The TV5-ABS-CBN deal and what media should be all about

The press is also known as the Fourth Estate. It has the capacity to advocate certain issues and make them part of the public discourse. Thus, media plays a crucial role in preserving and defending democracy. 

The political scientist Joel Migdal sees the state as but one of the many organizations that comprise human societies. A society is a mélange of human associations.  The state is an organization run by a set of officials that we call the government. 

In his theory of the “state in society,” Migdal posits that a state has four (4) basic functions in relation to society in general: penetration, extraction, regulation and allocation. The state’s strength or effectiveness may be framed in relation to these functions: Penetration is deploying state agents across society to have a physical means of managing the national community.  

Extraction refers to collecting resources to sustain state or governmental operations. Regulation is shaping the behavior and relationships of citizens—the actors within the state’s territory.  

Allocation is distributing resources to address material concerns.

To my mind, the first and third functions – penetration of society in its geographic sense and regulation of human behavior – suggest the key role and power that mass media play in a society.

It is with these functions in mind that I welcome a recent development in the Philippine media industry -- ABS-CBN’s investment in 34.99% of TV5.

This merger is a milestone, indeed. Just two years ago, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative franchises voted 70-11 to deny the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise. That decision cost thousands of jobs and curtailed a media organization’s performance of its function – its critical role in society. 

That the government attempted – and succeeded – to silence a news organization, especially one as big and far-reaching as ABS-CBN, caused alarm and sent a chilling effect to both practitioners and the general public alike. 

I borrow liberally from the non-profit Borgen Organization, which listed mass media’s five areas of impact on society. 

First, media bring people together. The press connects people and communities who otherwise do not have the opportunity to talk to one another. 

With the House’s adverse move, ABS-CBN closed 12 local news service units that delivered news in the regional dialects. This meant depriving marginalized communities a crucial public service in the form of news and information delivery. 

The coming together of TV5 and ABS-CBN would bring more of the viewing public together through quality programs from trained and responsible content creators.

Second, media provide educational opportunities. In many countries, the division between local and national languages as well as issues of literacy can make communication difficult. Mass media can fill these gaps. For instance, free broadcast of educational content aligned with the DepED K-12 curriculum provides a richer learning experience for students. 

Thirdly, media serves as a watchdog for public interest. News organizations play an important role of informing the public of what really goes on in government agencies and businesses.

Fourth, media makes available information on urgent, perennial, and basic concerns like healthcare and disaster relief and rehabilitation 

Finally, media brings social issues to life. These are things that otherwise would remain as numbers and concepts without any relevance to the public.

Given all these, I believe that the use of TV5’s existing platform in delivering content that is backed by experience, expertise and talent is an encouraging development, indeed. 

The public deserves to have a reliable source of vetted information from trained journalists, and of values-inspired and family-friendly entertainment. 

Media must be seen as the government or the state’s partner in nation building and development work. Media for its part must help nurture the minds of our people.

At the end of the day, a vibrant democracy can only truly exist with a well-informed public. Independent and responsible media institutions help nourish such a citizenry. 

In this digital age when people are exposed to well-crafted disinformation that threatens damage the very fabric of our democratic values, the deal between these two networks is a reminder that media organizations must stay true to their essence – delivering the truth. 

Of course, this is just the beginning. The ink on the deal has not yet dried, so to speak. Filipinos have yet to see how the dynamics between these two media organizations will pan out, and how they are going to combine their resources in producing programs that will inform, educate, entertain and guide the people with facts-based reports. The real test of the success of this deal is the quality of public affairs programming, and how the networks will be able to resist any pressure to carry propaganda.  

At the very least, the investment deal involving ABS-CBN and TV5 assures us that those who seek the truth cannot be silenced forever. The real news media will not settle for either propaganda or repression. They will find ways to remain true to their calling, imbued with a sense of duty and faithfulness to the public – their ultimate bosses – that they serve. 

We look forward to seeing the fruits of this partnership. 

Louie C. Montemar is a fellow for education at the think tank Stratbase ADR Institute and professor of Sociology and Political Science at the PUP.