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The “Gray Zone” Areas of the West Philippine Sea as Journalism Beat: Proposals for an Informed, Continuing, and Safe Coverage by Marichu C. Lambino (RLC credits-grant from UP Dept of Journ, UPCMC, UPD OVCRD, UPD OC, UP Diliman) Research Presentation, live, May 29, 2024 1pm UP College of Mass Communication 2F PhStar Rm2
ABSTRACT: Philippine journalists, broadcast reporters, researchers, film documentarians, and media personnel covering the sea lanes of the Philippine exclusive economic zone, also called the West Philippine Sea — either as embedded in Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels or on their own — have been subjected to physically aggressive acts of the fully armed China Coast Guard (CCG) — such as ship ramming, allisions, dangerous and intentional ship-sideswiping, menacing flanking and blocking by CCG and water cannon firing of a volume that can capsize boats. Some journalists have been on the receiving end of these aggressive acts from the CCG. This subject matter of journalism coverage remains uncategorized: Is it a regular beat or frequent on-the-spot coverage practice? If it is a regular beat: Is it a law enforcement beat since the PCG is a law-enforcement unit? Or is it coverage of an undeclared conflict zone? If the area is an undeclared conflict zone: Can this journalism practice be theorized and elevated as conflict reporting in journalism? Or is it in reality, an in-between category and considered a “gray zone” necessitating new research, new norms, new guidelines and codes of safety, contextualization, and study? This research and study will explore the subject matter as a regular journalism beat — the “West Philippine Sea beat” or the “gray zone beat” as it were (or an area of frequent coverage, if news organizations are not logistically prepared to declare it a regular beat) and present research-based recommendations to start the discussion on a more informed, continuing, and safe coverage of the West Philippine Sea, and a fuller understanding of the role of journalists in what may be an “undeclared” conflict zone or an in-between “gray zone”.
Image Credits: Photo by Myra Lambino, models: Lester Lambino and Alex Lambino
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