Teledyaryo gives mostly negative coverage to Aquino: Gov’t TV shows bias for Teodoro, Lakas-Kampi

The CMFR Monitor of Media Coverage of the 2010 Elections
BROADCAST DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
(For the period March 15-19 and 22-26, 2010)

The election coverage by TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN 2), 24 Oras (GMA-7) and Teledyaryo (NBN-4) from March 15 to 19 and March 22 to 26 was generally more of the same:  their election-related reports were mostly on the presidential campaign. There were efforts by Teledyaryo to provide more reports on the party-list elections, but there was no variety in terms of subjects and sources used.

TV Patrol World and 24 Oras gave the most coverage to presidential candidates Manuel Villar Jr. (Nacionalista Party), Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (Liberal Party) and Joseph Estrada (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino). Villar and Aquino were tied for the top spot in the case of 24 Oras. On the other hand, Teledyaryo’s most covered presidential candidates were Gilbert Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi), Aquino and Villar, in that order.  However, Aquino received mostly negative reports in Teledyaryo.

The three news programs gave little coverage to the vice-presidential, senatorial and party-list campaigns during the period in review. While all eight vice-presidential contenders figured as news subjects, the same cannot be said for the senatorial candidates and party-list groups, as only 33 and 28 of them, respectively, were cited by TV Patrol World, 24 Oras and Teledyaryo.

Given that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) lists 61 senatorial candidates and 187 party-list groups, those used as news subjects during the period under review  accounted for only 54.1 percent (senatorial campaign) and 15.0 percent (party-list campaign) of total airtime.

For the full report, please visit CMFR’s microsite on the Monitor of the News Media Coverage of the 2010 National and Local Elections (www.cmfr-phil.org/mediaandelections).

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