With freedom of the press comes responsibility

A few weeks ago I wrote about suicide and how alarming the rates are of it. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a study stating that the Global School-based Student Health Survey showed that nearly 18 percent of Filipino high school students in the age bracket of 13 to 15 seriously considered attempting suicide during the year the study was prepared, with girls outnumbering boys by more than 7 percent of the respondents. Note that 60 percent of those who ideate suicide ended up actually killing themselves.

A week after my column on suicide and depression, the suicide tragedies occurred. I was waiting for the Human Rights activists, the DSWD authorities and Child Abuse groups to make statements but to my regret, they did not. This is a good example of how our people choose issues to tap either for their merit or whatever you may want to call it.

When Willie Revillame had an incident with a child on his show, many groups cried foul to what he did. Non-government groups as well as government sectors raised the flags and went ballistic over Willie Revillame. Truth to tell, I think our society went over the top just because many find him a nuisance. Many joined the bandwagon chorusing on center stage that what he did was wrong without even checking. Anyway, my point is, now that we are faced with a series of serious tragedies that clearly is starting to creep into our society, where have all of them gone? Why are we not as concerned with the tragedies (of suicide) and our youth as we were with Willie?

Sure, our local media (radio, television and newspapers) have covered it but they projected an ‘aimless’ search to presenting the news. I think we have done more damage and harm to our society. Our youth are getting the wrong signals. Parents are worried that their teenagers may get more adverse effects from watching the news and listening to it.

Media as we all know is the most embraced, enjoyed, gratifying medium. Let us not forget that the press is meant to guide the people. People have a tendency to always believe that the media is always correct. The sad truth is that in this competitive world, the media can also be selfish. They can work for their own interest and always to their advantage.

It is the moral duty of media to refrain from sensationalizing the news. We must be careful in adding horrible, gory and gaudy depictions. Nowadays we tend to feast on a moral panic happening in society. We do not consider what is right and within the bounds of true press freedom. Those two crimes of passion that happened in one of the SM malls were in the news for several days. Speculations and different versions of why it happened was what were highlighted. This was done simply because media believes that the public would be interested in such an angle. It also gives a much better mileage for who can dig further on the issue. We have become a calloused society, unmindful of people’s feelings for as long as we achieve personal gain. Sanamagan!

Media has mostly focused on the dramatic and stimulating part of the news. What about the other side – the solutions? Like asking the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the DSWD what preventive measures they are taking to help solve the problem that has been camouflaged for a long time now.

Many parents are worried about how media has presented the news (particularly of the suicide incidents). The news seems to have aimlessly presented the tragedies to the youth. Let us not forget that young children, teenagers and young adults watch the news as well.

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I hope our local networks can review their programs toward helping the youth. We need to produce good quality shows that will contribute toward nation building. We can start with having moral and values centered shows. We must elevate content to higher standards. Instead of featuring sensational news, we must feature relevant and important news. News editors must follow specific policies limiting the news to more meaningful ones.

We will never know what is going on in the minds of the young. Censorship must strictly be implemented in print and broadcast media.

We are living in a media-driven society. I once read an article on Media and Its Responsibility. It said, “Media can have positive and negative effects in our lives. It can create meaningful discussion. It can educate. It can inform society culturally. It can bridge understandings between cultures. It can enlighten. It can result in positive emotional responses. It can raise important issues or reveal secrets. It can encourage peace. On the other hand, it can also generate negative stereotypes. It can dumb down its audience. It can mislead or misrepresent. It can complicate the truth. It can establish unrealistic or unhealthy expectations. It can foster ignorance. It can create a sense of fear or unease. It can encourage violence.”

Do not get me wrong here. I am all for freedom of speech and freedom of expression. I believe that every person has the right to information. But we must not forget that there are laws and guidelines to be followed so that we will not go wayward in our desire to make people aware of the pressing issues. Being conscious of these limitations and responsibilities will give us a better understanding of how to protect our families, our society and ourselves.

As my father the late Maximo V. Soliven once put it, “Press freedom is in the heart. Journalistic integrity and courage can never be discussed. It must be lived.” The truth should always prevail. But never in a manner that will lead to direct and intentional harm toward a particular person or group and incite violence toward its target. If we can do this, perhaps we can prevent crime.

(ERRATUM: In my column last week, I wrote that the Operation Brotherhood International sent a Philippine team of nurses and doctors to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during World War II. I stand corrected. It should read as Operation Brotherhood International provided medical help and community upliftment assistance to the war refugees in Vietnam and Laos during the French Indochina war of the ’50s.)