deals with

the interplay of their implicit and explicit elements to elevate their message beyond

mere humor to relevant and effective criticism on social issues.

14. Symbolism - element of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian that deals with their

use of metaphors to illustrate concepts and explain issues.

33

IV. METHODOLOGY.

A. Research Design and Methods

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of selected UP Diliman

students regarding the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Philippine Collegian

as tools for social commentary.

In order to gather the necessary data, this study combined qualitative and

quantitative approaches. This study analyzed the audience perception of the effectiveness

of Collegian cartoons within a limited timeframe, school year 2014-2015.

B. Concepts and Indicators

These are the concepts and indicators used in this research.

Table 1. Concepts and indicators.

Variables /

Concepts

Measures /

Indicators

Demographic composition of audience

Audience perception of the effectiveness of editorial cartoons of the Collegian

o According to each element of editorial cartoons

o According to each stage of the functions of editorial cartoons in social life

According to match of values (based on the narrative paradigm theory)

According to the effectiveness of the delivery of the message (based on the maxims of the conversational

implicature theory)

Questionnaire responses

Context of editorial cartoons within the Collegian Research

Interviews

34

C. Research Instruments

The research instruments used in this study are survey and interviews.

The study used survey questionnaires, containing close-ended question, to gather

data from a sample of the Philippine Collegian reader population. This is to determine

their perception on the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the publication.

The first part of the questionnaire contained the respondents basic information

(name, school, age), in order to measure the demographics of the audience.

The respondents were then asked about the frequency of their readership of the

editorial cartoons only of the Philippine Collegian, as compared to their readership

frequency of the publication itself.

The next section determined their perception of the effectiveness of Collegian

cartoons, guided by the aforementioned theories. To measure this, they were asked to rate

their agreement of different statements about the editorial cartoons of the Collegian, with

1 being the lowest (strong disagreement) to 5 (strong agreement).

The first subsection measured the respondents more apparent perceptions on

Collegian cartoons, based on their basic elements - interest, humor, memorability, as well

as attractiveness of the art style and legibility of the captions, among others - and guided

by the CI maxim of quantity. Here, the study asked: Are the visual components of the

cartoons of the Collegian (images and text) appealing? Is the humor entertaining? Is the

symbolism accessible? Does the position of the cartoons layout within and without help

or distract from the consumption of the cartoon?

The second subsection studies the construction of the cartoons humor, guided by

the CI maxim of manner. Here, the study asked: Is the humor of the cartoons cathartic?

35

Does the humor help or distract the reader from understanding the message? How well is

the message of the cartoons constructed?

The third subsection is guided by the narrative paradigm theory and the CI maxim

relation, as it studies the perception of the framing of the cartoons. Here, the study asked:

Do the cartoons focus on the same issues that the readers (as individuals and as a general

public) find relevant? Do the cartoons see the world the same way that their readers do -

and therefore reinforce their own values and worldview - or does it present an alternative

perspective? If they present an alternate worldview, does it convince the readers to

change their mind?

The final subsection is guided by the narrative paradigm theory and the CI maxim

of relation, where it deals with relevance, as well as the reaction and actual action that the

cartoons elicit from the reader. Here, the study asked: More than reaction, do the

cartoons induce actual action? Do the cartoons make their readers interested in the issues

that they tackle? Do they want readers to know more about the issues? Do they inspire

readers to actually act in order to make the situation described in the cartoons better?

The study also used interviews of key Collegian staff the editor-in-chief and the

graphics editor in order to get their unique perspectives on the role of the editorial

cartoons in their publication.

D. Units of Analysis and Sampling

The units of analysis in this study are the elements of the editorial cartoons,

according to Jimohs (2010) definition, analyzed per stage of De Sousa and Medhursts

(1982) four functions of editorial cartoons in social life: (1) entertainment, (2)

aggression-reduction, (3) agenda-setting and (4) framing.

36

The first stage of the analysis focused on the first two elements - images (the

graphic figures) and captions (the written words), on their superficial effectiveness. The

second until the last stage delved on the interplay of these two specifically, social

commentary, and the audiences perception of its effectiveness.

This effectiveness was measured on a deeper level than the first stage, from mere

entertainment to aggression-reduction to framing to agenda-setting (or from reaction to

actual action).

The data that the researcher needed was available in the university, with the

cooperation of the Philippine Collegian office, as well as the target population, the UP

student community.

