Telling a story to change

What does it mean to use media as a tool for change?

I guess I found my answer as I was sitting in a theatre filled with 1,200 fellow Cebuanos who were eager to view the screening of award winning documentaries by GMA 7’s I-Witness.

On the big screen were the most challenging, daring, and heart-breaking documentaries hosted by the top caliber broadcast journalists in the country. As I sat in my seat, I couldn’t help but also be in awe.

Imagine submerging yourself in a lake full of mud. Or staying in a room filled with people who got burned while they scream in agony. What about walking barefoot going up the mountain? These are just some of the challenges the broadcast journalists had to undergo. And they are no extra challenges. These are experiences happening in the everyday. No doubt it moved me and the whole crowd, as well.

But more than just the crying, laughing, screaming and shouting, what really is a documentary?

According to my professor who does specialized teaching on documentary making, it came from the French word documentaire which means travelogue. Furthermore, he said that docus (short for documentaries) explore the human behavior and the human condition as they get affected by issues, challenges and disasters.

As complicated as it may sound, docus are there to show the real world to the people. They are not just for show, neither for entertainment purposes. They do not also fall into a hard news.

Documentaries can be as big as an international cable network production, or as small as a student project. No matter how big or small, docus always have the common goal of using media to reach out to people. Its effect goes beyond the human heart but urges one to be motivated in action.

For students who are still under supervision, there isn’t much action even if the heart calls for it as far as money is concerned. However, the sense of urgency and willingness to help could not be paid for. These traits change lives by looking at the other side of coin, that there is much to work on to make this nation a better place.

If this ignites hope in every Filipino youth, imagine a battalion of young people who are willing to use their lives for the betterment of this country. But then again, this is a dream that has a long way to go. It is sad that there are already existing youths who want to help lift our country but the government shuns them away.

These are not just our athletes for this year’s Olympics, but those who have mind blowing ideas and innovations in all areas possible. Names have already been mentioned internationally but it stops there. No more support, and the quest for knowledge ends.

Needless to say, if there is no point in waiting too long for a false hope, then it is better to move on our own. Thank God for concerned citizens who are reached by this form of medium. It bridges the gap between those in need and those who want to help. I guess that is the main goal of such media in this society where delay is always an option.

Documentaries exist because there is a need for them. Not just for brand name, awards and glamour, but they reach out to those who are unheard of in a primetime night. Those who are not seen by the mainstream eyes are given the chance to show themselves.

Now that it is all clear to me, I guess it is time for my camera to do wonders. If they can, why can’t a student like me do it? When I get home I’ll write a story worth telling to a million people and more. And one day, that story will be worth telling to a million more.

**Published in The Freeman newspaper on July 10, 2012