A few days after delivering his State of the Nation Address, President Noynoy Aquino delivered two speeches, one for the Business World group and the second for the 25th Anniversary of TV Patrol where the President admonished media in general, and threw a frontal attack against an unnamed opinion maker, that many practitioners believed was veteran broadcaster and former Vice President Noli de Castro.
After reading most of the reports as well as columns written about the incident, I get the impression that PNoy’s double barreled speeches may as well have been called the State of the Media Address. High on the President’s list of complaints is that the media spends too much time and space on the bad news about the Philippines which in turn ruins or works against any and all efforts of his administration to promote the country.
The second layer of PNoy’s SOMA or “sama ng loob” with media seems to be his perception that media injects too much editorial content instead of focusing on straight facts. I don’t know if it’s personal or something that his handlers fed him, but it seems that PNoy has now targeted Noli de Castro as an administration critic or is it because De Castro was an ally of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?
As I read excerpts from the President’s speech, it felt like reading a preamble or declaration of an idealistic bright eyed-would be journalist or broadcaster on how the Media should behave. Unfortunately today’s media isn’t anything the President or any idealist wants it to be because the media that the President’s father, Ninoy Aquino lived and worked in no longer exists.
During our fathers’ time, Ninoy Aquino and Louie Beltran called Journalism and media in general as a “Vocation”. Today Media is a “Corporation”. Back then members of the “PRESS” fought for “Causes”, nowadays we are in “Commerce”. Our fathers earned their stripes in fox- holes, police beats and by pounding the pavement. I was exposed to this at age 16 as a Press photographer, but I still had to earn a degree in Journalism from UP and work in various fields of media before I could claim the title of “Journalist” and “Broadcaster”. Back then, telling the “truth” was an act worthy of praise, today “truth” is relative and determined by the political or economic repercussions.
Sadly Media and Politics have seduced each other through the years, while politicians and businessmen have been allowed to enter, own or control media companies and organizations. To increase their political clout as well as income streams, Media outfits have wooed politicians and government officials to join their stable of anchors or columnists. Politicians on the other hand have prostituted themselves to this unholy matrimony to further their political longevity and increase their political stock. Yes Mr. President we need an “Anti Trust” law.
On the other hand, Big Business has come to realize the advantage if not the necessity of owning TV stations, radio stations as well as newspapers, tabloids and magazines not for profit but for PROTECTION from competitors, politicians and government officials. The fact that you need to put up a Media organization as protection reflects on the business and political environment in the country.
Whatever the state of the media maybe, it is not the making nor the fault of one man.
If Media has lost its balance, its vision and its level headedness, it did not happen over night or in just one administration. It is the cumulative consequence of having no accountability but to its self, no real professional, organizational and commercial regulation.
In this light, the President’s expectations from Media are clearly unrealistic or out of touch because the competition created by so many newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, cable and internet has become so intense that “What is NEWS” is determined by what is sensational, what appeals to the sentiment of the public, what addresses their grievances and what relates to the “critical” nature of dissatisfied viewers and listeners. In the end, if President Noynoy has a complaint about Philippine Media, he should take it up with his “Bosses”, the Filipino public.
Please don’t fault us if tourists don’t come or decide to leave. Put the blame on the CAAP who still can’t get us category 1 rating. Blame the hotels who charge higher than normal rates, blame the Philippine National Police who can’t put an end to the “Ativan gang” that have victimized European tourists practically every week of July in Ermita. If you want more of the “Good News” to be featured Sir, I humbly suggest you do the talking and not the complaining. You are still the best spokesman, the best salesman bar none, but as you said it must start with the positive.
From a biblical perspective, we are thought that if we have issue with someone, we should go to that person and address the matter, if the person does not respond, we should take someone with us on a second try and if that fails, bring the elders. If the President sincerely feels strongly about the matter and truly wants to turn the tide, it should not be beneath him to send an “ambassador” or personally make time for “Opinion makers” especially those not in his camp. By making time and recognizing the difference his critics can make, PNoy stands to gain real supporters.
For lack of space, I would only suggest that we all read the Book of Luke Chapter 6, Verse 27 to 45. Let us all meditate deeply on the words of Christ and remind ourselves that we are all equally guilty and equally responsible.
* * *
Email: Utalk2ctalk@gmail.com