The first set of data, focused on the perceived effectiveness of the Collegian

cartoons, was gathered using a survey administered to a sample taken from the UP

student community who read the Collegian.

The sample was limited to current first-year students (limited to students with

student numbers beginning with 2014). This is to ensure that the sample was comprised

of students who have a fresh perspective on the publication and its editorial cartoons.

The study selected five respondents from each of the 26 colleges of the university.

However, since the sample criteria required that the respondents were to be first-year

Collegian readers, only colleges with undergraduate programs were selected, resulting in

19 colleges and therefore 95 total respondents.

The respondents were selected by stratified convenience sampling, with the strata

comprised of the individual colleges of the university, wherein the respondents selected

were those willing to participate in the research voluntarily.

37

The second set of data, which focused on the nature of the subject and its situation

within the context of the nature of the publication, was gathered from back issues of the

Collegian (available from the Collegian office as well as their website), as well as from

focused interviews based on guide questions from key Collegian staff.

E. Data Analysis

The analysis of the data gathered from the focused interviews was guided by the

theories as well as the elements and functions of editorial cartoons as elaborated on in the

study framework.

Meanwhile, the survey used the following statistical treatments - (1) simple

means, medians, modes and frequencies for the simple categorical questions (respondent

demographics, exposure to the Collegian issues read, among others), (2) rank-sum tests

and frequencies for the Likert-scale type data (the rank according to your preference

questions), and (3) standard deviations for the consistency of the data.

F. The Researcher

The researcher is a fourth-year BA Journalism student who has written and edited

comics for four issues of Gospel Komiks Magazine (GKM) under Communications

Foundation for Asia (CFA) from late 2014 until early 2015.

As an avid comic and cartoon fan, the researcher is an avid reader of the medium,

who especially finds the one-shot and (for the most part) controversial and incendiary

nature of editorial cartoons.

38

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Profile of Respondents

The research involved a sample comprised of a total of 95 students from the

University of the Philippines Diliman. The respondents were chosen via stratified

convenience sampling method as indicated in the methodology. Representative

respondents taken from each college with undergraduate programs with first-year

students, for a comprehensive representation of the university.

Table 2. Colleges of UP Diliman included in the study

Asian Institute of Tourism

College of Architecture

College of Arts and Letters

College of Business Administration

College of Education

College of Engineering

College of Fine Arts

College of Home Economics

College of Human Kinetics

College of Law

College of Mass Communication

College of Music

College of Science

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

College of Social Work and Community Development

National College of Public Administration and Good Governance

School of Economics

School of Library and Information Studies

School of Statistics

1. By Age

More than half (52.63%) of the 95 respondents are 17 years old, followed by 18

year olds with 22 respondents (23.16%). Older students - 19, 20, 21 and 23 year-olds -

comprise the rest (16.84%), except for 16 year olds with 7 respondents (7.37%).

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Table 3. Distribution of respondents by age

Age

Number of

Respondents

(N = 95)

Percentage

16 7 7.37

17 50 52.63

18 22 23.16

19 8 8.42

20 2 2.10

21 2 2.10

22 0 0.00

23 2 2.10

2. By Sex

Majority or 57 of the respondents (60%) are male, while the female respondents

comprise 40%, or 38.

Table 4. Distribution of respondents by sex

Sex

Number of

Respondents

(N = 95)

Percentage

Male 57 60.00%

Female 38 40.00%

B. Readers Exposure to the Collegian and Its Editorial Cartoons

The respondents have read an average of 3.08 issues of the Collegian before they

answered the survey, which was supported by the median (three issues). The mode

reveals a lower score, inasmuch as a lot of the respondents have read just one issue.

In fact, during the survey, the researcher encountered complications, especially in

finding qualified and willing respondents. Aside from the difficulty of finding

participants from colleges whose first-year students do not have regular block classes,

most of the students that the researcher managed to find havent read the Collegian.

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All these imply a low readership of the Collegian, which extends to the low

number of occurrences that the readers of the Collegian take the time to read the editorial

cartoon while they read the publication itself, with a mean of 2.61, a median of 2, and a

mode of 1. This implies low, or at least inconsistent, interest in the editorial cartoons.

The frequency table supports this. It reveals that 23 respondents have read one

issue, while 19 have read two, 18 have read three, 15 have read four, and 8 have read 5.

Only 3 have read six, eight or at most ten issues, while only 1 has read 7 so far.

