It was a one week suspension, that was the announcement.
It was March 9, 2020. Former Metro Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno held a livestream where he announced that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, classes in all levels were suspended for one week.We were expected to return once the week ends. “See you next week,” we all said, unaware of what was to happen next.
One week passed, then two, then three. Suddenly, it was months, and there was no certainty on when we could return to our in-person classroom setup, and surely no certainty on when the world could recover from the outbreak. There was more to 2020 than recalling it as the year everyone had to distance themselves from the world due to the Coronavirus outbreak. It was a time when the Filipino peoples’ freedom of speech was put at stake with the passing of the Anti Terror Law. It was a time when essential workers were placed on the front lines to aid those who fell ill. It was a time when students had to struggle between issues in the real world and their grades for their classes. It was a time when so many events were happening, all while we were confined in our own homes, facing our screens as a portal to learning about the events that are happening around us. It was a time when the shift to digital media was a requirement, and The LaSallian–despite already having an existing online presence–needed to do some measures to make sure news reached the DLSU student body–whether it be pressing matters about the world, the country, or the school.
Yet, amidst the need to improve the digital reach of The LaSallian, one thing came to mind as the former Art & Graphics Editor, who always worked hand-in-hand with the former Layout Editor. Without the need of the creation of a physical paper, we ask: Is print truly dying?
“Is Print Dead?” A question asked among us tech staffers every year as we inch closer and closer to new ways to access the news online. The answer before the pandemic was always “no.” It was easily accessible throughout the school. We had the green bins located amongst the walkways of the school. We had staffers go out and hand out the broadsheets to students. We even had offices have our paper on their tables for students to peruse while they stay in the waiting area. There were even moments when students would even excitedly grab a copy–whether to see the story in the headline, or admire the Painting with Light and Poptown sections. Even the specials–specifically the annual General Election Special released in the middle of the Election season–are one of the most sought after issues as it helps students have a deeper insight on the candidates they are voting for.
However, during the pandemic, it was different. How could students access the broadsheets when we couldn’t even enter the school grounds? Why would students even care about reading the paper when digital articles already exist on the website, when our social media outlets would report news much quicker. I even recalled that I also needed to make Poptown take the shift to an online setting. Yes, we did post the broadsheet every month and could be accessed with an online reader, one which flips just like a real newspaper. However, the articles could still be read in a digital format through the website. “Is Print dead?” We ask ourselves, all during the 60th anniversary of The LaSallian.
Is this the year that we consider the broadsheet–one of the main foundations of our organization–to be obsolete?
At the time, it was hard to come up with an answer. It was all too evident that at this time, news was being consumed online, at the moment, we were almost convinced that the line dividing the Layout team and the Art & Graphics was disappearing. Former staffers told me that there was a time when there was no Layout section–only the Art & Graphics section, and that former staffers had to ask for a clear separation between the two due to the differences between illustration tasks and layouting tasks. Does this mean that all this effort was for nothing?
It wasn’t.
The LaSallian worked hard to improve their online presence, with plans aiming to reach students no matter where they are, supplying news from the university and beyond. We also worked hard to make sure that the monthly broadsheet had its time to shine, and soon came the realization that it was never a battle between the digital landscape and the traditional broadsheet. In the field of journalism, we must accept new changes–technologies that exist simply not to replace, but to enhance the experience of the traditional, humble broadsheet.
Yes, the pandemic brought everything to the online space, but at the time, it was essential to deliver news in that manner, to keep people in the know but also to calm down the quell that this lifestyle will not be forever. With the hope of the vaccine coming to light, there was a chance for things to return to the way they were–with a few minor adjustments entering a new era of a post-pandemic life. The moment it was slightly safer to walk around outside, we knew that the fear of removing print from our lineup was slowly fading away.
Print never dies, it only becomes stronger, because at the end of the day it’s print that remains accessible to the public, to those who cannot browse the internet, to those who simply want to pass some time as they see it placed inside the comfy green box and on the tables of the offices. After the end of my year as the Art & Graphics Editor of The LaSallian, while the organization’s online presence has reached others, it was simply a way to strengthen ways to improve the broadsheet experience, and this was seen during the release of one of their specials–a few months after I graduated college.
I now teach in the same institution that raised me. Some time last year, I saw a student place some copies of the 2023 Sports Special in the Faculty Room. I heard how some students were even excited to grab a copy since they saw the content of it posted online. It was interesting, seeing a printed copy from the organization finally exist.
Print is not dead, and it never will be.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
This is an unedited submission from a former section editor of The LaSallian, reflecting on a pivotal story from their tenure. The article examines the impact of that narrative on campus culture and student life, highlighting the publication’s role in shaping community discourse.
Jihan Marie Ferrer was the Art & Graphics Editor of The LaSallian in Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021, which covered the 60th anniversary of The LaSallian. Months before her taking the position, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Philippines and has led to rapidly increasing cases which led to the requirement of a Nationwide lockdown, limiting outdoor exposure of individuals and pushing for the need for essential workers to go to the front lines to assist those who are suffering from the virus. Aside from this, multiple issues such as the passing of the Anti-Terror Law, the ABS-CBN Shutdown, and multiple cases of activists being declared missing have risen, leading to the need to make news remain accessible to the public amidst the need for isolation.
In DLSU, this was the time when the university took it’s steps into shifting to Online Learning, which rose concern from the student body regarding the continuation of classes amidst a global pandemic affecting all individuals—these effects impacting the academic performances of students due to health concerns, internet connectivity issues, and various personal matters. Around this time, the University Student Government (USG) has conducted several polls and discussed with the administration to find a way to make sure students would have the support they needed amidst these trying times.
During these times, The LaSallian has shifted to a pure online landscape, utilizing their social media channels and website to deliver news—whether it be articles discussing incidents, or live reports about certain events. These articles have managed to reach larger news channels, crediting the organization as their source of information when they report about these events themselves.
Ferrer graduated from DLSU in 2022 with a degree in Education, Majoring in English and Minoring in Public History and Heritage. She is currently an Arts Management and Research Teacher in De La Salle University Senior High School under the Arts & Design Track—teaching at the same Senior High School that raised her.
And for those who ask, she did not burn down a classroom…yet
