Can the public rely on the press to make informed choices in this coming elections?
Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Tarra Quismundo attended the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility round table discussion on monitoring the news media coverage of elections earlier today, and here’s her report posted in the Inquirer‘s site.
Media watchdog monitoring poll coverage
Source: Inquirer.net
Underlining the media’s role in helping the electorate vote correctly, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has begun a three-month review of the election reportage of leading media outlets in order to assess their performance in this election.
Despite limited manpower and resources, the CMFR has started monitoring the election coverage of three major dailies and six television news programs, reprising its effort during the 2004 elections.
“It’s important because we want to know how the media are providing the public the information it needs so that it can make informed choices. The usual complaint in the Philippines is that we haven’t been choosing our leaders very well, so one of the ways the media can help in that area is by providing the information that the people need,” CMFR deputy director and journalism professor Luis Teodoro said.
Read more here.