Oral History of John Nery

August 13, 2008
Interviewers: Sharmina Ganchua and Beatrice Bengzon

Bengzon: We’re supposed to interview you about why you became a journalist and your progression and how you started.

Nery: Ok.

Q: So, what led to your employment in the newspaper?

A: Well, I did follow the usual path. The usual path is you start as a reporter, you work your way up, a ladder so to speak. Become an editor, and so on. I was doing other things. I joined, other newspapers but it was from another background. When I joined the newspaper, I used to be part of the Star, of Today and of the Philippine Post. I came in as a desk editor. When I joined Inquirer in 2001, I joined Inquirer as a senior desk editor. How did I get here? What specifically, I was editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Philippines. That’s the Philippine edition of Entrepreneur Magazine. It’s published by Summit Media, Summit Magazines. I was editor-in-chief of that magazine, at that time of Estrada impeachment. Watching that I realize that while I like business journalism, I was really more interested in political journalism. So I wrote to Inquirer and I sent some commentary, two pieces, asked if they can publish it and they did. And when it came out, I said maybe I can run editorials for you and then, eventually, In August of 2001, I signed up as a regular editor. So it’s not the usual path but at the same time I shared something in common with others, with other journalist. Which is, we’re interested, actually we have two things in common, we’re interested in the craft of words, putting words together and we’re interested in politics, we want to know what’s happening.

Q: So you really have a passion for political writing

A: Yes. I would, yeah, yeah. I wouldn’t use the word passion but yes, I’m keenly interested in that. In fact, when I applied in Inquirer, I said that I wanted to take part in the public discourse. I wanted to, you know, there’s so much debate going on about Estrada and after he was unseated and then before he was arrested, there was a lot of debate. You know, should we arrest the former president or what are the implications and I thought I want to take part in that debate. And I realize and well, I studied the scene and I knew that one of the best ways to do that is work through the Inquirer. The Inquirer really helped shape ah, opinions in the Philippines. So I said, Sali ako diyan noh. Baka I can write opinion articles for the Inquirer. So then that’s specifically, that’s how it happened.

Q: Sir, di ba you’re a blogger too?

A: Yeah, yeah, I keep a blog. Yeah, yeah.

Q: So what do you write about sa blog? Same din ba sa ano..

A: Not exactly the same. I started my blog three years ago. July 2005. I think I was one of the first editors from so-called mainstream media to keep a blog. I wanted to think ah things through. Essentially, that’s the main reason for the blog. For starting the blog. So there will be issues like how come so many people are disgusted with the performance of Gloria and yet there are very few people out on the streets. My very first blog was what I called you know, notes of the outrates gap. How come there is this level of dissatisfaction and yet very very few people are out on the streets. Thing is thinking it through. But over the years, the, my blog newsstand, has also become, well, you know sometimes, I write other stuff like, I remember somebody asked me what do you do when you’re not in the newsroom? Essentially, the rest, since then my blog has been an answer to that. I write about some of the books that I’ve read. I, you know, I watched the premier of Dark Knight (yeah,yeah) and I thought it was very good and at the same time I find it was too long and I wrote about it. But mostly there, there’s political concerns.

Q: Is what you write on your blog different from what you write on Inquirer?

A: Mostly, except that ever since I start writing a column, I started writing a column for Inquirer in July 2007. I upload my columns. Um, because somebody pointed out that, parang, it’s so easy eh, i-upload mo nalang. But, that’s only once a week and then the rest of the time, there were times, when I’ve written like um once in a month and so, but you see, I pay. It’s not blogger.com, which is for free. I use typepad.com. I pay 49.50 dollars a year. I chose that because I looked around before I went online. I looked around and said I like this one, I like and I found out that they are using typepad. Asked bloggers, they recommend and I like the fact that they have so much support. Now, I used blogger.com for my, I teach a class in UP, we have a group blog. And I realize that in the last three years, has added a lot of features noh. I wouldn’t have subscribed to typepad if blogger.com was what it is today. So anyway, the reason I brought up the paying part is that it’s, it’s time for me to pay, parang sabi ko sayang naman so I start writing more. So mga June, July, you know, I start writing August, kasi that’s the time when I pay. Parang sayang naman, di ba? And then mga bandang mga November, so I write mga two or three.

