Students join wikileaks forum

By Mark Kavin Salomon

Mass Communication students from different universities in Cebu gathered in a film showing and forum organized by Cebu Daily News at the Marcelo Fernan Press Center last September 20.

A documentary entitled We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks about Wikileaks, an organization which gathers classified information and spreads them in the internet through their website founded by Julian Assange was shown in the film showing.

The documentary directed by Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney made its debut in the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, USA last January.

The film screening of the documentary may be the first here in Cebu said publisher and acting editor-in-chief Eileen Mangubat.

After the film showing CDN social media coordinator and senior reporter Marian Codilla introduced the publication’s news website www.cebudailynews.ph.

Students were able to interact with Eileen Mangubat, associate editor Ben Cyrus Ellorin, columnist and UP-Cebu Mass Communication faculty member Jason Baguia in an open forum.

Questions were raised on journalism ethics and principles in relation to the expose of Wikileaks as a whistle blower to classified information.

According to Mangubat, it is in the journalist’s role to assess the information and to remember their purpose of being gate keepers in delivering their news stories.

Students considered the open forum a good experience for learning from the persons behind the papers.

“I really enjoyed that because it was my first time to meet those editors. And it was very insightful” said second year mass communication student Quennie Alboro.

The film showing was part of Cebu Press Freedom Week’s week-long celebration which started last September 15.

Students from Southwestern University, University of San Jose – Recoletos, University of the Philippines and University of the Visayas participated in the activity.