As the line between the protection of journalists and censorship becomes increasingly blurred, People’s Television Network (PTV) Journalist Vina Araneta-Pilapil flagged issues about how red-tagging continues to shape both public discourse and lived realities on the ground.

“Red-tagging is not just abstract. It’s very personal, very immediate… When you get labeled, it follows you. It changes how you speak, where you go, who you trust.”

Araneta-Pilapil described that its impact extends beyond mere vilification and affects personal safety and psychological well-being, resulting in anxiety, hypervigilance, and isolation.

“It creates fear that follows you home…it changes how you act in spaces that are supposed to be safe—school, work, even your community.”

As discussions on red-tagging continued, cluster student publications offered a more grounded perspective on how these concerns translate into actual newsroom decisions and limitations.

Humanities and Letters (HUMLET) – The Wolf Den Editor-in-Chief  Shema Sacman noted that their publication has yet to fully engage with such sensitive issues due to structural limitations in time and coverage scope.

“I’ve only been the Wolf Den EIC for a few months, and our coverages have only started at the end of the year, so my editorial board members and I haven’t gotten the chance to cover issues like that unfortunately.”

Drawing on prior experience with Atenews, Sacman shared that navigating sensitive topics is familiar territory when safety and ethical considerations are at stake.

“But in my years as an Atenews writer, yes there have been several stories that had to be threaded lightly. Reasons included a possible breach of my own safety as the writer as well as facts that were considered as ‘dirty laundry’ and were not appropriate to  reveal.”

She emphasized that responsible journalism involves restraint, especially in contexts where instances of red-tagging pose safety risks to journalists.

“Responsible journalism is when the journalist knows when to self censor. Again this is a case to case basis, but if we’re looking at it in topics wherein journalists get easily red-tagged, journalists should always prioritize their own safety over a story. Unless, this story is of utmost importance and something that the masses deserve to hear.”

Despite these realities, she acknowledged that institutional awareness of campus press rights can provide some level of reassurance in decision-making.

“I can infer that yes while it can influence my decisions in publishing stories, ultimately the university naman is aware of their student publications’ rights and privileges.”

She added that editorial decisions must be guided by both ethical judgment and collective responsibility within the newsroom.

“Know your story and its weight before making any big decisions. Ultimately the safety of the journalists is always the top priority in editorial protocol, but if that story needs to be revealed and told to the world, then the journalist must know and perform rigorous training and preparations before researching and writing the story.”

As red-tagging continues to threaten press freedom and shape the realities of media practitioners, student journalists are challenged to balance their duty to inform with the need to protect themselves and their communities. 

Organized by the HUMLET Student Executive Council, the forum “Red Lines: Empowering Press Freedom and Combating Red-tagging” was held at the Bapa Benny Auditorium, Ateneo de Davao University, on April 22, 2026.