Q: So, can you describe your, the early years, I mean you didn’t start out as a typical journalist but how were your early years?

A: oh I’d, In a very big way, the thing that struck me the most about working in a newspaper has remained with me, you know. It stayed this, the thing that struck me the most and that is, it sounds oaky eh noh, but you make a difference. In a very small way you take part as I said in the public discourse. People read the editorials that you write. People respond to the columns that you write. You know, people take action based on stories that you have written for the front page. The idea that you write something, for a living is up to now, I’m just amazed you know that I’m paid to write.

Q: That’s very lucky that you can do something that you like for a living, not everyone can, not everyone has that satisfaction.

A: oh, yes.

Q: Sir, how would you describe this newspaper during it early, early years?

A: Ok, um, I’m familiar with this newspaper. I’ve been with this newspaper, which is 23 years old, for the last 7 years. 7 years this month but I’m familiar with it because it’s by far history. It started in December 1985. As a result of the decision of the dictator then, Ferdinand Marcos, to call for snap elections. When I came on board, I ah I met the editor-in-chief she told me that you know, we are a “Ninoy” paper. In that sense that our DNA was forged during that time but we are also an “EDSA” paper in that sense that we’re a newspaper for an emerging democracy di ba. We’re very clear about what, what happened before at the same time we, we want to ah, to ah, go back to what we had before, that faring institutions. Hopefully more mature fashion. What was it like in the early years, it was very different.

Q: Was it located here before?

A: No, no. They started I think in an abandoned restaurant on EDSA. They moved from place to place. This quickly, within a matter of years became the number one newspaper in the country. Even in the early years, before the advertising started coming in and so on, it was different. The old timers here, we have some maybe 50, all in all from the first two years, they’ve been around. They tell stories you know they say that “you guys are lucky” you know, “you have profit sharing” and so on. They had none at that time. There’s no profit to share. But what happened in those early years, again as I’ve said, part of our DNA. The fearlessness that we have displayed then is still the outstanding characteristic of Inquirer journalism noh. I remember in 2004, I was in Bangkok. And there is this Filipino executive that said ‘oh admit it you know. The new image of, the new symbol of the Inquirer is now Tim Yap.’ Tim Yap and we said “oh, no. I mean it can’t be. It’s ah, it’s our front page. It’s contra de quiros but, if that were true, I think we would have more, more ah, more trouble in the Philippines noh. People in power, ah, they are not held to account institutions like Inquirer. ABS-CBN might get away from more scandalous things.

Q: What about your physical facilities here in this building?

A: Ah ok. This building is 15 years old more or less. But as I’ve said we’re a 22 years old enterprise. The first 7 years were spent in different place. You know and the size of the rats varies according to where the, the newspaper was housed then. I haven’t seen a rat in this particular place. (B: Thank God {laughs}) This, with the new owners, the Prietos, bought the newspaper from the founder, Mrs. Apostol, they invested in this area of this old area of Makati. 15 years ago, it was even more flood prone. I mean real floods, now you’ll have a little you know, a few inches before it was ano. So this might have helped in the gentrification of this part. Now we have a little more modern facilities here. Funny because in 1993, ah, this was built I don’t know exactly how many people but we have three floors. The fourth floor was supposedly, this was supposedly to be the roof deck. We had to add the fourth floor because of the you know, the company has grown. But we can’t put too many people there because of you know, the way it was built. So and you know we have a roof deck on top of that. Physically…

Q: Um, how about the printing? Does it happen here?

A: Yes. The printing, while the printing, is done by a separate company but affiliate with the Inquirer. We have four printing presses. We have one right behind us.