Out of the times they have read the Collegian, respondents took the time to read

the editorial cartoons an average of 2.61 times.

The discrepancy between the measures of central tendency is clarified by the

frequencies, which reveal that 34 respondents have taken the time to read the cartoons

once, with 24 doing so twice, and 14 doing so thrice.

Table 5. Exposure to the Collegian (Measures of central tendency)

Measures

of Central

Tendency

Number of

Collegian Issues

Read So Far

Times Respondents Took the Time

to Read the Editorial Cartoons

(Out of Issues Read So Far)

Standard

Deviation

Mean 3.08 2.61 0.32

Median 3 2 0.47

Mode 1 1 0.47

Table 6. Exposure to the Collegian (Frequencies)

f

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Number of Collegian Issues

Read So Far 3 0 3 1 3 8 15 18 19 23

Times Respondents

Took the Time to Read

the Editorial Cartoons

(Out of Issues Read So Far)

3 0 2 1 2 6 7 14 24 34

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By the time the survey was conducted, the Collegian has published 8 issues.

However, 3 of the respondents indicated that they have read 10 issues. These outlier

respondents were included nonetheless since the number of Collegian issues that the

respondents read was not meant to be an exact measure.

During the survey, almost all of the respondents said that they cannot remember

the exact number of issues that they have read so far, partly due to the irregular

publication of the Collegian. Instead, they were asked to merely give an estimate of the

frequency of their readership of the Collegian, as well as their corresponding attention to

the editorial cartoons.

The low readership of the Collegian and of its editorial cartoons may be due to the

changing culture of the university, according to Capistrano (2015). Even though the

students remain critical in their thinking, students are becoming less interested in some of

the issues that the Collegian tackles.

However, in spite of the low readership, the respondents perception of the

effectiveness of the cartoons is fairly positive. The succeeding sections elaborate on this

in more detail.

C. Readers Perception of the Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons of the Collegian

The perception of the respondents on the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of

the Philippine Collegian was measured by Likert scale questions. Respondents were

asked to rate their agreement or disagreement with statements about the editorial cartoons

of the Collegian.

Moreover, to simplify the computation, all the questions in the survey were

written as positive statements. This means that a high score leaning towards 4

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(agreement) or 5 (strong agreement) means that the respondents perceive the particular

aspect of the editorial cartoon as effective, and a low score leaning towards 2

(disagreement) or 1 (strong agreement) means the opposite.

1. Readers Perception of the Overall Effectiveness of the Editorial Cartoons of the

Collegian

Equal weight is assumed on all the survey questions. Under this assumption, the

total rating of the respondents from each of the questions in the survey is interpreted as

their perception of the overall effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian.

The respondents rated the cartoons overall effectiveness with an average of 3.56,

halfway between neither agreement nor disagreement (3) and agreement (4), but slightly

leaning towards the latter.

Table 7. Readers perception of the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the

Collegian (Overall)

Measure of central

tendency Average

Standard

Deviation

Mean 3.56 0.32

Median 3.70 0.47

Mode 3.70 0.47

For the most part, perception of the editorial cartoons of the Collegian is fairly

positive, which is also supported by the corresponding frequencies, as shown in the

following chart.

The respondents agreed with the editorial cartoons effectiveness with an average

frequency of 40.00, compared to neither agreement nor disagreement with a score of

26.65 and strong agreement with 12.61.

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Chart 1. Readers perception of the effectiveness of the editorial cartoons of the

Collegian (Overall)

The following sections reveal the minutiae of the respondents perception of the

effectiveness of the cartoons, according to each function.

2. Readers Perception of the Entertainment Function of the Editorial Cartoons of the

Collegian

The enquiries in the questionnaires are divided into four parts, each for De Sousa

and Medhursts (1982) four functions of editorial cartoons. The first six questions dealt

with the cartoons entertainment function.

The respondents rated the entertainment function of the editorial cartoons of the

Collegian an average of 3.56, halfway between neither agreement nor disagreement (3)

and agreement (4), but slightly leaning towards the latter. This is supported by the median

and mode, which are both 3.70.

Table 8. Readers perception of the entertainment function of the editorial

cartoons of the Collegian (Measures of central tendency)

Measure of central

tendency Average

Standard

Deviation

Mean 3.76 0.18

Median 4.00 0.00

Mode 4.00 0.00

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The frequencies strongly support this, with respondents more frequently agreeing

with the entertainment function of Collegian editorial cartoons with an average frequency

of 46.17. Meanwhile, respondents neither agreed nor disagreed with an average

frequency of 23.33, and strongly agreed with an average frequency of 15.67.

