Rappler replies on “Telco coverage”

By: CMFR Staff

Posted on: March 13, 2013, 10:54 am

Dear colleagues,

Below is our statement regarding the story that CMFR published about our telco coverage. We look forward to its publication on your website.

Best,

Glenda (Gloria)
(Managing Editor)

Rappler statement
March 13, 2012

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) recently published an article titled Telco coverage, criticizing Rappler’s coverage of telecoms companies.

We at Rappler take criticism seriously, not only because criticism provides us with the necessary input to hone our craft, but also because we believe no individual or institution is above criticism. While we acknowledge the article published by the CMFR as input, we also want to address the supposed analysis made by the CMFR in its article.

To accuse Rappler of “posting one sided articles about telecom companies or which are outright advertorials” is a serious claim, one which we feel can only be adequately discussed by looking at Rappler’s entire output as a whole, rather than looking at one specific subsection of Rappler’s coverage. Or even better: compare it to a detailed analysis of other news groups on telecommunications – a basic service which will impact our country’s development. The call for better services is a key consumer issue.

CMFR, after all, says it demands the highest standards of journalism from the people and organizations it covers. The public expects no less from it — for CMFR editors, writers and researchers to practice the same rigors of journalism that it seeks to propagate.

In this case, the CMFR piece is, in itself, flawed. We ask our readers to take a second look at the CMFR story on Rappler (http://www.cmfr-phil.org/2013/03/12/telco-coverage/): It seeks to point out a supposed deficiency that exists by counting article listings and searching for keywords rather than any actual content analysis of the pieces written on the site.

For instance, it would be logical to get the side of the telecoms company being referred to in a business piece if it was the primary subject of a piece and had no significant reference to competition. To ask a company’s competitor for its opinion on the good or ill fortune of its enemy would simply waste time. In cases where more than one telecoms company is referenced, various sides are raised as needed.

CMFR cited one story as proof of our alleged bias for Globe — “Globe: We’re still No. 1 in postpaid!” which Rappler published on June 8, 2012, or 9 months ago. But it failed to put this in context. A day before, we ran a story on PLDT with the headline, “Move over Globe, PLDT now No. 1 in postpaid.” The story on Globe was the company’s response to the PLDT claim, and anyone who knows how to click on hyperlinks would be able to spot that immediately in the story.

Faced with the two warring companies’ conflicting claims, what did we do? We wrote our own analysis of the telco war, looking both at the prepaid and postpaid segments of the industry. (“Globe vs PLDT: Who is winning the telco war?”). CMFR failed to mention this.

And how about the Gangnam Style video that Rappler put up? If multiple telecoms companies’ heads had a Gangnam Style viral performance leaked on YouTube leading to an epic dance-off, we would gladly put the two in a single piece for everyone’s consumption. Sadly, this was not the case.

This is not the first time that CMFR wrote about Rappler. In December 2012, CMFR featured Rappler in its article, “TV network, online site enter media landscape.”

Without asking us about it, CMFR raised issues about Rappler’s ownership. CMFR noted that questions about “Rappler’s funding continued to be raised and have so far remained unanswered.” We would have gladly answered them had CMFR asked us.

For CMFR to jeer at Rappler’s actions while not asking for our side on our supposed lapses in journalistic practice seems to point to the same deficiency the CMFR wishes to criticize.

We ask that CMFR further study its own actions and lapses before it passes judgement on other organizations providing a valuable service to the public.

For starters, it should find time to click on all the links supplied below.

NTC only
http://www.rappler.com/business/13119-new-telco-players-not-likely-to-qualify-for-3g-ntc
http://www.rappler.com/business/16470-ntc-to-telcos-reduce-text-fees-to-p0-80,-refund-subscribers
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/15849-a-guide-to-divisoria
http://www.rappler.com/business/4202-text-scams,-poor-service-top-phone-users-complaints-in-2011
http://www.rappler.com/business/18879-destiny-cable-s-sale-to-sky-cable-okd

