Blown out of proportion

By Penzer R. Baterna

The incident involving celebrity-host Vhong Navarro gained massive media coverage which highlighted some failures of the press and raised questions on media coverage, news priorities, context and media perspective and news analysis.

The media focused too much on the personalities involved. While they followed the issue, they failed to note other areas that could have expanded the discussion of the crimes committed.

On January 23, the beating of Navarro made headlines on local television news programs. The incident was linked to a blotter report filed by a 22-year-old model-stylist accusing the artist of rape. The woman later came out in public and was identified as a Deniece Cornejo.

Navarro appeared on ABS-CBN 2’s showbiz program Buzz ng Bayan to narrate his version of the events of January 22. Navarro’s camp later said he was suing the model, a certain Cedric Lee, a certain Mike and other men for serious physical injuries, illegal detention and extortion.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility(CMFR) monitored television news programs ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol, GMA 7’s 24 Oras, Solar TV’s Solar Network News, TV5’s Aksyon; newspapers, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star and the Manila Bulletin; and some online news outfits from January 23 to February 24.

Over coverage

On January 27, TV Patrol and 24 Oras allotted a large percentage of air time to the incident and as a result failed to provide reports on key issues and events that day.

ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol devoted 36 minutes and 41 seconds, or 65 percent of its entire air time, on Navarro. The news program had a total of eight stories on the incident including reports on the possible procedural lapses of the Southern Police District, an interview with the model and Lee, an interview with Navarro’s lawyer, and reports on celebrities and Netizens expressing support for the celebrity-host.

TV Patrol anchor Korina Sanchez said at the end of the program: “…at si Vhong, magpagaling ka Vhong, mahal ka namin(and to you Vhong, get well soon. We love you).” Navarro is one of the hosts of ABS-CBN 2’s noontime variety show It’s Showtime.

GMA 7’s 24 Oras used 23 minutes and 55 seconds, or 43 percent of its entire airtime, to report on the incident. The program had seven news reports including an interview with Lee and the model, a report on the NBI investigation on the case, and a statement from GMA 7 management. Earlier news reports said that the model was related to GMA 7′s Chairman and CEO Felipe Gozon, but this was denied by the station.

Other news organizations such as Solar TV had few or no reports on the issue.

Prioritizing news

The issue of rape that lead to the mauling of actor Vhong Navarro was covered by the media heavily compared to past events involving other forms of sexual assaults like the battle against child pornography and follow ups on last year’s “sex for flight”  issue.

At the height of the issue, the focus on Navarro edged out of the news programs the signing of the last annex of the Bangsamoro or MILF peace process, the demolition of informal settler homes in Quezon City’s Agham Road, Malaysia’s crackdown on illegal aliens, and deliberations in Congress on the Freedom of Information bill.

The television news programs reported developments in detail. ABS-CBN 2 and GMA 7’s news TV channels even covered the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) presentation of the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage obtained from Cornejo’s condominium on January 29. The CCTV footage showed related events, from the time Navarro entered the condominium to the time he was allegedly ‘citizen arrested’ by Lee’s camp for “raping” Cornejo.

Aside from the live coverage, GMA News online created an infographic showing the obtained footage.

On February 6, ANC, ABS-CBN 2 news channel, and GMA News TV cut their coverage of the conference meetings in the Palace and in the Senate on Yolanda and the peace process, respectively, to do a live coverage of Navarro’s filing of his Affidavit at the Department of Justice.

Focus on Personalities

The Philippine Daily Inquirer on January 27 published an article titled “Who is Cedric Lee?” highlighting the businessman’s professional life.

For its part,  the Manila Bulletin on January 29 published the article, “About Deniece Cornejo”  based on the latter’s social media accounts and her showbiz career.

The hype dragged other celebrities and known personalities into the issue as well. Reports from ABS-CBN 2 and GMA 7 showed showbiz personalities and political figures commenting on the issue.

Controversial legislator and showbiz personality Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada was among those interviewed.  He had kind words for Navarro whom he called his ‘best friend’. Equally controversial senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.,  who is also from showbiz, was also interviewed and told the media that there is no need for a Senate probe on the issue. Both senators are accused of involvement in the misuse of pork barrel funds.

Broadcast, online more than print

The television news organizations covered the issue more heavily than print.

GMA 7 and ABS-CBN 2 tracked the issue closely, at times cutting other programs and stories to air “exclusive” reports on the issue. The Navarro story began with the blotter report released by GMA 7, which was countered by ABS-CBN 2 with an exclusive interview with Navarro on a showbiz talk show.

