Kate Pedroso - Lead Researcher at the Philippine Daily Inquirer

There are a number of misconceptions about research for news development. Many believe that it is a mundane, repetitive and routine component in the process of news writing and reporting. But little do people know that research is an integral part of a news organization—and its undertakings are just as exciting and essential as field reporting.

Kate Pedroso, lead researcher at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, had her own misconception about the company’s research department before taking on the position. Pedroso thought that as a researcher, one would not be able to write or that the job would be loaded with crunching data.

But she learned eventually that being a researcher is just as important as a field reporter—minus the incessant pressure.

“What I like best here is that anytime, even if I have a deadline in 20 minutes, I can step back and look at where things are supposed to go,” Pedroso said. “But when you’re on the run, you can’t do that.”

“I don’t have the skills to rush and do that at the back of my head,” she added.

“Compared to popular belief, it’s more relaxing here than doing field work.”

According to Pedroso, research is essential in enhancing a news story. The output of research adds depth and provides context to the whole story for better understanding on the part of the readers.

In this 3-on-1 interview, we get to hear from Kate Pedroso about the importance of research, particularly in news organizations, and how it can enhance news reporting and writing.


Jay-R Patron: What is research in the sense of news development?

Kate Pedroso: Sige, magstart lang ako kung papaano kami naiinvolve sa newspaper. Usually yung editors they plan stories ahead of time. Alam nila kung ano yung pumapasok na stories earlier on. May representative kami sa mga meeting ng mga editors (to know) which stories would need backgrounders. Yung backgrounders naman in the sense that it could be about an event, for example tomorrow we’re marking the anniversary of the Valentine’s day bombing of 2005. So they asked us for a background on that because syempre sa dami ng stories araw-araw nakakalimutan na, simpleng kung ilan yung casualties. So they come to us and we are the ones tasked to…halungkatin yung mga sinaunang stories on that and then minsan nakikipag-usap rin kami sa mga concerned agencies for databases–pagcheck ng mga pangalan, mga spelling. Basically they come to us for background and that is how we contribute to the news in terms of depth–kasi syempre sa araw-araw yung reporters naman pwede lang nila sabihin kung ano yung latest development. Kami we provide the context. For example, the other day we were talking about the newest scandal nakina-involve ni First Gentleman. Yung suggestion ng editors is, “Why don’t we trace kung ano ng klaseng scandals yung kinakasangkutan ng asawa ng presidente?” So we had one of our researchers, si Sai…everytime na nasasangkot sa kaso si FG, nino-note namin yun. Meron kaming mine-maintain na database or timeline so that when the request comes about we’re ready to provide the context. It could be that long kasi yung sa piece ata ni Sai is 5000 characters. I think aside from that we also help in the graphics. In coordination with our Arts section, we provide yung info needed for graphics like maps, figures. Basically, kami naman sa research, what we want to do is to demystify yung mga medyo, “Ano nga ba ang regime of islands?” Pag sinabi nila yun in relation to the baseline bill, kami dito, “Ano nga ba?” So buong araw naming iisipin yun, “Ano nga ba?” So we come up with an answer that hopefully would help readers to realize that, “Ah, ayun pala siya”.

Jay-R Patron: So you also get that eureka moments?

Kate Pedroso: Oo, pa minsan may mga assignments rin kami na madali lang, mga figures kasi they’re readily available. Pero may mga times din na gulatan din kasi yung mga nire-request is, “Uy, bago ‘to ah!” (cut) So as I was saying, yung contribution namin is research, to make data that we present to the public accurate so that they can understand the issue much much better.

Jay-R Patron: Why is it important to conduct research?

Kate Pedroso: Research in terms of news, I think it’s main purpose is to maintain accuracy and para laging andun yung proper context in which events unfold. Para di natin makalimutan yung mga nangyari dati na may influence pa rin sa ngayon. I gues yun nga yung mahalaga dun, research provides that. Para rin dun sa mga nakababata sa akin, malalaman din nila kung san nanggaling yung mga yun.

Jing Eustacio: If I am an avid reader of the Inquirer tapos part of the research is to give a backgrounder on something, hindi parang let’s say isang story ginamit ko ‘tong particular background then another story ibang slant lang i would be using the same background, hindi ba masyadong nagiging redundant na in the minds of the readers?

