MANILA, Philippines — Cafe runs with colleagues after duty, playing video games, and listening to podcasts are some of the things journalists rely on to stay sane after a gruelling day in the newsroom. However, they also hope for decent pay, engaged readers, and policies that support their health and well-being to survive the industry.

These insights came to light during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with reporters from Daily Guardian Iloilo, SunStar Cebu, and the Philippines Press Institute (PPI) in the PPI chat room of the Rappler app on Thursday, December 4.

During the chat, app users asked questions and reporters shared their work, up close.

Behind the byline

For many journalists, the day begins long before the first story is published. 

Daily Guardian Reporter Rjay Zuriaga Castor starts mornings at 8 am, sometimes, earlier when press conferences are scheduled early in the morning. Afternoons are spent writing, editing, and chasing follow-ups.

Over in Cebu, SunStar assignment editor Jerra Mae Librea starts by scanning social media for breaking news, deploying reporters, and juggling simultaneous print and online workflows.

The news cycle moves fast, and stories become outdated quickly with so much happening at once. For Ariel Sebellino, executive director of the Philippine Press Institute, journalists have to stay on their toes amid it all. 

For instance, Librea noted how hectic the past months have been for their team. After the September earthquake, they were still catching up on coverage when Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi)w hit in November.

Even campus journalists experience the same pressure. According to Christian Patulot of the LASER Group of Publications, they barely get breaks because they still have to work on their print releases.

On top of the heavy workload, many journalists still take on side jobs to make ends meet. Castor contributes to Manila Times and Rappler, while Marzan writes for Inquirer on the side as he awaits his Bar exam results. 

Rappler’s Regions reporter John Sitchon summed it up plainly, “Journos need money.”

Threats are also a constant reality. 

In 2025, Daily Guardian faced political pressure after reporting on the remarks of Philippine Statistics Authority Western Visayas Director Nelida Amolar about the impact of a 300% real property tax increase in Iloilo City.

Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu reacted negatively to the Daily Guardian’s report. Amolar then later disowned her statement despite the livestream. 

Many other journalists face similar backlash, including Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr., who were convicted of cyber libel in 2019 over a 2012 article related to former chief justice Renato Corona, published even before the cybercrime law took effect.

But intimidation of journalists goes beyond legal threats. It extends to harassment, red-tagging, and even killings.

Even so, many journalists are left to manage the mental and emotional toll of their work on their own.

According to Marzan and Castor, mental health services remain inaccessible, even for journalists. While debriefing sessions after disaster coverages is the ideal practice, a lot of newsrooms don’t do this because deadlines take over.

For newer reporters, the pressure can be especially intense. Denise Mae Codis of SunStar shared that while dealing with different sources is part of the job, she gets affected when people don’t understand what journalists do. 

“As someone new in the industry, it really takes a lot of guts and bravery to push through with my daily assignments and manage the challenges that come with handling sources,” she said.

Your role in keeping journalism alive

Even in a profession built on constant pressure, journalists find small ways to stay afloat and keep the news moving. 

For Castor, breaks sometimes mean squeezing in a quick workout if he finishes early, or catching up over coffee with reporters from other newsrooms.

Marzan, who calls himself a “bed lover,” unwinds by sleeping, streaming shows, or watching funny videos to clear his head. Sitchon resets through video games, cooking, or fishing by the pier. 

Meanwhile, Sebellino said keeping work separate from his personal life has helped him — a habit he learned early in his career.

What strengthens them just as much is knowing their stories matter to the people who read them.

Marzan said it feels good just to hear that someone read his story, especially from friends or family. Meanwhile, even a simple reaction to the stories he writes is already rewarding for Castor.

Sebellino added that it matters when readers don’t just scroll past but actually think about a story. For Librea, hearing directly from readers about how a story helped them is a rare kind of reassurance that keeps her going.

And while encouragement helps, readers can also support newsrooms in practical ways.

Buying the newspaper, visiting their website, subscribing, or sharing stories with others are simple actions that make a real difference, said the journalists in the chat.

Sitchon also emphasized that even something as simple as using the Rappler app counts as support.

These small actions help journalists keep doing their work. 

“At the end of the day, everybody should breathe journalism like we do for all our freedoms,” Sebellino said. 

The Philippine Press Institute, Daily Guardian Iloilo, and SunStar Cebu, are all part of CoLab, a radical project that aims to engage communities and build a sustainable future for news through the Rappler app.

To join conversations like this, download the Rappler app available for both Android and iOS. The app serves as a news and community-building platform powered by generative AI to strengthen journalism, civic participation, and meaningful public dialogue. – with reports from Valerie Ferido/Rappler.com

Valerie Ferido is a Rappler volunteer for MovePH. She is a junior at Far Eastern University, majoring in Psychology.