SANIB-SINAG 3  April 30, 1998
 3.5    
Newspapers, journalists Synergize
Through Network Publishing
(Part 1 of 3)
By Ed Aurelio C. Reyes
Saniblakas Founding President
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(Mr. Reyes recently joined in the preparation for a new broadsheet daily newspaper in Manila, scheduled to be launched come July. The name will either be Sun*Star Philippines or Sun*Star Manila, and it is projected to be different from all other broadsheet dailies in the national capital in that it will be a product of an existing network of about 20 or so community newspapers throughout the archipelago. As one of the new paper’s editors-designate, he was given the chance to develop the literature for the members of the Sun*Star to see clearly the context and challenges of the birth of Sun*Star Philippines in the context of the vision of the network’s chairman, former DOTC Sec. Jesus B. Garcia Jr. In a meeting, Mr. Reyes proposed to the chairman the use of the word "synergism" in describing this vision, and the latter agreed that this word is much better than the word "integration" that they had earlier been using. The following will be discussed by a forthcoming meeting in Cebu of editors of all Sun*Star publications nationwide.)

IN MANY regions of the country, (the name "Sun*Star") has become synonymous to excellence in community journalism. Indeed, we all have reason to feel this positive energy embracing us in fellowship as we each do our work in our respective areas of operation.

        But members of the Sun*Star Network of Publications (SSPN), along with the Sun*Star News Service (SNS), have reason to work more closely together in further refining and fully setting to operation the newspaper service that only we of the Sun*Star Family can give to the Philippine reading public and body politic.

Network for Synergy

        Synergism is the principle that underpins the growth of the Sun*Star network and builds the capability for the network’s distinct service to the Filipino nation and the individual member-newspapers’ distinct service to their respective local communities.

        From the starting point with our multi-awarded flagship newspaper in Cebu, the network is now about to plant its broadsheet-newspaper flag in the national capital region upon the basis of the combined strength of the Sun*Star News Service (SNS) and all the Sun*Star community newspapers throughout the country.

        This combined strength of all the Sun*Star newspapers is not a simple sum of our separate strengths, but a synergism based on optimized interplay and coordination.

        The individual newspapers have been there, and SNS has been there, and continuing efforts have been exerted to strengthen each one of them. But it has to take additional quality effort to maximize their interplay to unleash the full potential of the synergism principle for the network and for the public that the network serves.

Two Levels of the Process

        The synergizing process has to be achieved to increasing degrees simultaneously at two levels:

        One, at the level of every community served by a Sun*Star community newspaper, with the publication doing its best and ever increasing its capability to gather and project information and views from the broadest base of sources among the local constituency.

        Two, with these publications together synergizing the thoughts and sensibilities that they project, through channels provided by SNS and Sun*Star Manila in the bigger process of broad-based national consensus-building.

        The continued growth of SNS and birth of Sun*Star Manila give added impetus for us to hasten such directed growth.

Distinct Service to Nation-building

        No less than the nation itself stands to benefit from this development in a profound manner.

        With continued strengthening of synergy of the entire Sun*Star network and of all its "living cells" or component parts, there will soon be a more active multi-polar and multi-directional exchange of information and views. Therefore there will be a more active synergism of minds of the various information and opinion centers throughout the archipelago for a broader-based process of national consensus building, a broader-based process of strengthening the Filipino people’s collective sense of nationhood.

        On both counts, this represents a leap from the present-day narrowness, or "Manila-centeredness," of the national discourse.

        This is what gives the work of the Sun*Star network its broadest and most historical significance, which should become obvious to all within the coming years as we close the period of Philippine revolutionary centennials and enter the Third Milennium.

        True to its strong commitment to the full development of nationhood, of the national synergism that traces deep historical roots in the bayanihan spirit, the Sun*Star network encourages the broadest-based sourcing of information and opinions, insuring a balance of news coverage and healthy pluralism in the expression and exchange of opinions.

        Committed to none but the best interests of the nation as a whole, it can align its editorial work to the best standards of quality journalism – the basics of accuracy, truthfulness and excellence – while actively advocating the building of the people’s own collective power through the full; airing and propagation of diverse views and processing them for a healthy synergism of minds and national consensus-building.

        No other publication or group of publications can give this distinct service to the Philippine body politic. This is not to claim that we have a monopoly of excellent journalists; much less that we have a monopoly of lofty ideals and promises for the Filipino reading public.

        Our edge is in the very nature and history of the Sun*Star network as a wide "grassroots-heavy" reality. It is in our very system and structure. It is in our thorough application of the principle of synergism in such nature and history. No other print media entity can even start to claim having what we already have.

Strides in Information Technology

        Information is the power tool, weapon and wealth of the coming milennium, as made possible and highlighted by accelerating strides in information and communication technology. This fact has an external and an internal significance for the Sun*Star family. Externally, we have both the responsibility and capability to make information technology work best and to the fullest in relating the myriad and divergent local communities to the process of nation-building. Internally, we have to have full knowledge and active use of such technology to relate fastest and most closely with one another within the Sun*Star family, making whatever information one Sun*Star newspaper has immediately available to all others, and making available to all, as well, analytical collations, integrations, summaries and syntheses of such information.

        We already have this technology in our hands to a significant extent. The SNS, and the Sun*Star newspapers in Cebu, Manila and some other cities, already have the full complement of telefaxes, internet and satellite links. And this can continuously be spread and upgraded throughout our network.

        But the more decisive and bottom-line requirement is the positive human factor: our collective and individual will to set up, operationalize and continuously improve such system of quick transmission and availability of complete and reliable information. Technology is but a tool of human will and systems. I would like to believe that we already have the will, but we still obviously need to define and refine our systems of teamwork within the Sun*Star family.

  
 
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