Kate Pedroso: Palagi rin namin tinatanong yan kina sir, for example may time last year na nagpi-peak yung inflation and they always asked us to define what inflation is and to ask experts what inflation means. Sabi ko, “Sir we’ve been doing this for the past three months.” So sabi ni Mr Nolasco, our managin editor, “We have to remind the people, always.” Kasi hindi naman maa-assume na nabasa nila yung sinulat mo last month and of course, palagi naman meron bagong insight kahit na yung inflation is a made concept, hindi naman nagbabago. In that sense naman, nakaka-humble din.

Jay-R Patron: Will you give us an outline of the things taht you typically research on?

Kate Pedroso: We have at the Inquirer, a specific research product, In The KNow articles…yung mga maliliit na fact boxes. Minsan it’s about the issue, or it’s about an event or a person. We have timelines…yung may row na may dates for the sequence of events. Meron naman yung parang prose version ng timeline, we call that What Went Before. So yun, mga basic na Fast Fact boxes–usually mga countries, mga capitals ganyan. We also, kung kailan din nila ng graphs, dito rin sila pumupunta sa amin. Aside from that we maintain yung bio files, corporate files, subject files.

Jay-R Patron: I notice dun sa Inquirer.net particularly in the Metro section, meron yung Did You Know.

Kate Pedroso: Ayun, si Sai, she has been doing that since ‘06. Mga 600 boxes na ata yung nagagawa niya.

Jing Eufracio: Since when ka dito sa Inquirer?

Kate Pedroso: Ako I started working in 2005.

Jing Eufracio: So from 2005 what do you think is the most interesting thing that came from this department? YUng sa tingin mo naging malaking contribution mo in a particular issue.

Kate Pedroso: We always enjoy yung mga timelines na ginagawa namin for the events of long ago, for example EDSA. Yung anniversary ng EDSA, sobrang dugo ng timeline nun. Ang daming librong naka-bukas everywhere. We walso enjoy yung anniversary nung pagkamatay ni Ninoy, may mga timelines din about that. Ano pa ba? Elections….yun pala yung madugo. At that time kasi yung na-assign sa kin di pa ganun kadugo kasi NCR lang eh pero as a whole yung effort ng research department pag elections. We’re the ones monitoring the tallies. Kami nagko-collate nun then we send them to the editors. Yung time na yun, yun pala ang pinaka-madugong nagawa namin for the paper. And we’re expecting an even bloodier 2010.

Jay-R Patron: How long is a typical day for an Inquirer researcher?

Kate Pedroso: We have fixed hours. Some of our staff, they come in at 9 or 10. 9 hours yun for osme days. Kung kailan i-overtime, nag-oovertime naman pero usually wala naman nagse-stay after 9pm. 9pm talaga yung edge, kasi usually a that time wala na kaming nabibigay na input kasi yung content is being laid out already.

Jay-R Patron: What are the typical roadblocks that you encounter when doing research?

Kate Pedroso: Meron at merong, what i was saying kanina, gulatan talaga na walang makuha. May times na ganun. May times na may hinihingi sa amin immediately na kailangang i-produce na usually yung information kailangang i-request. So kung irerequest mo sa certain office it would take some time to be approved–from desk to desk to desk, then you get it a week later. Most of the time ganun naman, but as much as possible we want to be prepared. Somebody usually monitors the Bulletin and the Star and yung paper din pag may appointments, pag may changes in position…para ma-update namin yung biofiles namin para as latest as possible yung info namin para pag may humihingi ng mga ganyan, yun latest information yung mabibigay namin.

Jing Eufracio: Yung typical day mo ba, nakakahinga ka pa ba nun?

Kate Pedroso: May times na gagawin ka ng alas dose pero dadating ka ng alas tres, alas kwatro. Pero may times din na mabagal yung days, pag weekends, we get by with three to four requests in a day. May times naman na puro retrieval lang. Pag retrieval naman madali lang ibigay sa mga nagrerequest na party. Pero may times naman like kung may rally, or may coup de etat…

Jing Eufracio: How do you prepare for events na “madugo”?

Kate Pedroso: Yung hinihintay namin yung decision kay President Estrada for example yung preparation niya talagang…a month before pa lang ibaba yung decision nagpre-prepare na kami ng timeline simula 2001. As much as possible we want to plan ahead para kung may pumutok in the day itself, yung mga nagawa na hindi kailangang…We try to plan ahead as much as possible.

Jing Eufracio: Dito ba yung set up ng department, let’s say you start your day at 10 and yung happening masyadong maaga. Kung sino ba yung nandito can take over your work?

