Not a race: Aquino’s death reported in media rush to be first

JEERS TO those media organizations that cared more about beating the competition in announcing the death of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III. 

On June 24, The Daily Tribune tweet at 8:41 a.m. read: “BREAKING: Various sources claimed that former Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III died this morning at the Capitol Medal Center. This is a developing story.” It published an online report at 8:48 a.m. that was updated later in the day to include messages from politicians. 

At around 9:00a.m, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, the Manila Bulletin, GMA News and CNN Philippines had only reported on their Twitter accounts that the former president had been hospitalized earlier that morning. 

Minutes after, at 9:19a.m., ANC also reported Aquino’s death, tweeting: “BREAKING: Former president Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino has passed away. A member of the family, who asked not to be named pending official announcement, confirmed the news.” This too failed to wait for the announcement of the family, and failed to observe a fundamental principle in attributing information: that of avoiding the use of unnamed  sources. Additionally, it risked the possibility that should the information turn out to be inaccurate, it would have caused the family, kin friends and associates of the former President unnecessary distress.

At 9:45a.m., Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen released on Twitter a statement published on his official letterhead expressing “his profound sadness” upon learning of Aquino’s death. It was only then that other news organizations followed suit and reported his statement. The Aquino siblings themselves did not make a statement until hours after, with a press briefing at around 3:20 in the afternoon.

The privacy given to death and the bereaved family is obligatory even in the deaths of ordinary people. Fatalities in accidents are not identified in the news; passenger manifestos of planes that crash are withheld from release to the press in order to provide  time for the notification of families. 

In the case of public figures, media should still await an official announcement either from the family or someone credible who is willing to be identified as a source of the information. Again, media must take care not to add to the pain of the bereaved by giving them time to inform those who need to know from them rather than from the news.  

After leaving office in 2016, PNoy secluded himself from the media and the news, keeping silent even when subjected to criticism by foes or trolls. Journalists owed this public figure a more circumspect reporting of his passing.