Noy to media: Report good news

Manila, Philippines -  President Aquino called on media Friday night to shun sensationalism and balance negative news with positive developments in the country.

The President relayed the message in separate speeches he delivered for the 25th anniversary celebration of BusinessWorld and ABS-CBN’s news program, “TV Patrol.”

“Today, more than ever, we need more people to make a commitment to a higher standard in journalism. After all, our entire country is on a mission to change the behavior in our institutions – and media is not exempt from that,” Aquino said in his BusinessWorld speech.

“I am not saying that media should be there to praise the government all the time. But the news shouldn’t be about competing with other outlets on who can sell the most negative headlines; it shouldn’t just be about attracting more and more readers in the short term,” he said.

“Think about it: In the long term, how many people would be willing to pay just to have their day ruined? How long can an audience withstand negativism day in and day out?” he added.

The President said reporting news should be about informing readers, giving them accurate, timely, and contextualized facts, “so that (readers) can decide for themselves what to feel.”

“By all means: criticize us, disagree with us, but make sure you do so on the basis of properly contextualized facts. And when these facts show that progress has been made, then you must also tell it like it is,” he said.

“This is media’s responsibility to their viewers, listeners, and readers. If our country is progressing, it can only be because our countrymen – both in and out of government – have worked hard at it,” Aquino said.

“The media, the government, and the people must work together to create an environment of positive, progressive discourse between them. We must veer away from negativity and sensationalism. These must not run the course of our national discussions. Negativity leads to despair, which leads to apathy, which then perpetuates the vicious cycle. Our people are denied the chance, and the capacity, to dream. Hopelessness then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” the President said.

“Stick to the facts, provide the context, and get your reporting straight. Build an impermeable barrier between opinion, reportage, and advertising,” he said.

“Editorial space is never for sale, advertising space is,” the President said, quoting BusinessWorld founder Raul Locsin.

Truth inspires

“Adhering to the truth does not always mean seeing what is lacking or what is wrong. In fact, there are times – and they are becoming more frequent – when the truth can elevate our opinions of ourselves, of others, and of our nation; it can restore and strengthen confidence,” Aquino said.

“This ignites a virtuous cycle, where good leads to more good; positive energy begets more positive energy; and dreams get that much closer to becoming tangible realities. We have already achieved so much. Imagine how much more we can achieve when everyone begins to believe: Nothing is impossible to a united Filipino nation,” he said.

Aquino said the restoration of democracy 26 years ago has allowed the media to pursue integrity, accuracy and balance with ease in news reporting.

“Sadly, the general state of our national media makes us aware that its full realization has yet to be achieved. Nevertheless, there are those who we can always count on to fight the good fight,” he said.

Aquino said a newsman’s credibility should be his currency and that “the readers, in turn, were assured that when they read the news, it is driven by facts, and not merely by an unhealthy appetite for a wider readership, which is something we unfortunately see in some media outlets today.”

He said he is glad that a fact-based style of reporting is still the guiding light of some newspapers.

He said good news, like the economic growth, appeared to catch more the attention of foreign media.

“Truly, if we go by the facts, we are seeing that the Philippines – as one observer has said – is no longer a joke,” Aquino noted.

In his speech during the TV Patrol anniversary, Aquino praised the long-running program for evolving into an “institution” in media reporting but criticized the way it was presenting the news on some occasions.

The President, without naming TV Patrol anchor Noli de Castro, said he could not understand why the negative angle in some news is emphasized even if the positive angle appears to be more pronounced.

Aquino cited a program called “Dragnet” that he used to watch where the main character would usually blurt out: “Just the facts, Ma’am.”

He said the achievements he mentioned in his State of the Nation Address indicate that there’s now “light at the end of the tunnel.”

The President said that De Castro, being a former vice president, should know the inroads achieved by the current administration vis-à-vis the previous Arroyo administration.

Aquino said he could take criticisms but not those without basis, especially from an “opinion-maker” who could sway people’s minds.

The President and De Castro bumped into each other at the Manila Hotel where the event was held and shared light banter.

De Castro was not around when he was being criticized by Aquino.

The President said he could not understand why some mediamen would promote conflict when there is already harmony.

“How many tourists cancel their vacation to the Philippines every month because of everyday negativism? How many of our fellowmen lose their opportunity for livelihood because of bad news? If you’re one of the 10 million who work and sacrifice abroad, will you be encouraged to come back when news on television is more frightening than ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’?” Aquino said. “Since when did it become bad to report good news?”

He said there were positive stories that could inspire and uplift the people rather than make them feel hopeless.

Aquino stressed there were still many problems to be solved and that dealing with them would be harder in the face of uninformed opinions and speculations.

“I myself will concede: We don’t have the monopoly of goodness and intelligence and we are not right all the time. But how can problems be solved if in every step forward, the others will pull us backwards in a seeming attempt to bring us back to the dark,” he said.

If there is competition for control and patience, the President said he would be a “gold medalist.”

“This is part of the job. But telling the truth is also part of it. And I am just trying to lay down the truth that I see,” he said.