Speaking of Media

A dire portent for media?
“What, we ask, constitutes ‘co-mingling with terror suspects?’ Interviewing them? Meeting with them in pursuit of stories?
“And, we stress, (Justice Secretary Raul) Gonzalez does not even talk of legally proscribed terrorists but ‘suspected terrorists’ and of journalists being ‘suspected’ of ‘co-mingling’ with these terror suspects.
“Gonzalez alludes to the ostensible ‘safeguards’ the law provides against abuse.
“Alas, as we have seen all too often, and not only in the case of media, such safeguards too sadly become a recourse after the fact, when rights have been trampled and freedoms ran roughshod over.
“Just as disconcerting is the fact that it is Gonzalez himself who can recommend who are being suspected of co-mingling with terror suspects and thus fair game for wiretapping.
“We still remember Gonzalez’ snide dismissal of the murder of journalists as the probable offshoot of drunken sprees or extramarital affairs, or his derisive challenge to those protesting his oftentimes inane interpretations of the law he is supposed to uphold to go to court.
“Indeed, given this administration’s general apathy to the continued assaults on press freedom and the people’s right to know, as seen in its continued inaction on media killings and the continued failure of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue a categorical order to end the bloodshed, Gonzalez’ latest pronouncement can be nothing but a dire portent of things to come.
“We call on the 14th Congress to act post-haste on this potential threat not just to press freedom but to democracy itself by reviewing or, better still, repealing altogether this law that is worse than the disease it purports to cure.”
– National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, on the Human Security Act of 2007, July 5

Media as kingmaker
“The media coverage of Father Ed’s (Panlilio) fight was so extensive that it generated a lot of support even from people who had nothing to do with Pampanga politics. This proves that there are people out there who are willing to join worthy crusades if media would only do its job of informing people about inspiring stories and exemplary acts of faith and courage that abound.
“Media has a lot to do with projecting candidates as winners or losers. The amount of coverage a candidate gets—without even taking into consideration if the exposure is positive or negative—already conditions people to perceive a candidate as a heavyweight or lightweight, winnable or not.”
William M. Esposo, The Philippine Star,  May 27

”The Elections of 2007 will go down in Philippine political history as the year the news media shucked its traditional role of being a mere observer and reporter of events for the more activist role of watchdog and participant in the electoral process.
“Consequently, in this new role, the news media not only reported the unfolding events but also inexorably altered the results of the elections in more ways than one, for better or worse.
“Examples of these media-induced electoral results are the victory of Fr. Ed Panlilio in the gubernatorial elections in Pampanga, the triumph of senators-elect Francis Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano over more widely known politicians and celebrities, and the overwhelming victory of the opposition in the senatorial elections, which exceeded even the predictions of the poll surveys.
“Less obvious but equally significant was the opposition’s crafty and ingenious use of the tools of media as instruments of political strategy, which led to the victory of detained Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV and of other opposition senatorial candidates.
“The news media also brought much-needed clout to the nationwide efforts of civic groups to protect the accuracy of the electoral results and expose attempts to modify them, which could have succeeded without the prying eyes of media.”
– Winston Marbella, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 17

On ‘abusive’ journalists
“The media keep track of the number of media men who have been killed, but the media do not say who among those killed abused their profession. A case in point was a well-known media practitioner in Davao City who was killed some years ago. Why was he killed in the first place? All the articles published immediately after his death were full of praises and described him as a very lovable person. Yet, he was one of the most abusive media men. The articles bared the media’s bias.
“Why do media men get sued for libel? Because they are not careful with what they report as news. Press freedom does exist but it has its limits.”
– Jurgen Valderrama,  Inquirer reader, May 4

Arroyo’s plea
“The media can help the government and the country reach a new plane of development, stability, and reform by balanced reporting based on verified facts, constructive commentary on public issues, and editorial focus on news that matters to the lives and livelihood of ordinary Filipinos.”
– President Arroyo, asking the media to help her in her last three years in office, March 21

“Our sole responsibility is to the people, and their right to free access to the information they need to decide how to shape their future as individuals and as a nation.”
– NUJP, reacting to Arroyo’s appeal

Media the intrusive elephant
“Let this be a lesson to everyone who seeks media attention whether for professional or personal reasons. Once you invite the media into your life, it’s too late to begin setting boundaries. I once compared the media to an elephant. Once you let that elephant’s trunk through your front door, the head and the massive torso and the gigantic feet are sure to follow. And good luck to you when you try to push it out the door.”
– Rina Jimenez David, on the recent marital spat between actress Ruffa Gutierrez and husband Yilmaz Bektas, Inquirer, June 19

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