Q: That is where Bandera is right?

A: Yes, yes. The three other printing presses are in Laguna, in Cebu and in Davao.

Q: So it is located in different place?

A: Yes, yes. In fact that is one of our critical advantages with the competition. At a certain time of a night, we beam, we throw our digital files to these presses. So, it, even now, if there is a storm, PAL can’t bring or even Cebu Pacific, can’t bring Philippine Star or Manila Bulletin to Mindanao.

Q: Oh yeah, but you are there…

A: But we are there because we publish there noh. So, what the Star and the Bulletin have done was to invest in modern printing facilities but you know, housed in you know like a central printing press. So the Bulletin for example is in Intramuros. Star in port area. Very good printing presses but the problem is it’s still very centralized. Our advantage is that we have the same kind of equipment but located in Davao, Cebu and Laguna.

Q: So how’s the working conditions here naman, sir in Inquirer?

A: Very good, I must say that we’re one of the lucky ones in media. We are adequately compensated. Our working conditions are, well, you know, you get a lot of little touches at the same time the basic conditions are, well, healthy, conducive to ah working well. Little touches like you get a birthday, a birthday leave. You get a birthday, a birthday leave is a free day off at ah, the month of your birthday. Ah, you get, I don’t know how much you get, 300 or 400 pesos or 500 on your birthday parang mga ganun. Small things. (Q: ah like a gift?) yep, you know we have you now, bowling tournaments, badminton tournaments. The, the management funds, clubs, so we have the Inquirer’s photographer’s club or Inquirer camera club. We have mountain climbing club. And, and you know, they are subsidized and you join and so on. Every, you just missed them, every, there is, what day is today? Several days a week, our, one of the halls downstairs in converted into like a gym so may mga Taebo, Pilates, well, I don’t know. We have an employee center, I mean it’s a lounge you can just hang around there’s TV, there’s a clinic, even in Sundays there’s a nurse. So, those small things noh. And then our president, Sandy Romuladez, you know, she goes out to work, knows almost everyone, calls them by name. You know all these little touches. But as I’ve said, the basic thing is we have the right working environment. Of course, it’s not perfect, but the idea is that we enjoy editorial independence. The owners do not interfere, do not intervene. They, you know, hired us, this group of editors and reporters and photographers and editorial assistant to do what we are supposed to do and then they just let us go. That, I think, is the most important part. I don’t know about the other newspapers, I don’t know about other newsrooms but here in the newsrooms, the newsmen, the newspaper people, run the newsroom. That, I think, is the most important working conditions.

Q: Um, sir, where you ever a cub reporter?

A: No, I used to contribute stuff to my school newspaper but it was really not as a reporter but as a writer. You know, I have had always pretentions to be a writer since grade school writing stuff.

Q: What was your alma mater?

A: Ateneo Manila

Q: Is that why you know Tito Ardie?

A: Ah, no. Actually I know him because he works in San Miguel. He’s an officemate of my wife’s

B: Oh, I see.

A: He’s a little too young na for me. Nauna ako ng ilang taon so hindi kami nagabot. So, I was never a cub reporter but always you know, trying to contribute stuff, poetry, essays, whatsoever.

Q: So you did start out early? You started writing early.

A: In terms of writing yes. Yes, but I..

Q: Sir, what was your course?

A: Philosophy because I was gonna take up law. I was gonna take up law.

Q: Ateneo, wow. In-eexpect ko creative writing eh..

A: ah well..

Q: Or Comm Arts..Oh yeah, Comm Arts like us.

A: Yeah, well, the good thing about my batch Philosophy, maliit lang yan noh? Most of my classmates are Jesuits. Those who are you know, that’s part of their training eh, they had two years in Philosophy. But because we are small, we would always be blockmates with comm. arts in Ateneo. Yan yung mga magaganda so parang, ok. So they always had, they always you know, every slightest excuse to eat, they would bring food. So in fact, in 2nd year college, our homeroom class was Spanish and our teacher is Miss Torres. And you know like ano, in every other class, siguro mga once a week, somebody would have a birthday you know, basta puro pagkain kasi nga karamihan puro mga babae and they’d bring food. And we call ourselves Los cumpleaños de Torres. The hungry ones of Torres. Kasi talagang, ok after 30 minutes, ma’am kain na, o sige food. So it was fun being with same block as comm. Arts.

