A trailblazing platform, quality journalism and a nimble digital newsroom
Behind Philstar Global’s success
Philstar Global has come of age. Previously known as The Philippine STAR’s “little sister,” Global’s main platform Philstar.com now stands among media giants as a leading news brand in the digital space.
The journey has been a long one since the website was first launched almost 25 years ago. It started small, mirroring the content of the STAR. Over the years, digital tech grew more sophisticated and distribution no longer stopped after hitting the Publish button.
The Philstar Global team, led by CEO Kevin Belmonte, recognized an increase in demand for credible online content and decided to expand the company. They invested money into a team of internet publishing experts, including journalists, multimedia practitioners and technologists.
Philstar.com, technology at its core, rode waves like a spry surfer while also going against the current when needed: it made its presence felt on social media platforms, built a mobile-responsive destination, introduced news innovations that were quickly copied by others, collaborated with local and global partners and, most importantly, listened and reached out to communities of Filipinos beyond our shores.
The tactical mix worked. Philstar.com saw its loyal reader base of millions grow exponentially, attracting the interest of larger advertisers. It was later recognized as an influential outlet with a print media legacy while also adeptly digital.
Remaining a profitable, growing digital business without sacrificing the quality of its offerings is a rare balance for a news outfit to strike. But Philstar Global has kept its position as an industry leader, a trusted source and a reliable, sought-after partner year after year.
Behind this is an award-winning newsroom of tech-savvy millennials and Gen Zers who challenge news conventions. Their aim: To meet audiences’ evolving expectations and address communities’ information needs, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond clickbait, news that provides context and clarity
Philstar.com has evolved into an organization that goes beyond the “five Ws and H” and strives to assist readers make sense of what’s going on around them and how it might affect their lives.
The emphasis on providing context earned the small newsroom Jaime V. Ongpin honors from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility in 2018, 2020 and 2021 for "coverage that helped Filipinos understand the complex issues that confront them as citizens, and in so doing, fulfilled the role of a free press."
The website has also combined in-depth research with pioneering multimedia and data visualization for deep dives into issues like the “war on drugs” and the so-called golden years of Martial Law through NewsLab, a collaborative special involving the entire newsroom across sections.
The NewsLab series “31 Years of Amnesia” and a longform article on Lumad schools were picked at the 13th Gandingan Awards.
Smaller but no less ambitious, projects are featured on NewsX, a house for underreported stories. One of these was eventually cited in The Routledge Companion to Media and Poverty and another became a finalist for the Equitable Asia Award in 2020.
Recognizing that that climate crisis risks many communities and that Gen Z has made it their priority issue, the newsroom in 2018 began paying more attention to Filipinos most vulnerable to its effects.
Stories on the environment, some done with support from the Earth Journalism Network, looked into efforts to replenish forest cover on the Sierra Madre, the plight of the tawilis endemic to Taal Lake and the threat that improper disposal of medical waste during a pandemic posed on people and on the environment.
Philstar.com is similarly among the 20 newsrooms from developing nations chosen to cover the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow in November through the Climate Change Media Partnership program.
Philstar.com hopes to continue contributing to the country's daily conversations, guided by the primacy that the newsroom puts on democracy, human rights, community voices and context. Its reports—particularly in the run-up to the 2022 elections—will continue to ask “why does this matter?” and follow its unofficial newsroom motto of “what the hell?”
Numbers aren’t numbing: Business coverage that engages
Data is the new oil, so they say. There are compelling stories behind the numbers, and the pandemic only heightened the need to tell them. At the onset of the crisis, dotcom’s business journalists made data its star. Readers of PhilstarData stories are treated with brief but in-depth news in quick-read format that answers queries like “what’s new” about the story and “why it matters.”
Data is also the heart of the section’s longer-form journalism, which thoroughly explains and contextualizes business, employment and economic developments. Its network of analysts from banks, the academe, think tanks, credit rating agencies and multilateral lenders give stories flavor and depth.
These are characteristics that distinguish Philstar.com’s public policy-focused business coverage from that of its competitors: its effort to deliver timely and accurate news while also providing comprehensive reportage on issues that merit space and attention.
Partnerships have also allowed the site to expand its offers outside business news. Recently it launched the weekday Stock Commentaries subsection for younger investors. There they enjoy pre-market recaps and insights topped with amusing memes from popular newsletter Merkado Barkada.
What’s next for business coverage? If it’s coming from this team, expect something out of the norm and appealing to younger readership. (Spoiler alert: Coins and cameras are involved)
Playing no games: Sports Hub is serious about niche content
Philstar.com’s pioneering Sports Hub tends to lively communities gathered around games, teams, themes and personalities while exploring digital trends and innovates.
