When almost everyone can suddenly write, does that mean everyone should? I just learned how to do it, but that doesn’t mean I am one.
Like many fresh graduates, I was a lost soul in the wilderness with no idea where life would take me. From April to September 2015, I sent out job applications left and right, hoping for a break. Some companies rejected me, and others didn’t even bother to reply. I was waiting for a stroke of luck, but it never came.
I wasn’t just confused but also terrified. Moving into the workforce felt like jumping off a cliff without a parachute. I wanted to pursue something I loved, but how could I follow what I liked if I wasn’t even sure what it was?
Then, by some twist of fate, I ended up in the media industry, a field I never even considered. I had zero experience and zero confidence. I was thrown into the world of journalism headfirst, without a life jacket.
I started as a lifestyle trainee under the late Sir Pocholo Romualdez, with the guidance of Ms. Che (Francisco) — two respected names in the industry. To this day, I still feel lucky to have been one of the last trainees Sir Pocholo personally taught. They gave me the freedom to cover lifestyle stories, brands, events, campaigns, launches, and personalities, without making me feel like a complete outsider.
I didn’t know how to write back then, at least not the way journalists are supposed to. My first few articles were long, unstructured, and probably a nightmare to edit. I know for a fact na maraming beses akong lumampas sa word count. I would submit stories over 1,000 words — parang manuscript. But no one ever made me feel incapable of learning.
What I enjoyed most wasn’t the writing itself but the experience of meeting people, hearing their stories, and learning about the industries they thrived in. I was far from perfect, but I was curious. That curiosity kept me going.
Despite my inexperience, I just kept writing and writing kahit minsan, tambak ang stories ko at late ako magpasa. (Alam na ni Ms. Che ‘yan! Hahaha.)
Everything changed when Sir Pocholo assigned me to cover a lifestyle-business event. I didn’t know it back then, but that assignment would open doors for me to cover not just lifestyle, but business and tourism as well. When I submitted the story and it got published, I received a small handwritten note (unfortunately, I lost it) from Sir Pocholo through Ms. Che: “He has the potential in Business.” That small piece of validation fueled me more than any paycheck — yes, I experienced receiving checks when I was new — ever could. That moment made me realize that the best mentors see things in you before you even see them yourself.
Not long after, I found myself not just covering the lifestyle beat but also tourism events and local and international press junkets. It was Sir Jimmy (Calapati) who silently became my mentor in his Travel & Tourism section. He trusted me so much that he would let me submit travel stories weekly for his page, and most of the time, I’d end up on the banner story. They say Sir Jimmy is also one of the strictest editors out there and that’s true. If he asked you something, you had to be ready with answers. Pero kahit ganoon, he never made me feel small. I learned from him without him even realizing that I considered him one of my greatest mentors.
Because of their guidance, PRs, brands, companies, and industry friends started requesting me by name. I was getting offers from different media companies until today. For someone new who had no idea what they were doing just years before, it felt like I was finally doing something right.
Now, years later, I look around and see an industry that’s shifting faster than anyone could have predicted. Thanks to AI, people who couldn’t even write a coherent sentence before are suddenly producing perfect articles overnight.
And I can’t help but ask… Are they credible? Can they be trusted? Or are they just hiding behind algorithms?
The ugly truth no one likes to talk about is that not everyone working in media is a journalist. A lot of people in this industry are nothing more than glorified press release parrots, simply copy-pasting corporate statements without questioning anything. They show up at events, get the freebies, enjoy the buffet, and churn out stories without breaking a sweat. Is that journalism? No. That’s public relations in disguise.
The job of a journalist is not to serve as a mouthpiece but to ask the uncomfortable questions. It’s about finding the missing pieces, verifying claims, and pushing back when something doesn’t add up. But the kicker is that AI can mimic press release journalism perfectly and it’s doing it already. What’s harder, and what no machine will ever replicate, is the courage to question authority.
