Covering elections still exciting, say JVO Journalism Seminar panelists

Towards better election results

Mangahas said that it was “disappointing” that the political parties still choose candidates for their “winability and not for their principle.” Voters should be more engaged in the choice of candidates. It is also important that voters be educated because “they still don’t appreciate the power that they have,” said Bugaoisan.

Robles added  that the media could also help by giving “measurable standards” in assessing the performance of candidates and finding out if they are worthy of  being voted into office again. “Big organizations can also give ICT tools and broadband access to poorest communities and educate them about using them.”

Above all, the media should continue to provide people with relevant information that will help them choose better candidates. “We are moving from elections to governance. The media should not let up and we should hold the candidates to account for the promises they made during the campaign,” Mangahas said.

Some students in the audience mentioned the problem of the media’s being involved in blocktiming and advertorials during elections. Jumilla-Abalos said “blocktiming is not really bad or evil.” She added it is abused only if a journalist uses the time to attack somebody who is the enemy of the one who bought the air time. But the media should be transparent when doing blocktime programs by disclosing that a program is funded by a politician.

A vision for the next 20 years

Hontiveros-Pagkalinawan said the Filipinos vote emotionally because “they react to brands, which is why political campaigns are dominated by packaging, messaging and advertising.” What the media can do to change the mindset of three or four generations of Filipinos is “to keep engaging the public and to keep talking about issues.”

The media should keep on talking about political dynasties, transparency, governance, accountability and good elections so that “we can move away from voting for brands to voting according to issues and principles.”

In the next twenty years, Robles said “we should become the positive example of democracy.” Better elections will lead to good governance for the Philippines.

Mangahas said the “standards for good elections and governance are transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness.” And the media should make these principles work not just during elections but also beyond election day

Cabaero, Mangahas named

The JVOJS ended with the presentation of the Sandra Burton Nieman fellow for 2014 and the 2013 Marshall Mcluhan awardee.

Mr. Rapa Lopa, executive director of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, presented the second Sandra Burton Nieman Fellow Nini Cabaero of SunStar Cebu. She is a JVO Fellow since 2010.

The Nieman fellowship consists of a year-long study grant at Harvard University in the United States. The late Sandra Burton was the Time Asia correspondent who covered the Philippines extensively from August 23, 1983 when the late Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated at the Manila International Airport until the restoration of democracy in 1986 and onwards.

James Christoff of the Embassy of Canada in Manila presented Mangahas as the Marshall McLuhan Fellow for 2013. The Embassy of Canada, with support from  SunLife Financial Inc., sponsors the McLuhan fellowship named after communication theoretician Marshall McLuhan. It consists of a ten-day familiarization and lecture tour of Canadian media and academic organizations, and later, a lecture tour of Philippine universities under Embassy auspices.

All the panelists also  received certificates and  cash awards of Php 20,000.00 each.

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