Speaking of Media

What Gloria wants
“We are not only asking media to report only the good news but to deliver the facts straight and accurately….What we are after is freedom but responsible media through the exercise of responsible media freedom.”
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, speaking before the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nov. 17

Part of the territory
“Libel is part of a journalist’s territory. He should live with it.”
Emil P. Jurado, Manila Standard Today, Nov. 17

“Like the shameless death threat e-mailed to Malaya columnist Ellen Tordesillas, another of those whom Mr. Arroyo has favored with a libel suit, the attempt to arrest Ms. Gonzalez is, at best, an attempt by some overeager factotum to curry favors with a powerful patron.
“At worst, it is a brazen display and abuse of power, not to mention a disgraceful show of inhospitality for harassing Ms. Gonzalez in the heart of the Presidential residence.
“This incident merely highlights the need to strike the dated libel law, a remnant of our colonial past, from the statute books to prevent its use time and again as a weapon to bludgeon into silence and submission those whose duty it is to ferret out the truth and inform the public of how those sworn to their service do or do not abide by their oaths.”
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Nov. 14

“This blatant threat against Tordesillas must not be dismissed…. The IFJ demands an immediate investigation into the incident, and calls on police authorities to ensure that no harm comes to Tordesillas.”
International Federation of Journalists president Christopher Warren on the death threat received by Malaya columnist Ellen Tordesillas amid the soaring number of journalist killings in the Philippines, Nov. 13

“It is eight months to the day since (Joey) Estriber was abducted and nothing has been done by the authorities to find and identify his kidnappers…. It seems that complicity between the local police and logging companies has prevented any progress in the investigation. The authorities in Manila must restart enquiries as a matter of urgency.”
Reporters Sans Frontières, raising concern over the case of journalist Joey Estriber who has been missing since March 3, Nov. 6

“Arroyo’s lawyers say that in filing these cases, he is merely protecting his honor and reputation as a private person. However, what they really want is to put his actions and activities beyond public scrutiny.

“But while Arroyo has no official position, there is no doubt that he can influence official policies and decisions not only through his wife, President Arroyo but also—and possibly even more so—through the officials appointed by her. He may not be getting any compensation from the government, but he enjoys perks and privileges that are probably second only to what the President gets. He may not be a public official, but he does carry an official title. Indeed, whether or not Arroyo had a hand in it, the failed attempt to arrest Gonzalez showed how influential and powerful he is.
“The First Gentleman clearly wields immense power, minus a popular mandate. And that makes it even more—not less—necessary for the media to train a critical eye on everything he does that may have even just the slightest effect on governance.” Inquirer, Nov. 18

On “Nicole”
“For Nicole’s camp now to complain that her privacy is being violated—that’s just not right. I hate to say this but if Nicole and her people value her privacy so much, she should hide from the press altogether.

“Given that she seems to have no problem showing her face to journalists or the people covering these press conferences, she should take away from the press the burden of protecting her identity.

“She should just wear the goddamn burqa.

“‘Nicole’ is a legitimate story. The public and the media naturally want news about her. But by putting on the press the burden of protecting her privacy, while she sashays about only with her sunglasses on, Nicole is in effect setting up journalists, who come off like unfeeling a*******, like mean sharks and hungry vultures, each time they chase her with their cameras or pepper her with questions.”
Carlos Conde following complaints from the camp of rape victim “Nicole” on media coverage of the case, PinoyPress, Dec. 8

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