Reflective practice in the newswork of Filipino journalists: A grounded theory study

Abstract

How journalists reflect on their work considering the factors that affect their newswork remains to be less analysed. This grounded theory research aimed to examine how 25 Filipino journalists employ reflective practice in their work. The research is anchored on Donald Schön’s reflective practice theory – of learning through and from experiencing, towards becoming a better professional. Based on respondents’ answers, researchers developed a model called the Infinity Reflective Cycle by Journalists in Newswork. This model describes the processes of introspection used by journalists – beginning with news gathering and ending with applying lessons learned in future news gathering and writing. The Infinity Reflective Cycle also deals with internal and external factors that affect journalists’ newswork, as well as cultural peculiarities contextualizing daily newswork. This study contributes to the growing research on reflective practice, particularly in the context of Philippine journalism.