Mood meter journalism: In rare, exclusive interview, GMA-7 decides to go easy on the President
JEERS TO GMA Integrated News for its interview with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that failed to tackle critical issues about his policies, public statements, and governance. GMA-7 decided to play it safe and the public is the poorer for it.
On Jan. 23, GMA-7 anchor Pia Arcangel reported that ‘in a rare chance’ (“sa isang pambihirang pagkakataon”), she was given access to President Marcos as he attended events that day. She was also given the opportunity to interview him exclusively.
Arcangel conducted the sit-down interview in an undisclosed venue. Aboard the presidential helicopter, she also posed questions to the Marcos. Her interviews came out in three different newscasts of GMA-7, with 24 Oras airing the longest version at 11 minutes.
The president’s ‘pulse’
Arcangel asked President Marcos about his thoughts on current issues such as the push to amend provisions of the 1987 Constitution, Vice President Sara Duterte’s declaration that she would run again for public office, China’s reaction to Marcos’ congratulatory message to the new Taiwanese president, the traffic in Metro Manila, and the increase in PhilHealth premiums.
Arcangel’s questions were safe. Most were phrased so they could be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”: Does he see the traffic when he rides his chopper? Does he favor foreign ownership of land? Did China’s reaction surprise him? Are studies concerning PhilHealth contributions ongoing?
While Marcos went beyond merely answering “yes” or “no,” there was little to be gleaned from his responses as these were not exactly surprising or revelatory. For instance, he clarified that his greeting Taiwan president-elect Lai Ching-te did not change his recognition of Beijing’s One China Policy — a long-standing position on foreign policy. On the PhilHealth issue, he said there must always be a “cost-benefit analysis,” but he did not directly answer Arcangel’s question whether he was leaning toward increasing premiums or keeping them at the current level. As for his refusal to let foreigners own land, it was no longer news as Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri had already referred to Marcos’s position in a January 15 briefing.
Arcangel did steer the conversation into the more controversial issue of political dynasties and the possibility of amending this provision as well. But she did not dive into the matter with questions about the impact of dynastic politics on development. Marcos himself cited the current experience of political family members taking turns running cities or provinces, then quickly set it as for future discussion, dangling the possibility of a constitutional amendment to take care of the problem.
Arcangel’s giveaway question asking Marcos if he thought it beneficial to extend terms got only a vague “Could be. I don’t know. What are we trying to achieve first of all?”
Safe questions
The line of questioning functioned more as the president’s mood meter for current events, to the exclusion of current concerns such as inflation and the high price of goods, underemployment, and the lack of quality education. There was nothing in the aired version to indicate any kind of journalistic inquiry, check or pushback against Marcos’s performance or policies.
GMA was one of the three networks who were selected to interview Marcos on his first day as president-elect. The other two – SMNI and Net 25 — were openly pro-Marcos. Judging by this more recent exclusive chat with the president, GMA seems determined to keep these presidential encounters safe and comfortable. This was a lost opportunity for the public as it was for the president. After all, an adversarial press gives the chief executive an opportunity to shine, if he’s got it.
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