Abstract
The study is specifically concerned with the beginning school paper advisers who engaged in campus journalism without significant knowledge in handling the role and the lack of experience and awareness of circumstances like school paper management and competitive journalism. Consequently, it aims to determine the best practices employed by the more experienced school paper advisers in the province – how they select their writers, conduct trainings, and manage in school paper production. This study utilized the qualitative method of research using phenomenology, and participants were selected via purposive sampling, which trimmed down to just seven participants. Findings revealed that experienced school paper advisers select their potential writers mainly through a systematic screening process, recommendations and cherry picking best students in the campus. Some advisers found it hard to select students due to conflicting responsibilities and inclinations. Moreover, writers are trained through a rigid process while other advisers opted to invite resource speakers for the students to gather relevant knowledge in campus journalism. However, most advisers complain about the lack of funds and equipment to sustain the program; as a result, they opt to expend own resources in compensating the needs from students’ meals and snacks to giving incentives and honoraria. In addition, some advisers experience stressful moments in paper production, especially that they had to regularly review writers’ outputs; others have to rely to other person with much experience in layouting, so they had to shell out money to accomplish it. Despite these challenges, advisers believe that everything will be worthwhile after seeing their product that comes from dedication and hard work. Therefore, advisers adapted strategies in fulfilling the program to sustain, and the mechanisms they applied to their student writers would also hinge on the school environment, community support, and personal qualities that contribute to the success in their program. As a recommendation, it all goes back to the implementation of RA 7079 or the Campus Journalism Act, particularly with regards to the allocation of funds for campus journalism, to somehow enhance the quality of school paper advisers through seminar-workshops, partnerships, cost-reduction strategies, and student-led initiatives.