On February 20, 24 Oras broadcast an interview with a woman who was allegedly raped by Navarro in 2010. ABS-CBN 2 responded with interviews of people attesting that they were with Navarro on the day that the woman was supposedly raped as indicated on her affidavit.

The social media also played a major role in highlighting the incident. The hype of the mauling incident raised discussions among Netizens and became a trending topic in the social media. The opinion of Netizens themselves became the subject of the news reports, as was evident in the following:

Social media abuzz with speculation after more revelations in Vhong Navarro mauling

Vhong Navarro case puzzles netizens

The reports from the media divided social media users. Many said Navarro’s statements were more believable. The fans of the comedian-host also expressed support for the celebrity.

On January 28, Jessica Soho was bashed by Netizens who were mostly Navarro fans for her comments and observations on the CCTV footage released by the NBI in relation to the case.

In her program State of the Nation Soho had a conversation with the journalist on field reporting live at the NBI. The anchor said, “John, ito ay isang kaso ng he said-she said, the truth is out there sabi nga natin. Just to manage expectations ‘no, may CCTV na … parang do’n sa flow of events, [sa] version ng magkabilang kampo, walang makaiba, e, consistent sila. Pareho sila ng sinasabi. So I don’t know if itong video na kuha sa lobby ng condominium will amount to anything much (John, this is a case of a he-said-she-said, the truth is out. Just to manage expectations, there is CCTV footage already…in the flow of events, it’s like both camps are consistent. They seem to say the same. So I don’t know if this video obtained from the condominium’s lobby will amount to anything much).”

Clips of the report became viral in the social media and seemed to have agitated Navarro fans. Soho received unnecessary bashing which apparently compelled the anchor to issue a statement at the end of State of the Nation on January 29. The statement said:

“Dito po sa State of the Nation kagabi, sa ulat ng aming reporter na si John Consulta, naipuntos ang maikling time intervals sa pagdating sa lobby ng condominium ng mga taong sangkot sa kaso ngayon ni Vhong Navarro.

“Lumabas din sa aking Q and A o question and answer kay John Consulta na importanteng ebidensiya ang CCTV footage para sa imbestigasyon ng NBI.

“Nabanggit ko rin na ang CCTV ay tila naaayon sa naunang pahayag ni Vhong Navarro tungkol sa nangyari sa kanya.

“Katulad po ng aming pagbabalita sa panig ni Vhong Navarro, ibinabalita rin po namin ang panig nina Deniece Cornejo at Cedric Lee, at ang iba pang mga may kaugnayan sa kaso.

“Makakaasa po kayo na ang GMA News ay nananatiling walang kinikilingan at patas sa pagbabalita. (We in State of the Nation last night in a report of our journalist John Consulta, pointed out the small time intervals in the arrival of the people involved in the Vhong Navarro case. It was pointed out on our Q and A with John Consulta also that the CCTV footage is important for the NBI investigation. I also mentioned that the footage seemed to confirm Vhong Navarro’s statements on what happened. But as we reported Navarro’s side, we also reported the sides of Deniece Cornejo and Cedric Lee as well as that of other people who were involved in the case. Expect GMA News to be fair and unbiased in its reporting). ”

Misogyny

Some  Netizens started to create memes and  to  comment on the claim of the 22-year-old  woman that Navarro had raped her.

A column on Rappler, Thought Leaders by Nikki Luna, Beyond Vhong, Deniece: The issue of rape reviewed how Netizens and the media responded to  past mauling  and rape cases involving big celebrities as  suspects.

An article in Interaksyon.com,  the TV5 online news portal, entitled The Bashing of Deniece Bares how Pinoys really see women explained how the issue was an indication of the existence of misogyny or hatred against women in the Philippines.

According to the article, “regardless of who is eventually proven to be telling the truth in the whole sordid affair, Cornejo has become a victim of massive vilification, the subject of everything from ridicule to wishes for her untimely demise.”

For all their focus on the Navarro incident, broadcast media missed this side of the story.

More than the drama, the media missed the opportunity to address the issue of rape, sexism and misogyny.

Post Script

The Navarro case is a story blown out of proportion by the media. But it could have served as an opportunity to discuss the failure of police investigation, the crimes that involve the rich and the famous, basic laws, the issue of rape and the issue of cyber bullying.

As of this writing, the separate cases filed by both Navarro and Cornejo’s camps are ongoing. The coverage of the issue has faded, but updates especially court hearings, new evidence and new personalities coming out are still reported by the media.