Journalism Literacy and Writing Skills of Intermediate Pupils in Public Elementary Schools in Morong District

Abstract

This study assessed the journalism literacy and writing skills of intermediate pupils in public elementary schools in the Morong District, Schools Division Office of Rizal, during the School Year 2025–2026. Specifically, it examined pupils’ journalism literacy in terms of understanding news values, objectivity, and ethics, as well as their writing skills with respect to clarity, accuracy, and fairness. The respondents consisted of twenty-three (23) school paper advisers and two hundred sixteen (216) campus journalists from twelve public elementary schools participating in district-level press conferences. A descriptive survey research design was employed using a researcher-made questionnaire-checklist to gather data on the respondents’ profiles and perceptions. Findings revealed that intermediate pupils were generally perceived as much competent in journalism literacy and often competent in writing skills across all measured aspects. However, significant differences were found between the perceptions of school paper advisers and campus journalists regarding both journalism literacy and writing skills. Furthermore, variations in perception were significantly influenced by selected profile variables such as age and length of service of advisers, and sex, category participated, family income, and parents’ educational attainment of campus journalists. These results indicate that both instructional experience and learners’ socio-demographic background play a crucial role in the development of journalism literacy and writing competence.The study concludes that journalism education significantly contributes to pupils’ critical thinking, ethical awareness, and responsible communication. Despite challenges brought by the suspension of journalism activities in previous years, the gradual revival of campus journalism has positively influenced learners’ skills. The findings provide a valuable basis for strengthening journalism-related instructional strategies, adviser training, and school-based press programs to further enhance pupils’ writing competence and media literacy in elementary education.