Q: Wow, what about your first beat?

A: No, I didn’t have a beat because I didn’t start as a reporter. But the very first thing I did was I worked with the Star for a few months and I worked at the central news desk like the one here. So news, it’s really more news, not now I’m with Opinion but the training it was news.

Q: Any memorable moments, significant moments in your career?

A: There have been a few. Ah, I was just taking to, I just arrived at 11:30 from Cagayan de Oro. Last night I spoke to a group of developmental communication students in Xavier University and I talked about this also, I write editorials, I mean that’s just between us girls, that’s the position of newspaper, issues of the day right? Um, in 2003, we had ah, I don’t know if you remember but there was an attempt to impeach Chief Justice Hilario Davide and we were outraged because, really, it was just a power play noh. Because the Nationalist People’s Coalition and the house could do it, they did it. Essentially, it all boiled down to that, they could do it so they did it. So we were in a Constitutional crisis. From that first day, we tracked that, that issue and it was resolved, that was October 23, it was resolved Novemberr 10. So 10 plus 7. 17 days noh. In those 17 days, the Inquirer probably came out probably something like 12 editorials. Saying no, the supreme court , mali yung ginawa sa house, yung mga ganyan noh. Ah, finally the Supreme Court ruled that said they settled the impeachment case in the house was invalid and so on. A few days after that, Chief Justice Davide, himself, wrote a letter. It was a very short letter saying I would like to thank Inquirer for, you know, being a beacon in this time, etc. etc. Um, parang, he drew, it was a source of strength for him noh and then he said I would especially like to thank you for writing the following editorials. And then identified by date the editorials, the editorials of October 24, 26, mga ganun, November ganyan, November 10 ganyan.

Q: Sa iyo yun lahat?

A: Of the I think 11 that he mentioned I wrote about 7 so, so when I saw that , so I told my wife, let’s clip that. Kasi minsan lang naman sumusulat yon. So when it came out, it came out in the newspaper, it was very short. And I just thought, that you know one of the reasons nga for joining a newspaper was to take part of the public discourse noh, parang shape the debate. And then you have this debate and then the Supreme Court reads you or not, the Supreme Court ruled the way you thought they shoud have ruled and then here comes the letter from the Chief Justice saying thank you so yah, medyo, it’s a little geeky pero wow sumulat yung Chief Justice. I don’t have war stories well, I do, well I’ve done, I used to be an editor. I started investigative team, I team ano. We did a few stories and then ano, there’s one cloak and dagger.I mean set up um, set up a because they couldn’t be seen, my sources from this government agency, couldn’t be seen with me, with any journalist. We set up a system. We would exchange stuff thru email, I mean fake email. You know, special email, mga ganon. And then they told me I was under surveillance, mga ganyan. So just to be careful, there was a time that I had to vary the routes going home. Although now, when I think about it, wala naman nangyari but at that time you know. I need to slow. Reporters would have more of those war stories kasi most of my work is here. I, I spent a lot of time outside now, talking to students, talking to other people especially now that I did my column. But nothing like, you know, the adventures that our reporters go through.

Q: Um, sir, as a journalist, do you believe in the newspapers future? Do you think it’s gonna spiral down since there is blogging..

A: ah,um, yes. I, I completely believe that there would always be a role for newspapers to play in a democracy. That doesn’t mean that the format will remain the same. It might be that 20 years from now, actually there is a book. The Vanishing Newspaper.

Q: Yeah, our teacher’s reading that..

