A campus journalist from the University of the East (UE) in the Philippines was allegedly forced to issue a public apology yesterday after he wrote a Facebook post criticising the government’s efforts in handling the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Joshua Molo, editor-in-chief of Dawn, drew the ire of three of his former teachers from Cabiao National High School in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.

The post in question has since been taken down, but Molo said he raised the “inaction” of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

READ MORE: Man shot dead in Philippines for flouting coronavirus lockdown rules

His teachers engaged in a discussion with Molo, commenting on his post. They expressed support for President Duterte.

Molo posted a screenshot of their comments on his Instagram stories, where he expressed his disapproval and dismay.

According to human rights group Karapatan, this reportedly prompted the teachers to file a complaint against their former student at the barangay [local community] level, for allegedly posting libelous remarks online.

At around 12 pm on Sunday, Molo was summoned by officials of Barangay San Fernando Sur in Cabiao for mediation following the filing of the complaint.

Mediation meeting
During the mediation meeting, according to Molo, one of the teachers threatened to pursue the cyber libel case against him unless he would issue a public apology.

Molo also told Karapatan that he was given an option to voluntarily sign a waiver that he would not post sentiments critical of the government again. He was supposedly told to issue a public apology as well, or face arrest and detention.

Knowing he would not be able to afford a legal battle, Molo opted to apologise in public and waive his right to free speech.

At 1.50 pm on Sunday, Molo posted a video to apologise for “misusing” his social media accounts. He addressed his apology to the teachers, as well as the advisers and members of Kabyawan, the student publication of Cabiao National High School.

In the video, Molo can be seen reading a message from his phone.

“Bilang estudyante at mamamayan, naniniwala ako na ang pag-unlad ay matatamo sa maraming paraan. Maaaring ang paniniwala ng isa ay naiiba ngunit ‘di ibig sabihin nito ay mali. Inaamin ko po na ako ay nagkamali, at hindi na muling mauulit ang pangyayari,” he said in the video.

(As a student and citizen, I believe that development can be achieved in many ways. It’s possible that one’s belief can be different, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I admit that I made a mistake, and it won’t happen again.)

Rights, student groups denounce incident
However, the video was later deleted early Sunday evening.

“Before removing the video, the campus journalist posted a comment saying a former teacher had asked him to take it down,” said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

According to Karapatan, Molo said barangay officials told him he would be arrested by police if he continued posting views that were unfavourable to the Duterte administration.

Several student organisations and human rights groups have denounced the incident, with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) calling it a “blatant suppression [of] people’s democratic rights.”

The National Union of Students of the Philippines-Metro Manila, meanwhile, said Molo’s case is an offence to “everyone’s constitutional right to criticise the systems being run in this country.”

New Zealand’s Otago University will not respond to questions from Critic, the student magazine on campus, during the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown.

The decision comes after Critic published a scathing editorial about the university’s response to the virus.

In a statement, the university said it was not given a right of reply and it had struggled to get the magazine’s help to raise student awareness about Covid-19.

READ MORE: Al Jazeera coronavirus live updates – Turkey tightens restrictions to fight Covid-19

• French Polynesian cases reach 39

“University staff have had repeated demoralising experiences with Critic in recent months. This has included inaccuracies, unfair, shallow, unbalanced and mean-spirited reporting, sometimes including naming and shaming,” the university said.

“The editorial last week, titled ‘University f**** up covid response’, is a prime example of untruthful, unfair, inaccurate and mean-spirited reporting.”

The university said its communications staff were now completely dedicated to the Covid-19 response, which included helping the district health board and any other community groups.

It said it would continue to engage with media outlets “who will report with accuracy and fairness”.

‘Essential information’
“For now, the provision of this essential information, particularly related to welfare, will be our sole purpose.”

Critic editor Sinead Gill said she had tried to contact the university to discuss the decision, but haD had no response.

She said Critic was editorially independent from the university, and it had been working with the students’ association about information for students about Covid-19.

Gill maintained that because the article the university took umbridge at what was an opinion piece, a right of reply was not necessary.

“Critic’s whole purpose is to make sure students’ voices are heard,” she said.

