Media off to a good start as pols announce candidacies

CHEERS TO CNN Philippines and Rappler.com for their efforts at providing background information on the vice presidential aspirants in the 2016 national elections as the period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) officially began.

CNN Philippines’ Network News supplemented its reports on the announcements of VP aspirants by providing pertinent information on their experience and their family, educational and political backgrounds. Their authored/co-authored/sponsored bills were also included, as well as their position on controversial issues such as the Reproductive Health bill.

Among the profiles provided by CNN Philippines were:

• “Who is Francis Escudero?“, September 15, 2015.
• “Who is Bongbong Marcos?”, October 6, 2015.
• “Who is Leni Robredo?“, October 6, 2015.

Rappler.com also provided background information on the VP candidates through its “Things to Know” series.  Among these were:

• “10 things to know about Alan Peter Cayetano,” September 29, 2015.
• “8 things to know about Antonio Trillanes IV,” October 3, 2015.
• “8 things to know about Leni Robredo,” October 8, 2015.
• “11 things to know about Chiz Escudero,” October 11, 2015.
• “9 things to know about Bongbong Marcos,” October 12, 2015.

Efforts to go beyond reporting announcements of candidacies are laudable, although some information tended toward the trivial. Some factual errors were also in evidence. Escudero’s profile in CNN Philippines stated that he ran for re-election in 2010, campaigning with Grace Poe, who topped the Senate race. Both ran in the 2013 senatorial race, not 2010. Rappler included information such as Robredo’s neck injury, details on her love life, significance of Baguio City in Cayetano’s life, among many others. Both also did profiles on some presidential candidates.

Despite these lapses, however, these media organizations were off to a good start. On October 16, Network News ran “What’s a vice president’s role in government?,” sharing information on the responsibility of the country’s second-highest post. Hopefully, as the campaign for various elective posts specially for the presidency and vice presidency heats up, they and other news organizations will go on to meaningfully report and evaluate the candidates’ programs of government to help voters make informed decisions come election day.