A: Yeah, yeah. Philip Meyer. He, who predicts that the last issue of the last newspaper would be printed in the year 2041 or something. I don’t think that will happen noh. There would be a few newspapers by then, fewer printed, I mean printed literally right but the newspapers would be around. The format would be different. Are you familiar with the Amazon Kindle? It’s a new eReader noh. Developed by Amazon right? It’s, it’s like this, it’s like, it’s a screen something like that.

Q: and you read the ebooks there.

A: Yah, and yah, and then they did terrific research on what kind of screen that you use so that unlike the screen on a, on a desktop, or a monitor or even like an Apple. This one is, para siyang libro. You just click and so on but that just started from last year. Si Neil Gaiman was one of the first who tried out. It’s terrific sabi niya. But you know, the amazing thing is that now, you can read the New York Times plus a few other newspapers, US newspapers. There, you subscribe and everyday you get it. So what’s to prevent us from yah. No, you buy it from Amazon for $400, hindi pa siya maganda. It doesn’t, it doesn’t have the ano, the look of a of an iPod for example. Or an iPhone. Hindi pa siya yon, but maganda na daw yung screen. Who knows if that’s the future of the newspaper but the function of a newspaper will always be there. The format will change, definitely. But that doesn’t mean there would be no more print newspapers like New York Times, hindi rin eh. Because it’s difficult to imagine influential people you know just using that noh. Sometime you like paper. I always like to site this ah, ah, bit of trivia. In 1975, Business Week came up with a pioneering story, cover story, saying, parang, the coming of a paperless office. Because you know, the digital revolution was underway. But since 1975, as a matter of fact, the use of paper around the world has increased. Why is that? Because it’s so convenient for us to print things out, right? I mean, I get a dozen, let’s say a dozen emails a day. I probably print one or two, right? I mean, I want to keep this and so on. So there is, it’s a, these author of a book, I forgot the title. Si John Sidley Brown and some other guy. Paper is what they call a social document noh. It’s a social document. It’s a kind of thing that generates a social character. It gets passed around noh. I mean will postcards die? I mean, I don’t think so. Postcards are the sort of things na madali lang, very convenient then you send it. Yey, look oh and it gets passed around. I mean, so will paper that will the paper format die? Maybe, maybe not. I, I personally don’t think so. But the newspaper’s role, be played by other media, some perhaps not yet invented? No, no, I don’t think so. Ah, what is a newspaper add or bring to the table? First it sets the news agenda so to speak. You know, it tends people, these are the things that we should be talking about. That I think is very important especially now that we can Google anything, right? I mean, so you know, the what, what do you call the daily me? You can customize, what you read, so that everything that you want, that you’re interested in is there noh. But funnily enough, if you do that, then you lose a sense of community. If everybody’s, if there is no more sense of, ah, something in common, like ah, we all ah, we all watched the Dark Knight noh. But if hundred years from now, everybody will watch customized movies, what are we talk about, right? Newspapers are an antidote to that. It sets like a, common agenda. It also has what this Chicago Lawyer Cass Sanstine calls an architectural serendipity. What does it mean? The newspaper has the capability to surprise you. You know, like these are the things that I am interested in but I did not know that I would be interested in this noh. So you have this group, this core of trained professionals saying that these are very interesting eh. So look, any of our newspapers, there’s some things there that, hey, I’m not sure if I like this, maybe. You get it noh? So there are things and that for me the third and probably the most important part of the, newspaper, role of the newspaper, is they are an institution of democracy. They are, in fact, it’s one of the very few, professions, explicitly protected by the constitution. Freedom of the press. I mean, you know how many, there’s no freedom to have a call center di ba? I mean, it’s very important to us. But it’s not, this one has a role to play. So, I think because of that role the newspapers will survive.

Q: Thank you Mr. Nery. Thank you Sir.

A: oh Ok.

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John Nery was born on August 21 in Cagayan de Oro City, Cagayan de Oro. He graduated from Ateneo de Manila in 1981. At the time of the interview he was a senior desk editor at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.