Why Kara David uses Taylor Swift and Gloc-9 as models when teaching journalism to students

Aside from being a journalist, GMA News reporter Kara David is also a professor at the University of the Philippines, sharing her expert knowledge to aspiring journalists.

But instead of going down the typical route of discussing literature legends in her lessons, Kara opts for more modern heroes such as Pinoy rapper Gloc-9 and American pop star Taylor Swift.

In an interview on "The Howie Severino Podcast," Kara talked about her reasons behind that.

"Well, first things first, I'm really a Swiftie," she said in Filipino. "I really enjoy listening to Taylor Swift songs. And my habit is when I listen to songs, I also memorize the lyrics. Others might like the melody, but I prefer the words. I analyze the words and try to find meaning in them."

She then said that her mother, Karina David, is a composer, and  meant she grew up listening to the likes of James Taylor and Carol King.

While she watched her mother compose songs, Kara would be urged to write poems in turn.

"My model for lyrical writing is my mom," she said. "They ask me why I write poetically when writing for I-Witness, because the words rhyme somehow."

"Maybe it's because I got used to that, that's how my mother trained me," she added.

Kara said that "smart" singers like Gloc-9 and Taylor Swift work hard to infuse stories in their lyrics, and that she appreciates songs that she could learn from.

Additionally, she noticed that her students in UP retain more information when she uses songs as references.

"It sticks in their heads more than if I asked them to read classic literature. They retain more the metaphors, personification, if I use songs as examples," she said.

Among the examples she uses are Gloc-9's "Upuan" and Taylor's "Cardigan," "August" and "Betty."

Aside from her classes in UP, Kara has also been holding a masterclass on documentary filmmaking for children. —JCB, GMA News