Good news or bad news?

Amid the impending US attack of Iraq, the terror in Marawi due to the abduction of teachers, kidnappings of children of famous families and politicians in crowded metropolis, the uproar of vendors being driven out of sidewalks, the news media have served as critical touchstones, helping to unify a nation of individuals in both anger and determination. Rage about the inefficiencies in public service, and the resolve to help in whatever capacity to make this country a safer, richer, and more productive place to live in.

Let’s not be unmindful however, that media, when covering news of widespread interest and national impact, have a special role to play – help connect the citizens by sharing information, and transmit shared values and aspirations that will give the country the position to sustain a free and open society. The definition of news depends on what makes a good story. The news media’s view of the world is influenced, and at times it might be said even distorted, by what Syracuse University Professor Thomas Patterson calls the "situational bias" of journalism, which lies in five areas – what is new, what is bad, what is dramatic, what is readily available, and what can readily be understood. News focuses on what is different and unexpected rather than what is familiar and predictable.

As Lawrence Grossman, former president of NBC News, says, "What is news keeps changing all of the time, so the news offers a peculiarly fleeting, episodic, and disjointed view of the world." News, he continues, is usually about something bad happening –war, graft and corruption, violence, national disaster, crime among others.

Evangelism In Media

Good news is rarely reported– unless there is peace breaking out in some war-torn province, a family from a resettlement area winning the super lotto, a cancer victim recovering miraculously, a bank accountant blowing the whistle on an erring co-employee, or a national beauty winning the crown in the international competition. These types of news carry dramatic changes, including the markedly unusual, or offer tenderly moving human interest. "The very essence of journalism, however, is uncovering whatever is bad rather than reporting what is good – questioning motives. Searching out immorality, focusing on controversy, and in general, looking for the worst in people and situations," Grossman opines.

Good news is the literal translation of the Greek word "euangelion," which is the root word of the English word evangelism. Its Old English translation is godspel or gospel. The question most people would like to ask media is why there is so much bad news especially in the tabloids. Bad news troubles most of us. We want this country to be a better one, and in asking for more good news and less bad news, we are expressing the frustration of feeling unable to change the country to be a better place. The result is most often an inclination to shoot the messenger.

The fact is that wishing for a nicer world doesn’t make it so. Having the best information possible – good or bad – to help us make the decisions on how the world can be improved is the most that we can realistically hope for. That means being as informed as possible before making a move, a decision, or a stand.

What should media do? Hide the bad news? The fact is, many of the wrongs that have been righted or are being dealt with because of media exposure – domestic violence, sexual abuse, graft & corruption, corporate misdeeds. These would have remained unchecked until revelations in media called our attention and pricked our conscience. The publication of so many other bad and difficult stories, like Filipinos allegedly overstaying in Sabah and being maltreated in Malaysian jail, and the police shootout with the notorious leaders of the kidnap for ransom syndicates, allows us the opportunity to participate in discussions and debates that might otherwise be confined to columnists, commentators, academics, bureaucrats, and government leaders.

How might we read the balance between bad news versus good news? The fact is that life is a mixture of good and bad. That’s the reason for example why the coverage of the administration of President Arroyo is sometimes positive, sometimes not. Each story aims to be balanced, but often whether it is good or bad depends on one’s sense or frame of mind. Objectivity, or the projection of the truth, is still the key when reporting a story. Both sides of the story must be presented fairly and accurately without the reporter’s opinion interfering, and that the receiver of the story should be able to make an opinion that is not influenced by the writer.

Media should have a conscious sense of its responsibilities to its publics. They should be able to provide balanced information that will empower their readers or viewers to perform their duties as citizens. Communication scholars call it civic journalism. Jan Schaffer, executive director of the Pew Center of Journalism looks at it as a coverage of consensus as well as conflict. Success stories as well as failures. It is about reframing stories in ways that are more relevant to readers, and redefining balance, where all people affected by the issue being reported have a voice in the story, and not just the proponents of the most extreme viewpoints.

Civic Journalism, is also about providing entry points for audiences to get involved, news pages and air time to ventilate their ideas, and assert their power to make a difference. It is making reportage more interactive, creating a more welcoming feedback mechanism that allows for a healthier discussion of issues. Good news or bad news? The answer is in our hands.

Good News About SMEs

Here’s a bit of good news! At this critical juncture in Philippine history, when bad news seems to be the order of the day, Plantersbank, the country’s largest private development bank, has taken a purposeful, energetic action to help reverse the trend by launching the World Class Filipino Entrepreneur advocacy program. It is a series of "feel good" stories on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) captured in one-minuter TV news capsules. The program is in partnership with the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

Ces Oreña-Drilon, veteran broadcast journalist and advocate of micro enterprises and SMEs, lent authority and credibility to the project. She appeared as presenter of the capsules that featured successful clients of Plantersbank, who built their own names in the industry, contributed to their respective communities via the generation of jobs, and spearheaded an economic surge for the country.

The first case was the story of Raphael Legacy Designs, whose furniture and accessories can compete with the world’s best. The second case was on Tentay Food Sauces whose lead product, Tentay Patis, is a staple in every Filipino kitchen as pangtimpla, and dining table as sawsawan. The material showed the quality process of how this famous fish sauce is processed. The third case featured Stefano Footwear, the manufacturer of Florsheim for kids, Gibi, a by-word in quality shoes. Stefano shoes have also found comfortable feet in most of the Asian markets, the Middle East and Australia.

The project, launched recently with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as special guest is a first for ANC, the ABS-CBN business group which Drilon heads and Plantersbank. The production of the TV infomercials is a first for the bank. For the most part it has concentrated its image-building efforts through print publicity and selected institutional print placements.

"We hope that this series of SME success stories will inspire the viewing public and stir their awareness on the role of entrepreneurs in the country’s drive for economic recovery, thereby improving the lives of people in the community, and in the long-term help in the alleviation of poverty," says Jesus Tambunting, chair and CEO of Plantersbank.

More good news, please.

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E-mail: bongo@vasia.com or bongo@campaignsandgrey.net