EDITORS DESK
In 1992, during my first year in high school at Grace Christian, our English teacher issued a challenge to the class: write a “Letter to the Editor” to any newspaper, and if published, gain two additional points in the final grade. At that time, you had to print your letter on a short bond paper, send it via postal mail, and just wait — and wait.
I sent a letter addressed to Mr. Ben Rodriguez, editor in chief of the Manila Bulletin (MB) at that time. I anxiously waited, reading MB from page to page, column to column on a daily basis. Lo and behold, one fine day, my letter found its place exactly on this section — the Opinion page. I was the only one in our class of 50 to have achieved that “feat.” I have to admit that the additional grade was just gravy since the real reward for me was that I received a sign from Above. I had said that if my letter to Mr. Rodriguez was published, I will make writing a future career; and if God willing, I will work at MB.
After finishing an economics degree at De La Salle in 1999, while my classmates explored opportunities in the growing BPO sector, banks, multinational companies, and investment firms, I was the only one who applied to a newspaper and MB was my preference.
I vividly recall the late Kuya Dyoni, our beloved lobby guard who was unsmiling when I handed over my resumé. Days later, someone from the office of the late Gen. Proceso Almando called, informing me of an interview for a position in a new motor travel magazine called Cruising, under the editorship of Pinky Colmenares, currently MB’s executive editor. Despite the modest pay, my stubborn desire to work at MB prevailed.
I was caught off guard, but time flew by so fast, around 25 years, and I found myself at a crossroads. It’s indeed true that time flies when you love what you do. From Cruising magazine, I was able to cross to Travel, Motoring, Health, Home and Design, Property, and Environment sections. I also had a short stint as editor of Liwayway magazine. Over the two-and-a-half decades, I witnessed several changes in journalism — from the phaseout of floppy disks and fax machines to the rise of Facebook and blogs/vlogs — but nothing as consequential as what transpired in 2023.
The first “red flag” occurred mid-year. While teaching a part-time class for journalism students (as a way to discover new talents, some of whom are now in MB), I found myself laboring over their works, correcting their bad grammar, wrong tenses, weak leads, etc. Suddenly, in the middle of the term, all students “transformed” into professional writers overnight. When I was checking their midterm papers, I was surprised to read impeccable works with perfectly constructed sentences, valid arguments, and impressive conclusions.
But something felt wrong. I was reading one student’s piece and I found it baffling that he kept on using a particular word: “nexus.” I challenged him to define it. Despite using that word six times in his paper, he couldn’t even provide a decent definition. I said that I would give a perfect score — not to him, but to a new generative A.I. program called ChatGPT.
Of course, I was challenged by the students. One even dared me to use a plagiarism checker. She passed and the plagiarism checker said that she did an “original” piece. Upon closer inspection, I saw that she intentionally misspelled words, changed the order of sentences, etc. The proof that it was ChatGPT generated was the presence of the phrase, “In conclusion” and some peculiar words such as “realm,” “tapestry,” “unfurling,” etc. The way ChatGPT ends an article is also distinct, as I’ve seen its style several times.
By the term’s end, all I read were not the works of students but of robots.
On the bright side, I discovered (or “unfurled”) a different skill set of the young journalism students. I tasked them with creatively explaining the West Philippine Sea issue using TikTok, and I was quite impressed with their outputs. One was explaining the issue while simultaneously putting on her makeup, another student was reporting inside a jeepney (doing a mini talk show inside with the passengers as guests), one even had a dance step to accompany his report. Well, this is the new “form” of journalism and I feel this is the one that will thrive and evolve further.
This connects to another “red flag” — these journalism students never, even once, opened a newspaper. When I brought a newspaper to class, it felt like I “unfurled” a relic from a museum. They were curious at first, but I observed that the pages evoked no joy for them, as the written word had a lesser “grip” on their attention compared to short-form videos filled with images, effects, and sound.
That journalism class is like a “microcosm” of the overall landscape. These students, who will likely be the future reporters, editors, or columnists, will be conveying news differently than what we are used to. We can’t stop the use of A.I. tools as these have generally made life easier for most. ChatGPT is like a Pandora’s Box that can’t be closed again — students will use it no matter what the consequences, and find ways to circumvent discerning eyes.
The downside, however, is the vanishing virtue of hard work since, for example, A.I. can generate entire articles in seconds. A.I. can be used to generate news articles, but how about an opinion piece or a full feature story? Where is the insight of the writer? The passion? The nuances in the use of words? I’m having a hard time editing the articles of the young writers at MB as I can’t even discern their “voices.” What does the food taste like when it’s fresh from the pan? How is the weather after the rain? Did a person say it out loud or was it just a quip? Did the interviewee lower his eyes from shame or from contemplation? All these observations can only be done by a human — not by any A.I. model even with a trillion data points.
As I turn over a new leaf on the last day of 2023, I am nostalgic of the old days at MB when I was a young reporter, listening to the conversations (and sometimes bickering) of its esteemed editors — Ben Rodriguez, Jun Icban, Ding Marcelo, Ramon Francisco, Ethel Timbol, Cornelio de Guzman, Lorie Cabañes, Tony Antonio, and of course, Pinky Colmenares. As one of the youngest at MB that time, I was always in awe of their wisdom and insight. I wish the young ones now could have the opportunity to learn not only journalism, but also the importance of empathy, passion, and professionalism from these seasoned editors.
Well, after dreams coming true — all good things come to an end. Even after 25 years at MB, I continue to feel joy and a sense of fulfillment every time I see my byline, much like the euphoria I felt when I saw my name in the Opinion page way back in 1992. My byline published in MB’s page is always attached to an article that I toiled on — absolutely no cut-and-paste involved.
Moving forward, the form of journalism will dramatically change further, perhaps not within the pages of a newspaper but on a smartphone screen. I hope each “journalist” will be proud of a byline whether on print or stamped on a video — a proof that he or she has truly created that certain piece of content.
Let me leave you with this thought: I believe — and no one can convince me otherwise — that there is absolutely no dignity in attaching a byline to an A.I.-generated feature piece.
(Johannes L. Chua is the outgoing editor of the Property Living and Environment & Sustainability sections of The Manila Bulletin.)