I’ve heard some people say that writing is just arranging words. That’s like saying painting is just brushing colors on a canvas or music is just hitting keys on a piano. Writing is a craft. It’s about finding the right words, the right rhythm, and the right angle, and doing it over and over again until the story breathes on its own. AI can generate text, but it can’t feel frustration after rewriting the same sentence 10 times. It doesn’t know what it’s like to agonize over every word or to lose sleep wondering if a story will ever see the light of day. It doesn’t know what it’s like to have your article ripped apart by an editor (I learned this but never experienced this, thank God), only to rewrite it from scratch because that’s how you earn your stripes in this industry.
This is the question nobody seems to be asking. If anyone with a laptop and an AI writing tool can produce a flawless article in seconds, what separates a real journalist from someone just playing dress-up with words? The answer is it’s the sleepless nights; the countless rewrites; and the willingness to go out into the world and get your hands dirty and not just sit behind a desk waiting for press releases to hit your inbox. A journalist isn’t just someone who knows how to write but also knows how to listen, doubt, and dig deeper even when the truth is inconvenient or uncomfortable.
There’s one thing that no one wants to admit: AI can write articles but it can’t smell bullshit. A human journalist can sit in front of a source and sense when something’s off. The shift in body language. The slight hesitation. The half-truths buried beneath rehearsed statements. AI can’t detect any of that. It can transcribe lies word for word but it can’t call them out. This is where journalism lives or dies. If all you’re doing is copying press releases or using AI to regurgitate information, you’re not a journalist. You’re just a human printer with Wi-Fi.
What scares me the most isn’t AI itself but it’s how easily people are letting go of curiosity. I’ve seen my own students submit AI-written reports, thinking no one will notice. Instead of digging deeper into stories, they settle for whatever AI spits out. When I confronted some of them, they said they didn’t use it. If we stop teaching young journalists how to think critically, ask questions, and challenge narratives, then we’re not raising journalists at all. We’re raising human parrots just like the AI they’re using.
Another thing that AI will never understand is that journalism is a lonely job. Sure, you meet people at events. You make friends. You build connections. But at the end of the day, it’s just you and your editor, standing by every word you’ve written. Nobody’s going to hold your hand. Nobody’s going to clean up your mess. If you screw up, you own it. That’s what separates real journalists from headline factories.
AI is already writing the news. The only question is, who’s holding it accountable? If a human journalist makes a mistake, their name is on the byline. They face the backlash. They issue corrections. They learn the hard way.
But if an AI-generated article spreads misinformation, who gets called out? Nobody. That’s the difference. A journalist stands by their work. AI just spits out words and moves on.
The rise of AI in journalism feels like a shortcut but shortcuts always come at a price. Yes, AI can generate stories faster, make writing easier, but journalism was never meant to be easy. If every article starts sounding perfect, polished, and lifeless… how will we know who’s behind the words?
If almost everyone can suddenly write, who’s really worth reading? Credibility can’t be automated. Trust isn’t something you can cut and paste. So before you believe everything you read, ask: Who’s really behind the words?
I know some people will probably say I’m just bitter or scared of being replaced by AI. I’m not scared. I’m speaking from personal experience not bitterness. I’ve paid my dues in this industry, and everything I know, I learned the hard way through interviewing, writing, researching, proofreading, editing, rewriting, and years of showing up even when I didn’t feel ready. I’m not hating on AI itself as what I’m calling out is the lack of curiosity and complacency it enables. Journalism was never meant to be convenient. If you’re letting AI do the thinking for you, you’re not really writing but outsourcing the most important part of the job, and that is asking questions. This isn’t about gatekeeping the industry. It’s a wake-up call, especially for my students pursuing journalism who might think the job is all about prestige, exclusive access, free buffets, press kits, and socked social media postings.
And if you ever drop by our office, let’s talk over a cup of coffee, the 3-in-1 sachet I bought from Jacob of our Design, Arts & Multimedia Department. I’ll tell you everything from the long nights to the hard lessons. I’ll even let you in on a little secret… The best stories aren’t written by those who know how to write. They’re written by those who know how to listen, doubt, think, and never stop asking questions.
Anyway, this is just a random thought, anything to beat the clock for my Saturday deadline. Enjoy the rest of the day, Lifestyle Quickies!
