Underreported in the Media: a Three-Alarm Fire in Megamall

Screengrab from CNNPhilippines.com.

FIRE HIT a construction site beside SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on Thursday, June 28, 2018, past 7:30 p.m., calling to the site numerous fire engines which further aggravated the usual heavy traffic crawling on EDSA. The construction site is part of the mall’s expanded area.

A three-alarm fire in such a public area, the incident rated mention in the late night newscasts (ABS-CBN 2’s Bandila, 24 Oras’ Saksi, CNN Philippines’ Newsroom, TV5’s Aksyon Tonite). Reports were under two minutes, showing live footage, clarifying that the mall itself was not on fire and noting that thick smoke had reached the Fashion Hall adjacent to the construction site. Reports also mentioned the deployment of up to nine fire trucks and the impact on traffic.

Online, GMA News Online, Inquirer.net, ManilaTimes.net, news.ABS-CBN.com, news.mb.com.ph and Rappler promptly published reports on the incident.

The Mandaluyong City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office announced via Twitter that the Bureau of Fire Protection declared “fire out” as of 1:30 a.m. the next day, June 29. Mall operations the following day went as usual with no disruption.

Inquirer.net reported on June 29 that the fire was caused by faulty wiring and said there were no casualties, estimating the loss of property at one million pesos.

The broadsheets did not give the news much space. The Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin had no reports regarding the incident on the following two days (Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30). The Philippine Daily Inquirer’s story was on an inside page, under Metro Briefs on June 29. CMFR also scanned print editions of Daily Tribune, Manila Standard and The Manila Times within the same time frame and did not find reports regarding the fire.

A fire in a mall is of public interest. It merits media attention. With construction proceeding around the mall area, weekend turnout would have been affected, if people had more information about the fire. But as SM Supermalls remains a major advertiser in print media, CMFR presumes the lack of coverage could have been caused only by corporate advertising power.