Covering the Typhoons: Media’s Focus on Themselves

By Fernando R. Cabigao Jr.

When typhoons ‘Quiel’ and ‘Pedring’ hit the country, pummeled Luzon, affected Visayas and Mindanao causing flashfloods and landslides, the media focused on the flooded areas in Calumpit, Bulacan on the island of Luzon and portrayed themselves as Good Samaritans. The typhoons that ravaged the country displaced thousands of families, killed over hundred people, and damaged crops and infrastructure worth billions of pesos.

In reporting the areas affected by the typhoons, the media included reports on themselves to the neglect of such issues as why, after ‘Ondoy’ flooded Luzon and claimed hundreds of lives, the government is still unprepared for the typhoons and other weather disturbances that hit the country regularly.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) reviewed the media’s coverage of typhoons ‘Pedring’ and ‘Quiel’. From September 27 to October 7, CMFR reviewed the coverage of the BusinessMirror, Business World, Malaya, the Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard Today, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Daily Tribune, The Manila Times, The Philippine Star and Philippines Graphic. Coverage by TV news programs TV Patrol and 24 Oras, Aksyon during the same period were also monitored.

Politics plus

The devastation wrought by both typhoons did not prevent the Manila Standard Today on October 1, in a story on the front page, from quoting House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman as saying that if the President did not have to show up in the flood-stricken areas, then he could have ordered his people to speed up the response. Zambales Rep. Maria Milagros Magsaysay added fuel to the fire by blaming the Executive branch for the government’s allegedly slow response when the typhoon hit the country.

Meanwhile, GMA’s 24 oras reported on Oct. 6 that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Local Government Units (LGU’s) were blaming each other for failing to dredge the Pampanga River which could have minimized flooding in the province. ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol, however, reported on the same day that the DPWH would immediately start the dredging the next day.

Too much focus

The media did extensive coverage of Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, Isabela, Ifugao, Pangasinan and Metro Manila. Aksyon included in its broadcast the hotline numbers of various concerned government agencies like PAG-ASA, NDRRMC, CHED, and DepEd, so viewers could call these agencies if they needed help or information

But while Calumpit, Bulacan did deserve the coverage given to it by TV news programs like 24 Oras, TV Patrol and especially TV5’s Aksyon, other areas in Bulacan like Hagonoy, San Miguel, Obando, Meycauayan, and Paombong had also been severely affected by flooding and deserved at least some media attention. Hagonoy, for example, was so heavily flooded that the residents were suffering the same difficulties—lack of food and potable water, for example— the residents of Calumpit were going through.

Even the relief operations that they conducted and broadcast focused mainly on Calumpit, Bulacan and left Hagonoy residents unattended for some time. From Sept. 28 – Oct. 6, Aksyon, for example, had only one story on Hagonoy compared to two or more on the situation of Calumpit residents.

Like Aksyon, TV Patrol and 24 oras has a lot of live coverage in Calumpit. TV Patrol, for instance, after reporting the situation of the Calumpit residents, was still broadcasting the live coverage in Calumpit while reporting the situation in Hagonoy, Bulacan on September 30. Also, on the same day, 24 Oras, aside from doing a live coverage on Calumpit, also allotted most of their time to covering the situation in Calumpit.

The Philippines Graphic on their Oct. 17 issue published an article titled “Rescue Calumpit,” that talks about the hardships that the rescue teams faced while helping the residents in Calumpit when the typhoons ravaged the country. The article was based on the actual experience of the writer who is also a member of a volunteer rescue group.

Calumpit was not only one that was greatly affected when the water from Angat and Ipo Dams, which are both in Bulacan, was released. Also, not just the municipality of Calumpit was declared under the state of calamity. The municipalities of Obando and Meycauayan City were also declared under a state of calamity.

Good Samaritan?

In December 2005, Typhoon Yoyong hit the country and ravaged Quezon province. PJR Reports, in an article entitled, “Media at the Center of Yoyong’s Fury” on January 2006, noted that “some quarters criticize the blurring of the line between the media’s reportorial function and the human instinct to be of help.”
When the two typhoons hit the country last month, the media portrayed themselves as Good Samaritans again.

Aksyon topped the bill by broadcasting Rescue5’s relief and rescue operations in typhoon-affected areas especially in Calumpit, Bulacan. On September 28, Paolo Bediones reported in Aksyon how, with the help of Rescue 5, his team helped bring an elderly man in Navotas to the hospital after he fell down their stairs. On September 29, the program reported that News5 and Alagang Kapatid helped the residents of Navotas who have lost their homes due to the typhoons. Aksyon even reported on October 5 how News5 and Aksyon Center helped a family in Paombong, Bulacan go back to their home. Aksyon had one or more reports on the TV5’s relief and rescue operations each day.

TV Patrol and 24 Oras did the same, although not as frequently as Aksyon. From September 27 – October 7, TV Patrol reported Sagip Kapamilya’s effort to conduct relief operations. There was a live coverage on how TV Patrol volunteers managed to pack thousands of bags of relief goods. Meanwhile, 24 Oras, aside from reporting relief operations in Calumpit, Bulacan and other areas pummeled by the typhoons, also reported that not just Kapuso Foundation was doing Good Samaritan work, but also the GMA News and Public Affairs’ Serbisyong Totoo, which, GMA 7 reported, had given away free breakfasts, potable water, and even free laundry services.