Just to be clear

Twice in the last week, I was asked to comment on the controversy involving broadcaster Snow Badua and the Philippine Basketball Association. On my television program Hardball on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) last Monday, and again as a guest on DZMM Fastbreak with Freddie Webb and Boyet Sison Saturday, I asked and was asked questions of right and wrong, which, in 30 years as a broadcast journalist, I have found to be not as gray as some people would think.

Just to be clear, this is my opinion, based on the aforementioned decades of having dealt with political issues in sports, and taking on authorities in the field. As a Senate reporter, I was once the subject of an investigation by an incumbent senator, who wanted to clarify if I had erroneously named him among six other senators who had illegally used a government plane while campaigning during the previous election. I was in the right. In 2005, I was not surprised to hear that I was allegedly forbidden from joining the broadcast team for the Southeast Asian Games in my own country, in retaliation for something I had written in this column. C’est la vie.

The issue is not really about the alleged extracurricular activities mentioned on Mo Twister’s podcast, which Badua did a follow-up interview on his own radio program with the controversial radio talk show host. The issue is a supposed pattern of attacks against an official of the PBA. In broadcasting class, students are taught content analysis, which, in layman’s terms, studies bias. Content analysis determines a skewing or bias through the use of words that have certain connotations. For example, if one publication uses “dictator” to describe the president, while another uses the more neutral term “leader”, then you can tell which publication leans in which direction.

As has been repeatedly stated by various pundits, many members of the sportswriting fraternity are not fans of Badua as a journalist. He once enjoyed favor with powers that be in the PBA, including trips with league officials and hosting last year’s press conference. He provided a platform for some to anonymously share information with him, and it worked for them for a while. Some fellows in the profession were envious; some felt he hadn’t earned it. Some believe he has taken shortcuts or crossed lines to get where he is, and his in-your-face style makes people uncomfortable. Be that as it may, let’s look at what, if anything, he did wrong in this case. Sifting through his social media comments, some were blind items, others were not. Did any of his posts on Twitter accuse anyone of a crime? No. Were any of them damaging to anyone’s reputation? Possibly. Were they all true? That, he has to prove, and he told this writer he would, at the proper time and place.

Looking back, what other courses of action were available to the PBA or Ginebra? The league had the option to send a complaint to Twitter and have the posts in question removed. They could have made their displeasure clear to the management of Sports Radio, PTV or spin.ph, all of whom Badua works for. The league could have called Badua himself in for a clarificatory discussion. They could have given him a warning either by phone or mail. But they chose the harder decision. So here we are.

The ban on Badua is well within the league’s rights, of course. But some of us, this writer included, have a problem with the use of words like “evil” when describing a member of the media. Malice can be shown, which is why this writer brought up content analysis. Intent is always very difficult to establish, which is why only the very worst journalists resort to branding or name-calling, which never works. It puts an irreversible mark on the entirety of a person, and there’s no coming back from that. Furthermore, the warning on all persons associated with the league against speaking with Badua raises the matter to a virtual excommunication, regardless of its supposed intent to merely let the issue cool. The league officials, coaches and players of the PBA are all grown men who know what to do in this kind of a situation. They don’t need to be told to stay away from anybody. So this writer respectfully disagrees with that aspect of the ban.

In his usual genial, diplomatic, well-thought out manner, PBA CEO Chito Salud issued a follow-up statement in an attempt to contextualize and redefine parameters of the ban, which is a good, albeit belated move. Salud always seems to be the voice of reason in these turbulent matters. Still, the country’s sports media will not soon forget that a league they have supported for decades showed it is capable of doing this to one of their number, regardless of his or her stature. This changes the relationship between the PBA and the media, its conduit to the masses who sustain it. Long-held friendships on both sides of the fence are changed, as this matter puts a new item on the table, an elephant in the room: the possibility of sanction if, for any reason, a beat reporter or writer or columnist prints or broadcasts about someone in the league in an unfavorable light. Until the league is able to convince sports media otherwise, this is no longer a relationship of equals. The harm is not irreparable, but will take time to heal. This is, after all, a business, and the business of running a league and operating media entities are – we are reminded – not the same. 

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Congratulations to Malayan Salvage and Towing for the success of its SalvTug Golf Tournament held at the Manila Southwoods Friday. It was a welcome respite for company officials, partners and friends in the media.