Table 9. Readers perception of the entertainment function of the editorial cartoons

of the Collegian (Frequencies)

f Average

5 (Strong Agreement) 15.67

4 (Agreement) 46.17

3 (Neither Agreement Nor Disagreement) 23.33

2 (Disagreement) 4.17

1 (Strong Disagreement) 0.83

The appearance of the publications template depends on the general assembly of

the editorial board. It just happens that recently, for the past year, the publication became

more graphics heavy, looking more like a magazine because that is the format that people

like more, Calinawan (2015) says. The Collegian began adopting a tabloid-size format

in 2006, which slowly became more graphics-heavy.

The greater emphasis on graphics also has an economical reason. The cheap

printing package includes color, so we took advantage of that and went heavier on the

graphics. Budget-wise, its good, Calinawan says.

Considering the graphics-heavy format of the publication, it was surprising that

respondents still found the editorial cartoons interesting. The greater amount of images

and illustrations in the publication aside from the editorial cartoon pose the possibility of

readers taking the editorial cartoon for granted, but it appears that this is not the case with

the readers of the Collegian.

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In fact, the enquiry got the highest average score of 4.02, with 42 respondents in

agreement and 29 in strong agreement.

The greater number of graphics in the publication means that the editorial

cartoon should even be more simplified. However Calinawan concedes that this makes it

harder to construct cartoons, since we want to say too much.

Regarding the construction of the editorial cartoons, Calinawan also says that they

follow the three-second rule, wherein the cartoon must be able to convey its message at

a moments glance. This insistence on simplicity means that the cartoons must contain

three or less captions.

According to the respondents, they consider the editorial cartoons to contain just

enough information, with an average score of 3.67, neither agreement nor disagreement

but strongly leaning towards agreement. However, while 46 respondents were in

agreement, only 14 were in strong agreement, compared to 24 neither in agreement nor

disagreement, implying a stronger lean to the former.

Regarding the art, Calinawan says that the illustrations must not be too flat and

must have dimension with different directions of action. As graphics editor,

Calinawan insists on keeping the cartoons art style balanced, keeping it varied with a

team of digital and traditional artists to achieve a different feel in each issue.

The respondents rated the art of the cartoons with an average score of 3.91, which

heavily leans towards agreement, as supported by the frequencies with 48 in agreement,

21 respondents in strong agreement and 18 neither in agreement nor disagreement.

Finally, Calinawan says that the symbolism in the cartoons should be simplified,

inasmuch as (the illustrator) wont be the only one who will understand the metaphors,

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with metaphors that are easily understandable, coherent, and not forced. Moreover, as

much as possible, the Collegian avoids repeating metaphors in its cartoons.

The respondents rated the symbolism of the cartoons with average score of 3.68,

which slightly leans towards agreement, as supported by the frequencies with 21

respondents in strong agreement and 18 in agreement.

Table 10. Readers perception of the entertainment function of the editorial

cartoons of the Collegian (Per question)

STAGE ONE: Entertainment

(CI Maxim of Quantity)

Measure of central

tendency f

Mean Median Mode 5 4 3 2 1

The art of the Collegians editorial cartoons is eye-

catching and appealing.

3.91 4 4 21 48 18 3 1

The humor in the Collegians editorial cartoons is

entertaining.

3.54 4 4 7 41 37 4 1

The text in the Collegians editorial cartoons is easily

legible and can be easily

understood.

3.74 4 4 14 46 25 5 0

The symbols in the

Collegians editorial cartoons are accessible.

3.68 4 4 9 54 20 6 1

In spite of the graphics-heavy

format of the Collegian, I still

find the editorial cartoons

interesting.

4.02 4 4 29 42 16 2 1

The Collegians editorial cartoons present enough

information (not too little, not

too much).

3.67 4 4 14 46 24 5 1

3. Readers Perception of the Aggression-Reduction Function of the Editorial Cartoons

of the Collegian

The next six questions dealt with the cartoons aggression-reduction function.

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The respondents rated the aggression-reduction function of the editorial cartoons

of the Collegian an average of 3.76, halfway between neither agreement nor disagreement

(3) and agreement (4), but significantly leaning towards the latter.

Table 11. Readers perception of the aggression-reductio