What Jessica Soho's Four-Decade Career Says About Listening, Leadership and Trust

She has been in war zones, in palaces and in markets. As she marks four decades in journalism, colleagues describe a woman whose courage and compassion have made her the nation's most trusted broadcaster.

- ANGEL JAVIER CRUZ

In the ever-evolving media landscape, it is rare to see news veterans who continue to find stories to tell and who have the talent to tell them in ways their audience will find compelling. They may be rare, but their presence endures. One prime example is multi-awarded broadcast journalist Jessica Soho, who is celebrating her 40th year as a broadcast journalist.

Ma'am Jess—as she is affectionately called by officemates, mentees and the people she meets—joined GMA 7 in 1985 as a reporter and worked her way up, learning the ropes long before hosting "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho."

Her creative vision has given rise to some of the country's most iconic public affairs shows, including "I-Witness," the first regular and weekly documentary program in Philippine TV. Her work helped give the country its first-ever George Foster Peabody award.

After four decades, she has maintained a genuine interest in people, whether presidents or wet market vendors. In her recent commencement address to the University of the Philippines Diliman graduating class, she credited her colleagues through the years and underscored the importance of listening: "Listen well. You might be surprised at what you could learn. Reach out to more people. Get out of your own circles, silos, or echo chambers."

Never 'Pwede Na'

Those who have worked closely with Jessica agree: her standards have always been remarkably high. Arlene Carnay, VP for Public Affairs, recalls how she set the tone for everyone around her. "'Pwede na' was never in her vocabulary. She pushed not just us, but also herself to always give our best. To us, she's more than just an icon—I can say that she's really the heart of Public Affairs."