In Context Archives | Page 9 of 12

Reckless and Heartless

THE COLLAPSE of the peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) in 2017 left President Duterte with nothing to show for it.. He thought the negotiations would result in the surrender of the Left, and when that didn’t happen,he...

Selling out the West PH Sea

AS PRESIDENT Duterte continues to express his beliefs and state his positions, he has confirmed that he is our fundamental problem. It is he who stands in the way of the nation working together to protect the Philippines’ sovereign rights in our EEZ.

Questionable Questions for the Press

THE PAST few weeks have been an interesting, if humbling, experience for journalists in social media. Three reporters from the three major networks became the subject of highly spirited discussion on Twitter over a question that each asked of their interviewees. A number of practitioners have brushed aside the...

PH government’s slow vaccine rollout: Plainly inept or intentional?

SINCE THE pandemic hit the country in January 2020, the Philippines has moved through a chain of snafus and scandals: Filipinos suffered the longest-running lockdown, the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia for at least two months, and more recently, ended last in the line of ASEAN countries...

Giving it meaning: Journalism as interpretation

MUCH of the reporting of the Philippine press and media falls under the category of what some academics call “descriptive journalism.” It is supposed to be journalism that demands only that news reporters provide the answers –just the facts” — to the questions the conventional “five Ws and H”...

State of Media Freedom in PH

Introduction The period saw the long awaited decision from the trial of the accused of the massacre of 58 persons, including 32 journalists in Ampatuan, Maguindanao; promulgated at the end of nearly 10 years. But this high point did not lighten the dreary landscape of press freedom. It is...

The Landscape of Information

ON ANY given day, the Filipino public can expect to watch at least four televised briefings providing updates on the COVID-19 situation as well as the actions undertaken by different government agencies. But because they’re not a coordinated communication effort, the information clutter fails to clarify the state of...

PH Strategy on COVID-19

IN ANY crisis, governments anywhere bear the fundamental responsibility to provide for public needs, and to calm an anxious public with clear and factual information. In the midst of a pandemic, the Duterte administration has appeared quite at a loss about what to do. Early signs indicated their lack...

Tracking the polls: Context and analysis warranted

PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte’s satisfaction rating hit an all-time high in the fourth quarter of 2019. In the same quarter, self-rated poverty rose to 54%, the highest in five years. But rote reporting hardly noted the possible significance of two seemingly contradictory findings. The Social Weather Stations (SWS) reports the numbers...

Editorial Cartoons of the Week (February 15 to 21)

Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 15, 2020 Malaya Business Insight, February 17, 2020 The Philippine Star, February 19, 2020 Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 19, 2020 Malaya Business Insight, February 20, 2020