#functionsofcommunication

News Anchor: Mel Tiangco

With the shutdown of ABS-CBN that had occurred just this year due to an unsettlement between the company and the Philippine Government, it has made most of the citizens, including me and my family, to look for other options for news sources. And what other option was already available and trusted as well? That would be GMA Network’s news program, 24 Oras. Going further to what I’ll be talking about today, it would be about one of the program’s assiduous news anchors, Carmela Corro Tiangco-Cornejo, or more widely known as “Mel Tiangco”. Though originally being one of the anchors of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol back then, she eventually reached GMA Network, being a co-anchor to Mike Enriquez in 24 Oras, and a host to the show “Magpakailanman” and “Powerhouse”.

She’s especially likeable as per the fact that she’s considered as one of the most credible news anchors in the country. Even being referred to as the 9th Most Trusted Filipino in the Trust Poll of the 2010 issue of the Asian Edition of Reader’s Digest. Moreover, in her reports, she’s remained completely credible, reliable, and unbiased. She has also stayed true to her network’s maxim which is “Walang bahid pulitika” or “Untainted by politics” throughout her 38 years of service. Though not only does she deliver factual news, she also offers comprehensive coverage to the articles, presenting them passionately, clearly, confidently, and effectively as well. 

Upon researching more, I found this particular statement of hers, “It’s simple. Be interested. Because if you’re not interested and you just like the glamour life – you don’t even read the newspapers and you don’t care if the children run around malnourished – then it’s not for you. You have to be interested in the people. That’s the bottom line because news is what? It’s the people! All events happen because of people. All of these events that are covered in the news, it’s all about people. So, you have to be interested in people, you have to like the profession.” With that specific statement alone, I could see how dedicated, passionate, and professional she is, adding to the factors making her likeable. As for what makes her unlikeable, there are none. She’s completely remained free of issues, except for her problem with ABS-CBN which was solely due to the company, not her. Concerning my parent’s thoughts on her good qualities, both of them have given only positive reactions and praises. With comments like, “I admire how she reports with clarity and conviction,” and “With her and her partner’s credible reports, are one of the reasons as to why I’m a Kapuso in the first place.” I couldn’t agree more with their statements.  

After having been a news anchor for about 38 years now, she’s managed to attract a lot of GMA Network’s viewers due to how effectively she seemed to impart and convey the news to the public. Not only has she precisely presented her news articles, but she’s also managed to do it again, without being biased, and without settling for anything less as well. Those must of course be due to her dedication and passion for her profession. Though things weren’t easy for her at the start, she’s become who she is today solely because of her hard work and perseverance. Despite already being used to listening to the news anchors in TV Patrol ever since I was young, I’ve now managed to appreciate her as well. I could even say that she’s become one of my most admired news anchors. 

Bernadette Lorraine Palisada Dominguez Sembrano Aguinaldo, better known as Bernadette Sembrano, began her career as a newscaster in 1998 for one of the government-owned television stations in the Philippines. Years passed, she is now a Filipina reporter, newscaster, and television host. We all see her as the news anchor on TV Patrol.

Mrs. Bernadette Sembrano is known to be every Filipino's ate, which means she helps and guides people like an elder sister. As a 44-year-old newscaster, her simplicity and beauty still showed on the television, which attracts the audience to gain their attention in which I believe that it is one of her assets. The way she moves and talks looks like she is a kind-hearted person, ready to help people in need. Even though she looked soft, the way she speaks shown what a news anchor truly is—a person who speaks with clarity and conviction.  However, I can see that there are times that she lost these kinds of qualities. Maybe, just made a mistake, and that it's still okay since we are not perfect, and she is not perfect. But then, it was only a few times since Mrs. Sembrano is a news anchor that proves to anyone that even though she has some mistakes, she will not be down and just learned of that mistakes and move on. Hence, the experience that she had shown to use made her one of the good examples of how a person should live and inspire other people.

As you can see, the functions of communication are seen here. First is Regulation and Control. As a news anchor, the words she used are regulated and made sure that it is formal and precise. The second is Social Interaction. Through the news she gave, we can interact between the happenings around the country and ourselves. The third is Motivation. News can motivate people to understand the country's circumstances more and encourage people to agree and disagree if something happens, such as political things. Fourth is the Information. News is one of the sources to gain some information. Seeing her speak on the television about the daily news we have in the country made me listen and be well-informed about what is happening. Lastly is Emotional Expression. As a news anchor, she needs to be severe enough since the news she gave is not funny and inappropriate for smiling or laughing. But if the news is for entertainment, then news anchors can express these emotions. Remember that emotions are to help convey details about the topic.