Kate Pedroso: As much as possible, pwede naman magpakiusapan na, “Andyan ka na ba sa opisina? Paki-on naman yung TV papunta na ko diyan.” Usualy ganun yung nangyayari.

Jing Eufracio: What kind of output yung binibigay niyo?

Kate Pedroso: It depends. Yung editors sasabihin nila, “We need something on this. Pero yung raw lang ah. Yung na-collate niyo lang na best possible material from the archives.” So raw lang yun.

Jing Eufracio: So nagsusulat din kayo?

Kate Pedroso: Usually pinapasulat na rin nila.

Jing Eufracio: Tapos yun na in yung ginagamit sa newspaper?

Kate Pedroso: Dina-digest na rin namin. Pinapaikli namin.

Jing Eufracio: So para kayong in-house reporters.

Kate Pedroso: Ganun na rin madalas yung nangyayari.

Ian Culibao: Do you also get credits for that? Yung by line?

Kate Pedroso: Yes, meron tag lines naman na Inquirer Research.

Jay-R Patron: How many are you in the research department?

Kate Pedroso: Five. All journ majors.

Jay-R Patron: And you cater to all of the Inquirer?

Kate Pedroso: Mostly to the editorial of the main paper but we also have…for Sunday Inquirer we have a regular feature dun. we do that every week. Yung iba naman may nagrerequest from the sister publications like Hinge.

Jay-R Patron: What are the tools that you use for research?

Kate Pedroso: Buong araw ka nakaharap sa computer. It’s heavy on the digital files that we have maintained. Sa likod meron kami yung mga na-download na newspaper since ‘86. Yung digital archive namin ng news goes as far back as ‘95 lang. Anythign earlier than that we have to make kalkal. Internet heavy kami…our own database.

Jay-R Patron: What technology do you use?

Kate Pedroso: We have subcription to Technostock. Live update yun. Walang computation, nagaayos lang kami. Aside form that yung mga database namin…Office files. For layout and stories, we’re using the Tera System. Meron siyang component na nagso-store ng mga news stories for everyone to use. May component siya where you can write.

Ian Culibao: Mag add lang din kami ng personal dimension. For example, kunwari pagnagtatrabaho ka, lalo na pag heavy or stressful yung moments, how d you distress?

Kate Pedroso: Usually kape…I used to smoke but I stopped a year ago–the hardest thing to do. Pero ngayon kape na lang. May cream…dalawa. Hindi ka naman makapag-games kasi kung mag-games ka tapos may tatawag made-dead ka rin.

Jing Eufracio: IS this your first job?

Kate Pedroso: Yes, straight out of college.

Ian Culibao: Where’s your college?

Kate Pedroso: U.P.

Ian Culibao: Cool. Ever since gusto mo na maging reporter?

Kate Pedroso: Actually hindi eh. When I first worked for the Inquirer I was with Metro as an editorial assistant and that was a closer path to being a reporter. Usually the next path from being an E.A., pag may vacancy sa reporter’s pool, first dibs ka. Kaso lang di ko siya tipo. So nung nagka-opening sa research, dito ako lumipat. What I like best here is that anytime, kahit na may deadline ako in 20 minutes, I can step back and look at where things are supposed to go. But when you’re on the run, you can’t do that. I don’t have the skills to rush and do that at the back of my head. Compared to popular belief, mas relaxed dito kaysa sa labas.

Jing Eufracio: So you like research talaga?

Kate Pedroso: Yes. I had several misconceptions about researching for newspapers, like you won’t be able to write or it’s full of numbers.

Jing Eufracio: Have you become more analytical now that you’re in the research department?

Kate Pedroso: Analytical is such a big word. I’d say now that I’m in research I have become more cautious. Maingat kami sa spelling ng mga pangalan.

Jing Eufracio: Is this a job that you’ve always wanted?

Kate Pedroso: Actually, yes. At first parang I would take anything that comes my way. I could not afford to bum around after graduation.

Jay-R Patron: Just to put emphasis on the topic, how can research enhance news writing and news reporting?

Kate Pedroso: I think kami sa research we like the fact that our colleagues, the reporters, na-influence sila to adopt our quirks like obssession with accuracy. I think it’s important lalo na kung newspaper. Yung obssession namin with accuracy gusto namin mainfluence yung peers namin. So ayun…more depth, more context. Basically, here we just want to improve the news story, painting a more complete picture of something.