student 5 (jessica hermosa), day class

   ‘Imbestigador’ airs informal child custody battles
By Jessica Hermosa (Student 5 Student 5 Student 5)For J192 (MWX)
1 of 5 Blog Post Requirements
(unedited by blog administrator)

        GMA 7’s Imbestigador committed an ethical violation last Dec. 30, 2006 when it featured informal child custody battles on its show. It violated the privacy of those involved for an issue that is not of public interest. It also irresponsibly handled the identities of the children involved.

         The program Imbestigador aired the complaints of 3 different couples (separate cases) whose relatives took their children away from them. The program showed the couples and their relatives exchanging heated words about which of them could take better care of the children. It also showed the uncensored faces of the children.

         A screen shot of the segment is available at
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a378/jessica_d_hermosa/imbestigador.jpg

          The Journalist’s Code of Ethics distributed by the Philippine Press Institute states that journalists should “refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private reputation unless the public interest justifies it”. It also states that journalists must “exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases.”

           The segment in Imbestigador adversely affects the reputation not only of the relatives who allegedly took the children away from their parents, but also affects the children’s privacy as well. The intrusion on their privacy is not justified because the matter is not of public concern anyway. If the treatment of the issue were different, like if their faces were pixilated and their names withheld, and if the laws and issues regarding child custody were discussed, then the segment could have been educational and valuable for public consumption. Instead, the way the story was treated seemed only to serve the purpose of glorifying the show as a rescuer of the oppressed.

          The airing of the children’s faces and the names of the people involved can not be justified by saying that the story was treated like any other crime story. No criminal or civil cases were filed, and even if that were so, children’s identities are supposed to be protected.

          A section of the KBP Radio Code also addresses this ethical issue stating that “complaints by individuals or legitimate groups may be allowed only on issues which affect the public welfare. No complaints on personal or private issues shall be allowed.” While the TV show cannot be penalized under KBP Radio Code standards, it doesn’t change the fact that the show committed ethical violations.