A look on Oblate Media Convergence

Will Oblates Media go into convergence?

By Ferdinandh Cabrera

The year 1948 saw the humble birth of Mindanao Cross, a weekly newspaper founded by Bishop Gerard Monque, a few years after Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation came to Cotabato and Sulu archipelago in Mindanao.

Known to be “a little paper with a big cause”, Mindanao Cross now considered the oldest running newspaper in the region that is being operated for the past 64 years in Central Mindanao by the Oblates Media Communications.

Since then, various ways to provide information, such as radio came into being. Some nine years after, the ministry established another media format initially aimed at evangelizing Christians through broadcast media. Hence, in 1957, the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation (NDBC) radio station was born.

Today, the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation has grown to two AM stations and three FM sister stations all over Central Mindanao that serve as independent news and public affairs radio station.

Just like the Mindanao Cross, the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation has earned its reputability, integrity and distinction.

In the wake of the challenges confronting the digital media in reaching out to the communities, the i-Watch Media was established as a television arm of the Oblates Media Communications. It has evolved into being a multimedia site producing relevant stories that aims to awaken, inform, educate and inspire people and target entities through video documentaries and other multimedia productions.

The produced materials are shown for specific audience in far-flung communities or indigenous peoples as social mobilizing tool.

Realizing the wide scope of Internet in reaching out to the target audiences, the OMC has  embraced social media by posting documentaries and other materials on their own website and other social media sites like YouTube.

Though housed in one building located on Sinsuat Avenue, Cotabato City, Mindanao Cross, Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation and i-Watch Media are independently operated.

A move to merge and unify the operations of the three media outfits, which was planned in 2010, is yet to be realized pending the decision of its Board members.

This short documentary will tell us how local media in the Central Mindanao, Philippines like Oblate Media Communication embraces and responds to the fast paced demands of the new media.

VOICE INTRODUCTION SCRIPT

Its typical Wednesday for Mindanao Cross editorial staff --- today is the production day for the weekly news.

Inside the newsroom everyone is busy. The office of Mindanao Cross is located at the right wing of Oblates Media Center.

The stories and columns pour in. The staff edits and lay out the stories. Everyone is focused.

 Supervising the entire operation is Fr. Jonathan Domingo.

He is Chief Executive Officer of the oldest running English newspaper in the region now on its 64th year.

Father Jonathan recognizes new media will affect the future of local print newspapers.

That is why aside from the hard copy, Mindanao Cross-also maintains a website.

But not all stories are uploaded immediately.

Mindanao Cross editor-in-chief Eva Tan says only certain stories go online.

She says stories make their way online after they are released on the printed version.

This ensures that printed copies maintain its sales target.

As editor in chief, Eva oversees the editorial content and production of the  3,500-copy circulation.

On the left side of the building is NDBC office, the broadcast radio arm, an institution at the forefront of delivering news to the Mindanao region.

Airwaves hit the busy day with news, commentaries, music and viewer reaction through social media.

Embracing new media, NDBC operates a Teleradyo seen on a local cable TV channel and streamed live on the Internet.

They also have a fan page on Facebook.

NDBC operates AM and FM stations in Cotabato City with three sister stations in nearby provinces in Central Mindanao.

The i-Watch Multimedia Center is home to volunteer mobile journalists of the Oblates Mission. They produce video documentaries and other multimedia materials for their social advocacies.

As a non-profit news organization, i-Watch survives through the funding of sponsors who support these goals.

What's in store for tri-media news in region?

Executives and staff of each of the three media outfits of Oblates Media Communications tell us about the future of convergence.