Refund order
http://www.rappler.com/business/16528-smart-to-appeal-sms-refund-order
http://www.rappler.com/business/17790-smart,-globe,-sun-to-ntc-why-slash-text-fees
http://www.rappler.com/business/18361-resistance-works-says-globe-ceo-about-refusing-to-pay-revolutionary-taxes
http://www.rappler.com/business/16528-smart-to-appeal-sms-refund-order

Word war
http://www.rappler.com/business/15575-mvp-says-globe-and-abs-are-copycats
http://www.rappler.com/business/12269-globe-vs-pldt-who-is-winning-the-telco-wars
http://www.rappler.com/business/11686-social-media-and-mobile-service-woes-globe-explains,-smart-claims-gains
http://www.rappler.com/business/6673-globe-we-re-still-no-1-in-postpaid
http://www.rappler.com/business/10374-globe-hits-pldt-over-cure-price-tag
http://www.rappler.com/business/3967-globe-needs-pldt-s-cure,-ceo-says
http://www.rappler.com/business/11258-minimum-price-for-cure-is-p2-1-b,-says-pldt

Phones
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/17499-breaking-down-globe-and-smart-s-iphone-5-plans
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/technology/20622-ios-update-brings-lte-to-globe,-smart-iphone-5s
http://www.rappler.com/business/1092-android-wins-in-os-battle,-says-smart
http://www.rappler.com/business/182-smart,-globe,-digitel-offer-iphone-4s
http://www.rappler.com/video/17989-iphone-5-war-the-battle-for-postpaid
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/technology/20351-globe-first-out-with-samsung-galaxy-siii-mini

Financial
http://www.rappler.com/business/15757-globe-pldt-profits-drop-on-intense-competition
http://www.rappler.com/business/21159-globe-profit-falls-30-to-p6-9-b-in-2012
http://www.rappler.com/business/13024-globe-borrows-up-to-p2-b-for-capex,-refinancing
http://www.rappler.com/business/10019-globe-and-pldt-s-profits-decline-in-h1
http://www.rappler.com/business/302-how-will-globe-fund-their-..

Others
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/technology/20190-globe-customer-service-hit-by-impostor
http://www.rappler.com/business/10200-globe,-sun-re-route-calls,-texts
http://www.rappler.com/business/1449-globe-2011-net-profits-flat-at-p9-8-b
http://www.rappler.com/bulletin-board/10011-pldt,-globe-offer-free-calls-for-flood-victims
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/campaigns/text-to-help/text-to-help-latest-stories/18355-rappler-launches-text-to-help-campaign

PLDT stories:

Ventures
http://www.rappler.com/business/8501-after-araneta-coliseum-deal,-pldt-grp-inks-partnership-with-sm-arena
http://www.rappler.com/business/15642-gma-s-gozon-ready-to-revive-talks-with-pldt
http://www.rappler.com/business/665-san-miguel,-pldt-how-corporate-donations-and-business-interests-mix

Management
http://www.rappler.com/business/13034-ex-ateneo-president-nebres-resigns-from-pldt-board

Projects
http://www.rappler.com/business/6100-pldt,-meralco-back-to-zero-on-broadband-over-power-lines-project
http://www.rappler.com/business/3707-hello,-telpad-goodbye,-landline
http://www.rappler.com/business/9489-meralco-scraps-broadband-over-power-lines-project

Others
http://www.rappler.com/business/6205-moody-s-revises-outlook-for-pldt-ratings
http://www.rappler.com/business/7018-telcos-are-obsolete,-social-media-is-the-future,-says-mvp

CC: CMFR Board
Atty. Fulgencio Factoran Jr.
Melinda Quintos de Jesus
Maribel Ongpin
Tina Monzon-Palma
Vergel O. Santos
Luis Teodoro

2 responses to “Rappler replies on “Telco coverage””

iahn13 says:

March 13, 2013 at 7:32 pm

so which one is saying the right thing?

Reply
mimimayhem says:

April 10, 2013 at 3:29 pm

Publishing a story on an internal Gangnam Style video of Globe, whatever Rappler says, is tasteless and PR-like. Perhaps when it goes viral will warrant a news piece. But as it is? C’mon.

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Rappler replies on “Telco coverage”

2 responses to “Rappler replies on “Telco coverage””

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