Manila skies, journalese days - a long letter home from the Philippines

This exegesis accompanies the 36,500 word blog, Manila Skies, Journalese Days - a long letter from home from the Philippines, which the author started while on a three-month journalism internship at the Philippine Star daily newspaper in Manila between June 12 and September 4.

The blog, like a travel diary, is a meta-narrative of the author's time in the Philippines while on the Pacific Media Centre and Asia New Zealand Foundation internship and is told through a hybrid of sensory perceptions, analysis of Filipino media, articles, interviews and photos. It also deconstructs for the public some of the processes of newsmaking in the Philippines.

Rather than engaging in a debate pitting blogging against journalism, this exegesis explores arguments characterising blogging as a discrete branch of journalism which pays tribute to journalistic movements throoughout history, from journalism's travel diary and journaling origins through to Indy media and existential journalism.