But Gill acknowledged that it was an unprecedented situation for the university to be in and she did not want to judge their actions too harshly.

Critic has moved to publishing entirely online, rather than putting out a weekly magazine.

Gill said it would be difficult to ensure their reporting was accurate and balanced, if they could not get responses from the university.

The university said it would review its decision regarding Critic once the pandemic response had eased.

It was also withdrawing advertising from the magazine and redirecting that money to student welfare.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

• If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP – don’t show up at a medical centre.

During New Zealand’s national Covid-19 lockdown, educational institutions have been changing the way they function or have shut down during this period.

Auckland University (UOA) has moved its courses online as has neighbouring Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Many people are also working from home.

There has been a fair amount of discussion at the moment as to what constitutes  “essential workers”, particularly in the media.

LISTEN: Monday’s Southern Cross programme on 95bFM

95bFM radio station at UOA is still continuing, along with its Pacific Media Centre’s weekly Southern Cross programme as an essential service.

However, how is this affecting community newspapers? And other printed publications, specifically non-daily prints? Magazines?

“All community newspapers have been shut by decree of the government, but there have calls to reopen them because they serve an important function to keep the elderly informed,” said PMC’s Pacific Media Watch contributing editor Sri Krishnamurthi on the programme on Monday.

“As well as other print publications and magazines keep people informed and give people something to read and do in these times of lockdown.

“They play a vital role in keeping the community informed because in these times they might not be able to get The New Zealand Herald or the Dominion Post

“They can go online if they don’t print or use Facebook.”

Ironically, only a day later Prime Minister Jacinda Adern recanted and deemed them essential services for rural areas and far away communities, and also for communities where English is a second language.

However, that decision might have come too late for the Kaitaia-based three-day-a-week publication, The Northland Age which also announced yesterday it was to stop publication after publishing for 116 years.

• 95bFM’s presenter Sherry Zhang (University of Auckland) and producer James Tapp (AUT)

Students enrolled in journalism programmes around Australia are working on the first national
student election broadcast for the 2019 election, underpinned by a generous contribution
from the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.

Academics from more than 20 universities – many of them also seasoned journalists – are
guiding students in their coverage of the national election with stories on targeted
electorates being published on The Junction.

Student reporters are also preparing for a live television program, Election 2019, broadcast
on Melbourne-based community TV station Channel 31 from 6 pm (AEST) on May 18.

READ MORE: About The Junction student journalism mission

Auckland University of Technology’s Pacific Media Centre is also a partner in The Junction, with students providing coverage of the recent general elections in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, and the independence referendum in New Caledonia.

The Australian Election 2019 TV programme will be relayed to Adelaide and Perth, as well as CBAA’s network of radio stations.

Their stories and pre-election training materials are also being livestreamed via The
Junction’s Facebook page.

The Junction is a project of the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA).

Website coverage
The Junction editor, Associate Professor Andrew Dodd of the University of Melbourne, is overseeing the website coverage, while the television coverage is being led by Phil Kafcaloudes of RMIT.

“The Junction allows university journalism schools in Australia and the Pacific to work together on all sorts of reporting projects,” Dr Dodd said.

“Our 2019 election coverage demonstrates how we collaborate to bring new perspectives to
important topics for the benefit of student reporters and public audiences.”

President Dr Alex Wake said the project showed the collegiality of Australian journalism
academics.

“JERAA’s number one aim is to raise the standard of teaching in journalism in Australia, and
what better way to teach students than by producing important stories in a live-to-air
format for television and online.”

The programme will be hosted by two students, Rachel Merritt from RMIT University and Ari
Balle-Bowness from Griffith University, alongside experienced television guest
commentators Paul Strangio and Mary Delahunty.

Experienced TV guidance
The television producers and crew are also students, working under the guidance of experienced production staff in RMIT’s studios in Melbourne.

Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie praised The Junction initiative and said it was a welcome platform to showcase the work of the centre’s postgraduate students in the Asia-Pacific region and to support the PMC’s collaboration with the University of the South Pacific, especially on political reportage and climate change.

“It would be great to see some other New Zealand journalism schools also joining The Junction,” he said.

• The university partners in The Junction
• Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia
• Journalism Education Association of New Zealand