Article Sidebar

Submitted
March 17, 2024
Accepted
April 28, 2026
Published
April 30, 2026
Download
Statistic
Read Counter : 23

Main Article Content

Abstract

Campus journalism serves as an essential platform for the student body, amplifying their concerns, aspirations, and perspectives. This qualitative study explored the practices and achievements of campus journalists, recognizing their role as pivotal conduits for student expression and coverage of campus issues. Through semi-structured interviews with six campus journalists at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in the Philippines, including the student publication, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and the College of Teacher Education (CTE), participants were selected using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews from July to September 2023 and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The study uncovered two overarching themes. The first research objective revealed three sub-themes: multi-sourcing, exploration, and engagement, which together form the grand theme of the Adaptiveness of Campus Journalists. These findings reflect the dynamic nature of campus journalists, emphasizing that they are active contributors to their campus. The second research objective uncovers three sub-themes: winning competitions, agenda-setting, and personal satisfaction, leading to the grand theme of Campus Journalism as Empowerment. These themes highlight the achievements of campus journalists in competitive areas, their impact, and the personal fulfillment of their practices. The findings of this study underscore the adaptive and empowering nature of campus journalism, reflecting its significant impact on both the journalists and the publications they serve.

Keywords

Campus Journalist Campus Journalism Practices Achievements Thematic Analysis

Article Details

License

Copyright (c) 2026 ANGEL CHRISTIN PED, BRYAN R. REALGO

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Author Biographies

Angel Christin E. Ped, Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines

Department of Communication College of Arts and Sciences Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines

Bryan R. Realgo, Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines

Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines

How to Cite
Ped, A. C. E. ., & Realgo, B. R. (2026). Adaptiveness and Empowerment of Campus Journalists. Jurnal Komunikasi, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.20885/komunikasi.vol20.iss1.art8
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
BibTeX
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

