Journalism Review Archives | Page 81 of 159

Rappler Checks Fine Print on China Loans

WITH THE promise of accelerated economic growth, the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build program has allocated PHP8 trillion for infrastructure. But halfway through the Duterte presidency, much remains to be seen regarding the program’s implementation. As with any government project, funding must be of primary concern for anyone who...

Limited Choices: Media on Unopposed Candidates

CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler for reporting on the number of unopposed candidates for local posts, again shedding light on a phenomenon common during Philippine elections, which effectively perverts the democratic purpose of elections. The Inquirer reported on March 29 a total of 414 unopposed candidates,...

20 New Laws: Media Credits Duterte and Downplays Role of Congress

LAW MAKING is no simple matter. The legislative process includes drafting the bill, which is then debated and amended by the members of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Once lawmakers are satisfied with the measure, they ratify it as law, which the president reviews and can either...

Peace Talks: Another Ending in Sight?

THIS TIME, it is a “permanent termination” — words used by President Rodrigo Duterte in announcing yet another end to the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) on March 21. This was preceded by his disbanding the negotiating team which have...

Metro Water Woes: Key Questions Unanswered

THE WATER service interruption in the concession areas of Manila Water in East Metro Manila and Rizal has remained, causing untold inconvenience, even critical conditions, for households, hospitals, businesses and the delivery of basic services. In some areas in the last two weeks, residents had to line up on...

Hasty Reporting of the “Narco” List

EXPRESSING HIS “trust in the government agencies who (sic) have vetted and validated the narco-list,” President Rodrigo Duterte read the list of politicians who were alleged to be involved in the illegal drug trade. He made this announcement during the National Peace and Order Council Meeting in Davao City...

All Aboard the Campaign Train: Nothing New, Hardly Relevant Coverage

FEBRUARY 12, the official start of the 2019 campaign, pushed into high gear media’s coverage of the May 19 midterm elections. But there was little that actually helped the electorate to decide who best deserve their votes. Mid-term elections are a challenge. The absence of a presidential candidate seems...

Beyond Congress: Explaining the Negative Impact of the Budget Deadlock

NO MATTER who wins in the seemingly endless budget row between the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Filipino people will certainly be on the losing end. On February 8, after months of delay, both legislative chambers yielded to compromise to pass the 2019 national budget. But new...

Investigative Reports Needed on the Influx of Foreign Workers

A FORMER columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, who is now special envoy to China, drew flak for saying during a TV interview on March 7 that Chinese workers are better than their Filipino counterparts. The kerfuffle that ensued attracted media attention without connecting it to the concerns over...

Media Warned About Spurious “Survey Results”

ON MARCH 8, five Manila broadsheets –The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, The Manila Times and Daily Tribune — reported that the senatorial candidate, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go had “surged” to the top three rank in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. None of the accounts said...