By Francheska Griño
During his visit at the 95.9 Green FM’s radio station on November 21, Jeff Caparas, an ABS-CBN News Journalist and former De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Communication and Journalism Department (CJD) student from Batch 2007 shared how his learnings in DLSU-D served as his armor in the real world.
As he reminisced, Caparas stated that upon graduating, he realized that his struggles in school transformed into learnings applicable to real life.
He described that professors are like strict bosses at work, classmates are like colleagues, some people are your friends, and some will not like you for no reason.
“So ‘yun, pagbalik ko rito ang daming memories pero after non, na-realize ko na worth it naman kasi lahat ng mga natutunan ko rito is naging sandata ko sa real world,” he added.
When asked about the significant learnings from DLSU-D that he got to apply in his work, Caparas answered the ability to manage time.
He talked about how his professor, Artin Umali, who still teaches in the DLSU-D CJD department, taught him the importance of always being on time.
“I learned it from him na ‘wag kang male-late kasi it will cost your project… Now, sa real world naman, ‘wag kang male-late din ng pagpasa ng script because it will cost your story, it will cost your opportunity na makapag-kuwento, [and] chances are baka hindi pa umere yan,” he explained.
Caparas also advised students who aspire to be journalists to trust the process and give it time if they truly want to be in the industry.
He stated that there may be a culture shock as people in the broadcasting industry consist of people from various generations, so they must see it as an opportunity to learn.
“Halimbawa, pinapagalitan kayo, take it positively in a way na ginagawa ‘yon for your own good and the good of the company, di naman siya yung tipong nagpo-power trip or whatsoever,” Caparas stated as he shared his experiences growing up in an era where they usually receive curse words at work.
As the industry evolves, he added that it is important to not quit easily, pick up the positive ones, and not dwell on the negative ones.
Caparas also emphasized the importance of always practicing open communication with your supervisor, colleagues, and most especially, your loved ones, for they are the ones you could run to when everything falls apart.
Prior to his visit, Caparas was an esteemed guest speaker for one of the COMPACT 2023 seminars entitled, “Eyes Wide Open: Balancing Danger and Duty in Humanitarian Reporting” where he talked about the importance of humanizing news stories during disasters.
Click the link below to see the journalist’s visit in the 95.9 Green FM’s radio station:
