Ging Reyes: Exhausting but challenging

Broadcast journalist Ging Reyes took over as head of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs (NCA) in 2010—after repeatedly turning down the job offer because she didn’t want to give up her “peaceful life” in the United States. Less than a year later, however, Reyes found the “stressful and exhausting” post as also “challenging and fun.”

“There’s nothing like it,” said Reyes, formerly chief of the station’s North American bureau, who succeeded Maria Ressa, the Kapamilya network’s news chief for six years.

During a media gathering at the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City, Reyes announced the recent changes in programming for “a wider and more in-depth reporting of news.”

Reyes confirmed the inclusion of TV host Boy Abunda in the news program “Bandila” starting Monday, after the show-biz news program “SNN,” which he cohosted with Bianca Gonzales, aired its final episode on September 9.

“This is not going to be like the show-biz segment on ‘TV Patrol,’” explained Reyes. “Putting Boy on ‘Bandila’ would give the show a venue for more in-depth stories on entertainment, lifestyle and culture. There will also be one-on-one interviews, which Boy is very good at.”

Reyes also announced the airing of programs like “XXX,” “Patrol ng Pilipino,” “Storyline,” “Krusada” and “SOCO” on dzMM Teleradyo (Channel 26 on SkyCable). These shows are now seen at 9:15 p.m. on weekdays after “Usapang de Campanilla.”

This is the first time in Philippine TV history, she said, that a channel in teleradyo format is offering current affairs shows.

The following are excerpts from our chat with Reyes.

Was there a point when you questioned your decision to accept the job?

Before I took the job, I knew what was at stake. I had a fairly good idea there would be a lot of challenges in terms of the new media landscape, the stories we would go after, people we would offend, the interests left and right, the critics.

I really didn’t want to come back. I had a peaceful life in the United States. Stress then was more manageable. I really agonized over that decision. My first instinct was to refuse it, and I did many times.

What made you say yes to it?

I guess my bosses here appealed to my sense of service, kasama na rin ’yong makatulong sa bayan at makagawa ka ng pagbabago. Some people might find it very idealistic or impractical, but to me it meant something. There was this opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of my countrymen and I realized maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to come back and do my share.

Can you say you’ve already gone through the hardest part of this job?

It’s hard to say that. We don’t know what’s in store for us. We don’t know what news will break tomorrow and what our role will be in the coverage of that story.

I have always believed in the agenda-setting approach to news gathering and coverage. Even as a producer many years ago, ayaw ko nang sumusunod lang sa uso. I’m glad a lot of the members of my team have also evolved and have become immersed, involved and more committed as journalists. Now we have the same mission. We want to see how a story that we pursued would result in some change or improvement in people’s lives.

My management style has been, I believe, empowering and consultative. At the same time, I make firm decisions and make sure the buck stops with me. Hindi puwedeng ’di ko aakuin ang responsibility sa aming tagumpay at sa aming kabiguan.

What were the changes you implemented when you assumed the position?

I guess a lot have seen the changes—nagpalit ng anchors ang “TV Patrol.” I still made sure we gave other assignments to other anchors, journalists. We really made it a must for them to go out and work. Noli (de Castro, former Philippine vice president) is doing a lot of field work. Korina (Sanchez) and Ted (Failon) are both covering stories.

We knew it’s important for Noli to be seen working again as a journalist. We knew all about the criticisms about his coming back—we dealt with it. We’re still dealing with some of the criticisms to this day. It’s about second chances. Maybe this is his second chance in being a journalist and he is working hard to make sure that whatever clout he has with the public remains.

How did you handle the tampuhan in the newsroom?

Mayroong nagtampo at nasaktan dahil naiba ang mga programa nila, but I was able to talk to these people in a manner in which they knew I showed them respect. We have to admit that in this industry, change is constant. There is nothing permanent in television.

I just reminded them of certain realities that we have to face, the kind of opportunity that this network gave them. At the same time, I had to convince them that this is a move that’s for the good of the organization. I’ve always been up front with people. I have no hidden agenda. I laid it out to them like it was. I guess they saw that I was sincere and that I wasn’t playing favorites.

How are you as a boss?

I’m very encouraging. I can be very collaborative. I don’t like to be surrounded by “yes” men. I want people to challenge me. In fact, my guiding principle in management has always been to be able to train a person or the next in line to be better than me. One of my top concerns when I came back was to develop future leaders of the News and Current Affairs Division.

How do you do that?

It’s a combination of training, mentoring, giving them opportunities to make decisions for themselves and their units, giving them enough latitude to make decisions and even mistakes.

It’s partly seniority, partly intelligence and partly emotional quotient. It is a certain demonstration of leadership and management skills. I’m looking out for those traits in our journalists now. It’s good because we’ve identified several people already.

I want the veterans to move on when the time comes and name their successors in a very civilized, professional manner. We really have to change that system, to go in another direction when it comes to on-camera assignments.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph.