Reporting Non-news

JEERS TO several news media organizations for making a fuss over an unverified announcement by musician Freddie Aguilar on his supposed appointment to the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

The possibility of Aguilar’s appointment to the NCCA had been mentioned as early as July 11. In the following days, the news media picked up on this but the source of the reports was only Aguilar himself.  The headlines were misleading.

• “Freddie Aguilar, inisa-isa ang planong gawin bilang NCCA Commissioner, Aksyon Tonite, July 14, 2016
• “Ka Freddie named new NCCA chairman,” The Standard, July 17, 2016
• “Singer Freddie Aguilar accepts NCCA appointment,” GMA News Online, July 19, 2016
• “Freddie Aguilar accepts NCCA appointment,” Manila Bulletin, July 19, 2016

Actually, the reports, quoting Aguilar, said that Duterte’s executive assistant Christopher “Bong” Go merely asked or requested Aguilar to head the NCCA until a department of culture and arts is created. Aguilar said that he had discussed the formation of such a department with President Duterte.

There was no effort on the part of ABS-CBN News, Aksyon Tonite, GMA News Online, Manila Bulletin and The Standard to reach the Office of the President to verify Aguilar’s claim as reported.

Later on, NCCA Chairman Felipe de Leon said in a text message to BusinessWorld  on July 16 that the body’s top position is not appointive since the chairman is elected by the Board of Commissioners, as provided for in Republic Act (RA) 7356. A column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 18 recalled the process one has to go through to become the NCCA chairperson.

CMFR reached the NCCA for clarification and was told that it is yet to receive any directive or official document from Malacañang confirming Aguilar’s claim. Aguilar, therefore, is not yet even affiliated with the NCCA. This then shows that one of the Aksyon Tonite anchors who interviewed Aguilar on live television on July 14 was mistaken in referring to Aguilar as an NCCA commissioner.

CMFR also called Malacañang regarding the matter and was directed to the office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. The office’s staff who received the call, however, hesitated about giving an answer, and asked that CMFR write an official letter requesting the information to Medialdea himself.

Not only were the reports inaccurate, they were also misleading. Being offered a position is different from actually being appointed—a distinction the media could have easily made in their reports.

Aguilar’s statement also could have been easily verified by the media by getting the side of Malacañang, which would have been the more authoritative source to support their reports. Without such confirmation, they should have ignored Aguilar’s claims.