Students’ critique of Inquirer, ABS-CBN, GMA7, yugatech site
(blog admin’s note on the third post: There is a continuing debate on whether children or minors who have been killed, as news subjects, should be named. Some news editors argue that since they are deceased, the restraint should be relaxed. That debate has not been resolved.)
“xxx “Pangasinan mayor killed on eve of anniversary, son’s wedding”
“It was a statement almost ripped from a romance-action flick; like a phrase to describe the climactic scene in your typical Filipino box office starring maybe Robin Padilla. It made me wonder however, if the whole wedding part was a relevant detail at all in the course of events or is this an example of improper emphasis.
“While it is a necessary detail that the mayor was out inspecting a venue for the event when he was shot down, I don’t see why the fact his son was having a wedding had to be part of the title. The fact that his son was getting wed is not a pivotal detail to the mayor’s assassination at all so headlining the story as such seemed more of a subtle attempt to garner emotional attention. It’s not a major offense probably, but it did make me furrow my eyebrows a bit. It reminds me of TV Patrol during times a celebrity passes away and how they often thrust loved ones into the spotlight turning supposedly solemn wakes into a drama setting. This kind of strategy of course sells, and in some way makes certain stories more memorable because of the sympathy-factor involved. It does however, in my opinion, also some way takes the attention away from the injustice that actually happened and the gravity of the actual crime.
“Journalism is supposed to be, as much as possible, stated in a very matter of factly manner. While it is in certain angles still a business and a livelihood for many, using sensationalized titles like this should be left to entertainment magazines.
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Media Monitor by Mark Sing
“Many news organizations have inflicted a certain level of harm to the families of the Bulacan State University (BSU) students who have died last week during their field trip in a river in Bulacan.
“News organizations like ABS-CBN News, GMA News, and News5, and even print media organizations have revealed the names of the students who have met a tragic demise during their academic field trip, which authorities have found to ignored the rules set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). These news organizations could have emphasized and focused on the negligence on the part of the BSU officials. Instead, these organizations revealed the names of the dead students. This has harmed the reputation of the students who passed away. The organizations also interviewed the survivors, who have experienced trauma and were made to reopen the healing wounds by recounting the last moments that their fellow students were still alive.”
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Damoves (Weekly Media Monitor for Aug. 20-26) By Jag ohwellmanuel.wordpress
“YugaTech is one of the most well-known tech sites in the Philippines. Run by professional tech blogger Abe Olandres, the site has been featuring various stories and reviews on different technology products and companies since 2005.
“On August 22, 2014, the website released an article which features a certain PDF editing software. At first glance, the said article looks like a review. However, after taking a closer look at it, it can be deduced that the article isn’t a review at all.
“If …. an advertisement, it will be contrary to what is stated in the blog’s advertisements page, which states that the site does not accept paid advertisements or advertorials. Interestingly, not once within the page was it disclosed that the said article was sponsored by a certain software developer at all.
“The Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists states that journalists must “distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.” Deceptive advertising practices have started to become more widespread on the Internet, where a number of features and news articles appear to come from non-biased sources, when in fact, they do not. In this case, there is a fine line between featuring a certain software and advertising it. Regardless of the type of content, journalists, whether on traditional or new media, must always make it a point to clearly delineate which among their articles are news and which are not, because compromising their credibility in exchange for money greatly undermines the integrity of the media in general as a public trust.”
