Journalism Review Archives | Page 79 of 159

All the President’s Men: Independent or Rubber Stamp?

UNRESOLVED IRREGULARITIES in the recent midterm elections did not stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from proclaiming the new senators last May 22. Nine out of the 12 are administration allies, including Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who is facing graft charges, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who, as chief of...

The Powerful and Popular Versus the Marginalized: The Party-list Poll Results

THE PARTY-LIST system has been so corrupted that it has led to the political dynasties’ and their agents’ strengthening their hold on the House of Representatives. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed 51 winning party-lists in the recent midterm polls, filling 61 seats in the next Congress. Many groups...

All Eyes on Comelec: Media on Election “Glitches”

THE “GLITCHES” which marred the May 13 elections triggered public dismay, not just among those who supported the opposition, but also those who have held faith with the automation of the ballot. Most Filipinos did not expect the kind of procedural lapses which marred the experience of voters early...

Defeat of Dynasties: A More Critical Look

CHEERS TO ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol for a critical look into the defeat of some local dynasties. In a May 17 report, TV Patrol noted that political dynasties come and go and in most cases are only replaced by new ones. The newscast took off from the victories...

Covering the May 13 Elections: TV Did the Better Job, But…

NOTHING QUITE highlights the importance of media coverage as the elections in the Philippines, where fraud, vote-buying and violence have marred the political exercise. During the May 13 mid-term elections, the news media were at best only partly successful in discharging one of its most significant duties as public...

Who will Rebuild Marawi? President’s Blame Game Escapes Media Lens

THE MARAWI SIEGE left a trail of death, destruction and destitution in the city in 2017. Nearly two years after the radical Islamist Maute group laid siege on the country’s only recognized Islamic City, it is still in ruins, with over 12,000 families still displaced from their homes. In...

Duterte in Beijing Again: Little Info, Less Analysis

FOLLOWING THE magnitude 6.1 earthquake that rocked parts of Luzon and Visayas, President Rodrigo Duterte’s attendance in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing from April 25 to 27 did not generate too much media attention, and for that reason, the visit did not hold much public interest. The...

Silent on Local Polls: TV Still Hot on the National Campaign Trail, Puff Pieces Still Dominate Print

THE LOCAL campaign kickoff on March 29 helped increase election-related reports, but brought little improvement to the reportage on the campaign. Most of the reports on TV were still on the campaign sorties of the candidates for the Senate, with little focus on local elections and candidates across the...

Media on the Quakes: Missing the Science of It

ON APRIL 22, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Luzon, its epicenter in Castillejos, Zambales, resulting in 18 fatalities and PHP505 million worth of infrastructure damage. The following day, a temblor with 6.5 magnitude struck in Eastern Samar with its epicenter in the municipality of San Julian and...

Just Another Tall Tale: Covering the “Matrix” Story

IN ITS April 22 banner story “OUST-DUTERTE PLOT BARED” (all caps supplied), The Manila Times alleged that a “coordinated media campaign” involved journalists in a plot to destabilize the Duterte regime. By-lined by Dante Ang, the newspaper’s chairman emeritus (and Duterte’s Special Envoy for International Affairs) and using only...