“WE’RE not print bloggers or digital vloggers. We’re not Facebook or mere social media tellers. We are mainstream media, the purveyor of truth in community journalism.”
With these words, veteran journalist Joey Pimentel Nacalaban has vividly reminded the newly-accepted regular members of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) on a rainy Thursday afternoon, September 12 of their utmost responsibility in joining the oldest organization in Mindanao for media practitioners.
Fellow COPC board member Nef Luczon also enlightened those 15 members present out of 23 applicants with the club’s Constitution and By-Laws and four major events that they should spare time to attend such as the Press Freedom Week in May, the General Assembly cum Elections in February, the club’s anniversary in November and the year-ending Christmas Party.
Founded in 1951, the time-tested COPC peopled by print media practitioners and later accepted broadcast members is considered the umbrella of various media outlets in Northern Mindanao.
The chairman of the screening committee, Nacalaban was also assisted by the incumbent Board of Director Amor Barlisan in briefing the neophytes on the latest amendments of the club’s Code of Ethics upon the approval of the club’s general assembly.
In this generation when many believe that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is the Son of God and the Dutertes are the hopes of the fatherland, Nacalaban averred that truth-telling in the face of mushrooming fake news is very crucial and extremely challenging for the newcomers of the legendary Cagayan de Oro Press Club.
“Our members come from respectable media outlets. We have the company system, the organizational structures, and the editor among the editors to refine the legit news we share with the community. We’re not supposed to be biased or if not, at least we’re biased for the truth,” Nacalaban firmly said.
