When the earth trembles, most people run for safety, but journalists stay. They hold their ground, steady their voices, and report the truth—even when the same danger threatens their families and lives.
In Tagum City, a strong quake struck during the live morning program Tira Brigada on Brigada News FM. Anchors Beovanni Camana and Kiel Alea felt the studio shake and the floor rumble beneath them.
They tried to sound calm, but fear flickered in their eyes. For several seconds, they continued broadcasting, committed to informing the public while their city quaked.
When the tremors grew stronger, they removed their headsets and evacuated to safer ground—anchormen turning into evacuees in the same breath.
In Bogo City, Cebu, the same bravery played out when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit on September 30. Brigada News FM Bogo reporters kept reporting even as the disaster injured their own family members.
These scenes reveal the grit behind the microphone, laptop, or cellphone. Journalists don’t just cover disasters—they survive them. They walk on cracked roads, breathe dust-filled air, and still tell stories that help others understand what’s happening.
In the last quarter of the year, earthquakes rocked Benguet, Cebu, and Davao Oriental. Reporters on the ground covered the destruction as it unfolded.
Some filed reports amid debris and aftershocks. Others steadied cameras with trembling hands and spoke live while the ground moved beneath them. They became both witnesses and victims.
Pressure often deepens their struggle. Some newsroom heads demand non-stop updates, even from reporters who are victims themselves.
They push for the next clip, the next photo, the next live hit—forgetting that journalists also need time to recover. Many field reporters deliver news while fearing for their own families, or after losing their homes.
Support
Behind every breaking story stands a reporter balancing duty and survival. Journalists risk their safety, manage their emotions, and stay composed to make sure the public stays informed.
They hold the line between chaos and clarity, even when their own world shakes.
The Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) said that government agencies should strengthen Mental Health Councils and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) teams.
It explained that these teams deliver trauma care and stress management to disaster victims. They treat anxiety and post-traumatic stress that often follow earthquakes and calamities.
The same care must also extend to journalists, who often carry emotional and psychological burdens as they report from disaster zones.
In 2020, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), with support from Internews and the Initiative for Media Freedom (IMF), produced the Philippine Journalists’ Safety Guide.
The guide equips reporters with safety protocols for covering disasters, conflicts, and pandemics. It also reminds newsrooms to protect their people and prioritize mental health.
The guide generally emphasizes that no headline or scoop should come at the expense of a journalist’s well-being.
Working through fear
Still, many reporters keep working through fear. They deliver facts when others spread rumors. They help communities stay connected when everything else falls apart.
No one escapes when the earth trembles—not the victims, not the rescuers, not the reporters who tell their stories. Yet in moments when fear meets duty, journalists embody the essence of public service: courage, truth, and compassion.
As the country strengthens its disaster response, it must also protect the journalists who guide the public through crisis. When journalists receive support—physically, mentally, and emotionally—the truth remains steady, even when the world itself shakes. #InTheHeartOfChangingLives
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.