The Either Or

The "Either Or"
In the in-between of higher studies and well, life, sits the ever terrifying dilemma of choosing between passion and pride. But while others struggle in this decision-making process, mine would be the former against the former. Much like most creatives, I scramble for every corner I can fit in, every itch we can scratch. Right now I'm just months away from graduation and I STILL can't figure out where I want go or what I want to do.

But wait a minute, does it really have to be just one thing. Must there really be a choice? A fellow creative told me otherwise. Kevin Limjoco, C! Magazine co founder, actor, historian, playwright, and probably everything and everyone can be-- from that enumeration alone-- has managed to dip his fingers into about everything he's found interest in. In a Friday lecture slash tell-all, he spilled the details of his life story and why "the choice" should never exist.

Of course he talked about how he never stopped himself from staying in one field or doing one thing. This pliability and restlessness, this "jack of all trades" syndrome is felt the most in journalism. Not only did he dwell on a writer's need to be flexible and an all-doer (photographer, editor, etc.) but he also stressed on the necessity of this being realized in the greater scheme of things: where and how. There is the the battle between better content, yes, but with the changing times in the field of technology, its become a battle between tangibles and clickables.

Print VS Digital
The papers to pixels movement has been taking the journalism world by storm. In the local scene, Summit has pulled out its physical copies and have gone full on digital. Other companies have followed suit, and more are expected to do the same. However, is this an industry trend that must be followed? Are tangible copies of magazines and newspapers really worthless now?

This, of course, has been subject to much controversy and debate. For me, I think it all boils down to sales and customer journeys. Summit would never do anything that would harm those that support it. I'm sure its seen the way its readers move and did this in response to exactly that. However, there are still a great number of houses that still produce physical copies every week and every month. An example of such is that of C!. And as explained by Mr. Limjoco himself, cars to be purchased are pondered on in the bathroom. Pretty simple right? It's true! Daddy-yos grab a newspaper or catalog when taking a dump. Much like shower thoughts, ideas are formulated best in the most ridiculous of situations. By pondering on this, I couldn't help but agree. C! has all the reason to keep its physical copies.

Generally though, what do I really think? Growing up surrounded by books, small things I adored apart from a book's plot or interesting characters, sniffing the actual books were as much of a past time as reading them. Feeling them, flipping through its pages, having them be de-crisped because of my sweaty fingers and palms-- all of it was part of the experience. Ever since I've heard of e-books and pdf copies, I've never held onto physical copies harder. How could one remove all of that from the pleasure of reading? Some might argue that it's because of accessibility, or the pain of carrying several books at a time. While these have its perks, readers like me would still assert that there is beauty in that pain. Getting a book out of the shelf and putting it back once you're done with it versus clicking out is the martyr-kind of life we live!

However, the "digital copy" encounter also has its unique features. Reading glasses? Hit it with that zoom. Want similar articles? Simply browse through via keyword search. Want to bookmark a page? It's just a click away. Times have been made more consumer-centric indeed, and the world of journalism hears this. The question of "either or" comes into play again here, now does it? Beyond the business side of things, this could just be a matter of perspective.