Gossipy and trivial
The media reports on the love life of President Benigno Aquino III are once again confirming the persistence of one of the worst habits of the Philippine press—its penchant for gossip and trivia.
For instance, the Manila Bulletin underscored Aquino’s love life, heart breaks and active dating in a recent piece (“Aquino Hopes for A Miracle”, 2 April). It also emphasized Aquino’s search for a long time partner, and his feeling left behind by his fellows in Congress who are with their long time partners.
On the other hand, Newsbreak (“It’s over forPnoy & Len” 7 April) reported the alleged end of his dating a stock broker. The article focused on the months when Aquino and Len Lopez were together, even noting how sweet the two were to each other during a closed-door event. Newsbreak went so far as to declare that “if PNoy reads this item, he would probably tell us also that it’s none of our business. But sorry, Mr. President, we just can’t help it. Your love life (or lack thereof) is very much a part of you.”
Articles like “Where love has gone; President Aquino still looking” of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and “What’s Aquino’s love type?” from abs-cbnNEWS also consumed a lot of space in the media. The articles sounded as if it they had been written for one of those shallow women’s magazines, to the extent of enumerating his preferences for women, among them their being “fair, chinita, and (preference for) stimulating conversations.”
Reporting the private lives of government officials whether elected or appointed can be justified if what’s being reported is relevant to these officials’ discharge of their public functions. Aquino’s love life could conceivably have some relevance to how he’s governing the country. If so, the connection has to be shown and explained. Unfortunately, none of the above reports did either.
[…] the press for giving undue attention to Aquino’s lovelife, calling the coverage “gossipy and trivial.” Reporting the private lives of government officials whether elected or appointed can be […]