Journalism Review Archives | Page 77 of 161

The BuCor controversy: Media must broaden the discourse

HOW DO you solve a problem like the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor)? The BuCor and the jail system it manages have been in dire need of solutions to longstanding and deeply rooted problems. The Senate began marathon hearings on September 2 following the scandalous abuse of the good conduct...

Marginalizing the marginalized: Delayed aid for farmers

IN 2018, typhoons and rice hoarding by cartels led to a rice shortage and soaring rice prices. Government responded with Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law which removed import quotas on rice and opened the local market to a flood of imported rice. Since its implementation...

Flagging security concerns about Dito-AFP deal

DITO TELECOMMUNITY Corporation, formerly known as Mislatel, signed on September 11 a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which allows the company to set up telecommunication and internet facilities inside military camps. The consortium, which includes a company owned by the Chinese government,...

Not newsworthy: Duterte’s slur against Rappler journalists

THREE YEARS into his term, President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against his critics and the independent press have become predictable and pointless. They don’t contribute to public understanding of the issues, and often discourage citizen engagement in public discourse or derails from more rational policy discussions. Calling people and various...

Reporting the missing link: BuCor official’s death and the GCTA racket

CHEERS TO Interaksyon for a quick follow-up, immediately reporting on the possible link between the death of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official Ruperto Traya Jr. and the “aborted release” of former Calauan Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez. On August 27, Traya, Chief Administrative Officer 3 of BuCor, was shot dead...

The traffic problem: Can media help?

HOW WILL the government solve Metro Manila’s worsening traffic problem? The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is running out of ideas. And it seems all media can do is report the failed attempts, as traffic has worsened dramatically in recent weeks. The obvious reasons are the road building and...

Good conduct time allowance controversy: More explanation, analysis needed

WHEN THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on August 20 that former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez could soon walk free, the public was rightfully outraged. Sanchez was found guilty of the rape-slay of University of the Philippines Los Baños students Eileen Sarmenta...

Inquirer spotlights Philippine wildlife trafficking

PHILIPPINE NATURAL resources have been exploited and abused on so many levels. But media have not fixed their attention on this problem and reports rarely focus on the detrimental impact of human activity on biodiversity. The ordinary Filipino has little knowledge of the country’s flora and fauna, and few...

Being more critical of official sources

ON AUGUST 14, the Mindanao Goldstar Daily covered the Northern Mindanao Police’s news conference which presented to the media three alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who had supposedly surrendered to the police. Police officials claimed that one was an organizer of Anakpawis, a party-list organization known...

GMA News Online sheds light on farmers’ plight

ANY COUNTRY’S food security primarily depends on its farmers. But in the predominantly agricultural country that is the Philippines, they ironically receive little or no attention. Media stories on agricultural issues often focus on the politicians debating a policy question or issue. CMFR cheers GMA News Online for its...