Adi Joaquim Tolentino

Veteran broadcast journalist Jessica Soho has encouraged campus journalists to move beyond the confines of journalism contests and embrace the deeper purpose of the craft by serving the public through truthful and responsible storytelling.


In an exclusive interview with Explained PH on May 19, during the opening of the 2025 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC), Soho stressed that true journalism goes beyond metrics and accolades.

She also motivated young writers to focus on the core values of fairness, balance, and accuracy in reporting.

"Unahin mo, tama ba yung story ko? Fair ba siya? Balansyado ba? Accurate ba?" she said, emphasizing that the integrity of the story should always come first. 

Soho then pointed out the tendency of campus journalism to revolve around competitions, describing it as a distraction from journalism’s real mission. 

“Yung contest, you know, the metrics, et cetera, secondary lang dapat dyan, iniisip mo lang to come up with good stories and good storytelling that will serve the public,” she said.
Despite the challenges of working in an era plagued by disinformation, Soho remained optimistic and reaffirmed the importance of the profession.

“Minsan nagdududa na ako sa sarili ko with all the fake news. Importante pa ba kami? Anyone can just become like a journalist, pero importante pa rin pala,” she expressed.
Soho also reiterated encouragement and hope, applauding the presence of passionate student writers who aspire to pursue journalism.

“Natutuwa ako na maraming mga katulad niyo na gusto pang sumunod samin. So keep striving guys. Magaral kayo nang mabuti, magbasa, and have the right mind and the right heart for it.

Jessica Soho is an award-winning Filipino broadcast journalist affiliated with GMA Network, best known as the host of the widely watched news magazine program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and the former anchor of State of the Nation on GMA News TV from 2011 to 2021.

She has received numerous prestigious awards, including the British Fleet Street Award for Investigative Journalism in 1998, multiple Reader's Digest Asia Most Trusted News Presenter awards, and the Gawad Plaridel Award from the University of the Philippines for outstanding media practitioners.