Its sportswriters have taken their running scores—or play-by-play accounts—from notepads to their social media accounts. Third-party tools have also been used to provide real-time updates on Philstar.com’s Sports pages, complete with a scoreboard widget.
Sports Hub is a fan of specialized, focused coverage that it introduced subsections to make it easier for fans to find what they’re looking for. Microsites for the Big Four basketball leagues—PBA, NBA, UAAP and NCAA—have been a staple, with recaps, analyses, schedules and team standings, among others.
Perhaps what makes Sports Hub notable is its extensive coverage of arguably the greatest Filipino athlete of all time—Manny Pacquiao. Microsites were launched for most of Pacquiao’s fights in the past decade as Philstar.com followed him to Macau, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur and Las Vegas, among places to deliver ringside blow-by-blow updates. Pageviews reaching millions at a time rewarded the effort to make Pacquiao a beat on his own.
Partnerships have similarly diversified Sports Hub’s reach. It had struck deals with the PBA, the United Football League (now the Philippine Football League), the NBA and One Championship. The effort not only boosted content but also helped sports organizations expand their presence in the country. The fact that these established players in the sports world chose Philstar.com as a partner demonstrates Sports Hub’s solid reputation.
Specials include explainers (both in-depth text and video formats), listicles, poll-based stories, infographics and long-forms. As there is hardly a dull day in sports, digital content has kept up with the same level of dynamism.
In dealing with high-magnitude sports events, Sports Hub rose to the occasion. The 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics both had full-microsite treatments that served as interactive destinations in their own right. For Tokyo, it went the extra mile by providing each Filipino athlete with an “Olympian Tracker” so fans could keep track of their progress.
When the pandemic hit, local and international sports were paralyzed. Sports Hub instead launched “Home Base,” a web show that gives Filipino athletes overseas a platform to discuss their trade and stay connected with their homeland. A new season is in the works after an exciting pilot series that featured a respectable roster including tennis wunderkind Alex Eala, Olympic figure skater Michael Martinez and Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
To cater to the booming esports market, Sports Hub launched “Play On,” a subsection dedicated to esports and gaming in the Philippines. Tournament news, game launches and reviews now have their own home on the site.
Sports has always been a key driving force for Philstar.com, with Sports Hub consistently ranking among the top Philippine sports news websites.
Entertainment and Lifestyle as news: No gossip, just juicy facts
Trends come and go in entertainment, and personalities rise and fall. Celebrities, films, music, content creators, streaming and shows are all attempting to reinvent the wheel, but only a few succeed.
Philstar.com, noted for its diverse content, has similarly established itself as among the recognizable names in soft news. It delivers the latest and biggest happenings in showbiz to an eager readership fast and firsthand. It even managed to trigger social media trends on occasion.
There is more depth to explore in entertainment reporting, so the team goes beyond releasing scoops, exclusives and celebrity news, both local and international through commentaries of choice columnists and expert analyses of pop culture trends.
It also expanded its horizons by dedicating updates, predictions and analyses to the world of pageantry, allowing pageant-crazy fans to follow the transformative journey of candidates representing their countries. That Philstar.com correctly predicted and covered on-ground Catriona Gray’s coronation as Miss Universe in 2018 suggests that it has carved its place in the pageant space.
Korean Wave, a subsection that covers the biggest releases of K-pop idols and high-profile Korean dramas, was launched to meet the growing demand for Korean pop culture.
Recognizing niche audiences’ deep interests in fashion and beauty, bizarre experiences, travel and tourism, culture and the arts, Lifestyle is transformed as news in ways true to the website’s journalistic identity.
Its Health and Family subsection is clearly among its distinguishing features. Philstar.com goes the extra mile to look into Filipinos’ concerns and to fight misinformation, especially since the pandemic began. While its health content is based on science and expertise, it is easy-to-read and highly shareable.
Last year, it launched The Budgetarian, a mini-publication on future-proofed lifestyles, frugal choices and bang-for-the-buck finds for young Filipinos who hustle. As the name suggests, it aims to help readers make wiser decisions about spending and earning.
Web show Slam Book dares to ask stars to play games and give witty comebacks to quickfire questions. The show is about to cap a successful Season 1 with the likes of Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Julie Anne San Jose and Piolo Pascual. For its next run, it will include more VIPs on more platforms.
Philstar.com’s Entertainment and Lifestyle coverage is just getting started. Expect to see more of its unique, engaging content formed in part by instinct, keen insights about its audience and data—always with data. — Deni Rose Afinidad-Bernardo, Kristine Bersamina, Ian Nicolas Cigaral, Jonathan de Santos, Dino Maragay and Camille Diola