References

  1. Advincula, A., & Adtoon, J. P. (n.d.). Narratives of campus publication advisers: Challenges,
  2. adaptations and student engagement post-pandemic. https://www.feu.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4_Narratives-of-Campus-Publication-Advisers.pdf
  3. Alaqabawy, N. (2025). Navigating journalistic values in student-run media’s organizational
  4. culture. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 0 (0). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10776958251381558
  5. Barclay, C. (2018). Semi-structured interviews.
  6. https://know.fife.scot/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/177607/KnowHow-Semistructured-interviews.pdf
  7. Bernard, H. R. (2011). Research methods in anthropology (5th ed.). AltaMira Press.
  8. Bilinovich, B. (n.d.). The importance of student journalism. https://observer.case.edu/the
  9. importance-of-student-journalism/
  10. BLEPT. (2015). The birth of high school papers (campus papers) in the Philippines.
  11. https://blept.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-birth-of-high-school-papers-campus.html
  12. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis.
  13. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269930410_Thematic_analysis
  14. Broaddus, M. B. (2012). Students’ writing self-efficacy, motivation, and experience: Predictors in
  15. journalism education.
  16. https://headtopics.com/ph/briones-underscores-importance-of-campus-journalism-in-2021-nspc-21317540
  17. Camposano, C. (2021). Keeping our campuses free: Democracy, campus journalism, and social
  18. media. https://www.upv.edu.ph/index.php/news/keeping-our-campuses-free-democracy-campus-journalism-and-social-media
  19. Carbonilla, H. E. (2021). Zooming into the lens of campus journalists in the Philippines.
  20. https://www.changemag-diinsider.com/blog/zooming-into-the-lens-of-campus-journalists-in-the-philippines
  21. Carter, D. (2020). How journalism has changed over the years.
  22. https://community.thriveglobal.com/how-journalism-has-changed-over-the-years/
  23. Chan, T., Garcia, D., & Guiao, M. A. (2019). When campus press fights back.
  24. https://theguidon.com/1112/main/2019/06/when-campus-press-fights-back/
  25. Chang’orok, J. (2017). Social cultural traditions by Edward Sapir and its implication.
  26. Cooper, G., Lopez, M. G., Macfarlane, A., Makri, S., Missaoui, S., & Porlezza, C. (2022). Making
  27. newsworthy news: The integral role of creativity and verification in the human information behavior that drives news story creation. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359349112
  28. Corcuera, J. (2020). The struggles of the campus press continue.
  29. https://www.dailyguardian.com.ph/the-struggles-of-the-campus-press-continue/
  30. Craig, R. T. (1999). Communication theory as a field.
  31. http://www.stesapes.med.ulg.ac.be/Documents_electroniques/MET/MET-COM/ELE%20MET-COM%20A-8191.pdf
  32. Curtis, A. (2011). Journalists’ information gathering tools.
  33. https://wp.lps.org/akabour/files/2013/12/How-journalists-gather-information-for-their-stories.pdf
  34. Dela Rosa, J. H., Lucero, J. N., & Vargas, D. (2021). Campus journalism: Varying cultures and
  35. their effects on secondary campus journalists. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3794713
  36. Dewi, S. (2025). Student journalism as advocacy for gender-based violence survivors: The case of
  37. Indonesia. Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, 31(3), 337–351.
  38. https://doi.org/10.1080/12259276.2025.2541571
  39. Dhariwal, N. (2016). The passion to compete: Has winning become the primary goal of any
  40. learning activity? https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/winning-as-primary-goal-332800-2016-08-02
  41. Driz, P., & Aguisando, M. (2025). From schools to societies: A multiple case study on campus
  42. journalism practices in state universities and colleges in Southern Philippines. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=32490
  43. Ferrucci, P. (2015). The Facebook experience: A phenomenology of Facebook use.
  44. https://www.ojcmt.net/download/the-facebook-experience-a-phenomenology-of-facebook-use.pdf
  45. Fonseca, K. (2018). What is campus journalism & why do students need it.
  46. https://youthincmag.com/what-is-campus-journalism-why-do-students-need-it
  47. Gavilan, J. (2018). Why campus journalists should go beyond classrooms.
  48. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/194941-campus-journalism-role-philippines/
  49. George, T. (2022). Semi-structured interview | Definition, guide & examples.
  50. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/semi-structured-interview/
  51. Goddard, W., & Melville, S. (2004). Research methodology: An introduction (2nd ed.). Blackwell
  52. Publishing.
  53. Goxmel. (2019). Empowering communities through campus journalism.
  54. https://oe012dspc19.blogspot.com/2019/10/empowering-communities-through- campus.html
  55. Haider, A. (2023). Explained: Agenda setting theory and its relevance today.
  56. https://www.indiatimes.com/explainers/news/explained-agenda-setting-theory-and-its-relevance-today-608500.html
  57. Kallos, A. (2023). What you need to know about member checking.
  58. https://www.evalacademy.com/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-member-checking
  59. Kiger, M. E., & Varpio, L. (2020). Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE guide no. 131.
  60. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2020.1755030
  61. Kramp, L., & Loosen, W. (2017). The transformation of journalism: From changing newsroom
  62. cultures to a new communicative orientation?
  63. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-65584-0_9
  64. Lwangasi, M. M. (2008). Relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction: A survey of
  65. employees in the non-governmental sector in Kenya. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/22943
  66. Lyons, M. (2022). What are the top benefits of becoming a journalist?
  67. https://www.grantford.org/post/what-are-the-top-benefits-of-becoming-a-journalist
  68. Pathak, V., Jena, B., & Kalra, S. (2013). Qualitative research. Perspectives in Clinical Research,
  69. (3), 192. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.115389
  70. Punzalan, J. P. (2020). Campus journalists, now is the time to speak up.
  71. https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/260235-campus-journalists-now-time-speak-up/
  72. Quilinguing, K. G. (2021). Democracy and disinformation: The role of campuses, campus
  73. journalism, citizen journalism and fact-checking in the struggle for democracy.
  74. https://up.edu.ph/democracy-and-disinformation
  75. Ramos, A., & Suizo, C. (2025). Challenges, adaptability, and resilience of campus journalists
  76. amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/jtel/article/view/2308
  77. Sargeant, J. (2012). Qualitative research part II: Participants, analysis, and quality assurance.
  78. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 4(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-11-00307.1
  79. Sariego, V. (2022). Student empowerment: Campus journalism.
  80. https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/sunstar-pampanga/20221115/281711208635143
  81. Shao, C. (2020). The surveillance experience of Chinese university students and the value of
  82. privacy in the surveillance society.
  83. Sirmata Editorial Board. (2023). Sirmata editorial policy.
  84. Šimunjak, M. (2023). The joy of journalism. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-
  85. -38631-2_9
  86. Tasmim, S., & Atikuzzaman, M. (2026). Information seeking behavior of campus journalists in a
  87. developing country: An empirical study. Information Development, 42(1), 355–371.
  88. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02666669231219794
  89. Tomacruz, S. (2018). Does the campus journalism act protect press freedom?
  90. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/194899-campus-journalism-act-philippines-press-freedom/
  91. Tran, M. (2023). Looking forward, looking back: Independent student journalism is more
  92. crucial now than ever. https://thedailytexan.com/2023/04/20
  93. Valenzuela, D., & Shrivastava, P. (n.d.). Interview as a method for qualitative research.
  94. https://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/Interview%20Fri.pdf
  95. Valenzuela, S. (2019). Agenda setting and journalism. https://oxfordre.com/communication
  96. Valenzuela, S., & McCombs, M. (2019). The agenda-setting role of the news media.
  97. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332287520