MediaNation 9Focus on corruption
A persistent problem
Corruption has been a persistent reality in the press and media for years. In various fora, articles, and publications, journalists have discussed the roots of media corruption and the steps needed to combat the problem.
The Philippine Journalism Review and later, PJRR, published by the CMFR, for example, have reported on the subject, and so have journalists’ groups like the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
At a national round table discussion on media corruption in Oct. 1999 organized by CMFR, the participants discussed how media corruption existed even before Martial Law—but that the practice was neither systematic nor as institutionalized as it became during authoritarian rule.
In 1998, CMFR and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) published “News for Sale: The Corruption of the Philippine Media”, an investigative report by Chay Florentino Hofileña on how payola and incentive contracts corrupted the press coverage of the 1998 elections.
Hofileña updated the book in 2004 (“News For Sale: The Corruption & Commercialization of the Philippine Media”), including in it other issues such as political advertising and various forms of corruption brought about by the entrance of the entertainment press in the field of political coverage.
PCIJ further updated the study in the 2010 election coverage. (“News For Sale 2010: Cash Overload, Media Overdrive”)
The explanations for the persistence of corruption have ranged from the low salaries many media workers receive to the demonstration effect of corruption in other sectors. Some journalists say lack of, or deficient training, particularly in ethics, is also a factor. There is also the alleged “culture of corruption” in government and the private sector, which encourages corrupt practices in the media.
Corruption’s consequences
No one questioned the need to look into and address the issue of corruption in the media. Among other consequences, corruption erodes media independence, and provides media readers, listeners and viwers incomplete, unfair and even inaccurate reports on matters of crucial public interest. It’s a problem that deserves continuing discussion towards finding ways to diminish if not totally eradicate it.
Media corruption is a troubling reality.
And no one could effectively expunge it but the media industry itself. The bigger problem is that no one has the courage to confront the issue head-on.
Media organizations know who are the corrupt ones but even these organizations would not dare confront them. They limit themselves to mere rhetoric. And for as long as industry leaders keep on skirting the issue it will never be resolved and will grow like a monster.
Even forums like Media Nation could hardly help resolve this menacing problem as discussions, or whatever that comes of it, are not binding to the participants.
The plausible solution is to once and for all tackle it head-on before it goes out of control.
If the media has the courage to confront government corruption, what is stopping it from dealing with the corruption in its midst?