29th McLuhan Forum stresses community as journalisms strongest anchor
Pia Ranada waits for her turn to speak at the audience seat.
Ranada delivered a talk titled “Can Building Community around Journalism Help It Survive?”, where she encouraged participants to reflect on how their news consumption habits have changed and how journalism has adapted in content and delivery.
She underscored the enduring value of the profession, saying, “Journalism will survive because it’s what humanity needs. Journalism is a deeply human craft that has the power to supply meaningful and enriching information, and forge connections.”
To put this into context, Ranada shared Rappler’s experience with community-based reporting through its online platform FloodControlPH, now known as CorruptionWatch. The platform allows citizens to submit photos and reports on ghost projects and other suspicious activities in their communities. Rappler then follows up on these tips and conducts investigations, to involve communities directly in the reporting process.
Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, assistant to the President for Institutional Affairs, gives her welcome remarks.
The forum opened with welcome remarks from Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, assistant to the President for Institutional Affairs, speaking on behalf of Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research (VPAAR) Dr. Lily Ann D. Bautista. Villordon highlighted CMC’s 60 years of service and the university’s mission of truth and community engagement.
“Mass Com Week has always been more than a celebration. It is a space where learning extends beyond classrooms, where theory meets lived realities,” Villordon said.
Emphasizing the forum’s theme, she noted that “journalism rooted in community reflects Silliman University’s vision—journalism that listens, that serves, and that remains accountable to the people it seeks to inform.”
Carlo Figueroa, Lead for Public Affairs and Senior Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service Officer of the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, delivers his opening remarks.
Carlo Figueroa, Lead for Public Affairs and Senior Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service Officer of the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, acknowledged the difficult realities facing journalists today, including low pay, shrinking newsrooms, online harassment, disinformation, and the impact of artificial intelligence.
“If you’re feeling uncertain, discouraged, or even scared about the future of journalism, you are not imagining things,” he told students.
Despite these challenges, he stressed journalism’s vital role in democracy, saying, “In a democracy, media is not just a career path. It is part of the public infrastructure of truth.”
Figueroa also reaffirmed Canada’s long-standing support for press freedom through the McLuhan Fellowship, noting that defending responsible, ethical media is a shared responsibility among journalists, institutions, governments, educators, and citizens.
(L-R) Panel reactors Atty. M. Mikhail Lee L. Maxino, Alex Rey V. Pal, Daniel Micahel Mayoga, and Cecilia Hofmann wait for their turn to speak.
The event also featured a panel of reactors, including Cecilia Hofmann, community advocate; Daniel Micahel Mayoga, CMC junior student; Alex Rey V. Pal, Dumaguete MetroPost publisher and Bachelor of Mass Communication (BMC) ‘83 alumnus; and Atty. M. Mikhail Lee L. Maxino, Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center director. Michael Joseph Ramo, BMC ‘99 alumnus moderated the talk.
The forum was held as part of Mass Communication Week 2026 and attended by students and faculty from Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), Foundation University, Dumaguete City High School, Holy Cross High School, Foundation Preparatory Academy, SU Senior High School, NORSU Law students, Salonga Center students, and School of Public Affairs and Governance.
(L-R) Michael Joseph Ramo; Cecilia Hoffman; Asst. Prof. Irma Faith B. Pal, CMC dean; Embassy of Canada to the Philippines’ Carlo Figueroa; Rappler’s Pia Ranada; Alex Rey V. Pal; Daniel Micahel Mayoga; and Atty. M. Mikhail Lee L. Maxino pose with the participants at the forum.
Representatives from campus publications such as Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria’s Chimes, Foundation Time, The NORSUnian, The Paulinian, and the Weekly Sillimanian were also present at the event.
