Students from the Bachelor of Arts in Communication (BAComm) program of Biliran Province State University (BiPSU) achieved top 10 placements at the Philippine Journalism Research Conference (PJRC) 2024. The event took place at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) in Quezon City on June 7.

Out of 227 entries from 41 higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country, three entries from BiPSU were shortlisted among the top 15 and ultimately finished in the top 10 in the Journalism Research (New Media, AI, and Other Emerging Trends) and News Documentary categories.

The participating BAComm students were Carl Ivan Anthony Napalit, John Cyril C. Labtic, Nichole Verutiao, Ana Grace Cabradilla, Nikelyn Pahayahay, Glenn Tan, and Justin Quidol. They were supported by three faculty members from BiPSU’s Department of Communication (DepComm) who also served as coaches, which included Dr. John Cavin M. Sabonsolin, Mr. Vincent Justine L. Realino, and Ms. Precious Mae T. Alcero.

In the Journalism Research category, Labtic and Napalit secured the 6th spot with their research titled “Analyzing News Framing Trends on Earthquake-related Articles in Leading Online Philippine Newspapers.” Verutiao and Cabradilla ranked 8th with their research titled “AI in the Newsroom: Investigating the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence among Local Media Practitioners.” In the News Documentary category, Tan and Pahayahay placed 7th with their documentary film “Daan.”

This year’s PJRC, themed "The Future of Philippine Journalism: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities," featured a panel discussion with renowned journalists Howie Severino of GMA Integrated News, Roby Alampay of One News, and Joyce Panares of Manila Standard, moderated by Kara David of GMA Integrated News.

Lectures were also delivered by UPD’s Department of Journalism professors. Prof. Rachel Khan introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism, while Assoc. Prof. Danny Arao discussed the ethical use of AI in journalism.

PJRC is an annual conference co-organized by UPD, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), and the University of Santo Tomas (UST), and sponsored by VERA Files, the Philippine Press Institute, and the Simbulan Family. It includes student competitions in academic research, news documentary filmmaking, investigative journalism, special projects, and photojournalism.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that BiPSU’s DepComm has received accolades at the PJRC.

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