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(Note for the post below: Dear ivy: This is a rant about the news subject himself (Ramon Bautista), and not a review of the news content or media content. The news story here is the yahoo.ph story that you linked, and you have no review of the news content itself. If you want to produce a critique of the live performance of the news subject, review it as media content , or find the online version as post by itself (and not as part of a news story) and write your review. Also, your use of the word “metaphor” is wrong; he used it not as a metaphor but as a sexist slur or derogatory label. I will give you another chance to submit another one, with deductions, in addition to next week’s media monitor, but only for this time)
Media Monitor 1 by Ivy M. de la Cruz at ivymdelacruz.wordpress
“The 16th of August 2014 marked the annual celebration of Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. But the celebration turned out to be a mockery party. Comedian-writer-film maker – Ramon Bautista was the invited guest and he cracked a joke saying Davao is a city of “hipon” (shrimp), a metaphor used for women with sexy bodies but ugly faces. This stirred up outrage and disappointment among the audience and the Davaoenyos and called the attention of various groups of women in the city particularly the nuns. They immediately suggested for comedian’s banishment from the city. Heeding this call 3 days after the incident, Davao City government released a resolution declaring Ramon Bautista “persona non grata”. This means he is from now on prohibited from entering the city and will be arrested otherwise.
“A provision in the resolution says: this is being done to let the people and world know that such action is not tolerable and an extremely corrupt influence to the youth.[1]
It is condemnable that public figures, such as TV personalities, we put into the spotlight forget the responsibility that comes with it. We give them the fame and fortune by patronizing them but they neglect the purpose it serves; to set a good example and influence people in a good way. But as to what seems to be the usual scenario, they take so much pride out of it and blatantly abuse the privilege. They end up hurting and disappointing the ones who gave them the luxury of fame. We can see that this “bad patronization” of inappropriate stars proliferates and doesn’t produce good results that can contribute to nation progress. There should not be a room for ill-mannered stars in the media because media is supposed to empower people not to degrade them. The power to inspire people becomes an abstract idea and a sugar-coat to exploit popularity. It is also worth note-taking that Bautista as a comedian and media personality clearly violated the code of media ethics. He is a radio host and a certified film maker so he should but abide and work by the principles of responsible entertainment media. Ethics provides that a media personality should avoid using foul and offensive language; “denigrating or degrading any person by reason of sex, creed, religion, belief.” Comedians, as entertainers should always take into account the dignity and morale of their audience before saying a word or cracking a joke. After all, they are performers who are supposed to joke around and make fun of themselves, let alone their audience but not to insult their being. This should serve as a lesson for the viewers as well; to carefully choose the public figures they look up to and consider their personality at utmost regard before the looks, the punch lines, and entertainment they offer. The most promising star is not the one who makes people laugh or cry but the one who moves them to do better things.
Reference: 1. “Davao City Councilor says Ramon Bautista’s Apology ‘half-baked’”, ANC|Yahoo! Philippines News, ANC-Wed, Aug 20, 2014. Web. Accessed Aug 23, 2014. (anc.yahoo.com/davao-city-councilor-says-ramon-bautista-s-apology-was–half-baked)
(excerpted, quoted verbatim; unedited: grammatical errors have not been corrected. For substance, the authors got points except as otherwise stated under “notes” for the student.)
(blog admin’s note on the first post below, same caveat as the previous one: There is a continuing debate on whether or not children or minors who have been killed should be named in news stories, being news subjects. Some news editors argue that since they are deceased, the restraint should be relaxed. That debate has not been resolved)
(blog admin’s note on the fifth post: There is a continuing debate on whether subjects of rape-murders could be named. Some news editors argue that since they are deceased, the restraint should be relaxed. I don’t agree with this – but there it is.)
Media monitor by domguamos.wordpress
“What happened with the four students of Bulacan State University (BSU) last August 20 was all over the news. As a matter of fact, three biggest news stations, GMA News, ABS-CBN News and News 5 had their own version of news coverage. With all that version, there is this one thing I noticed. All these stations revealed the students name. Based on the Philippine Press Institute Code of Ethics Article No. 8 which clearly states that one should exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in the society. This case may not be a criminal rather a tragedy one but stating the victims’ name can still affect not only their reputation as well as their families. Not only the Code of Ethics has been violated but also rules implemented by the Commission on Higher Education.
“An alternative I can suggest is that they should have focus more on what really happened during the accident, the negligence in the part of the BSU officials as well as the tour guides during the field trip. As the news progresses each day, the three stations have included those information regarding what really went wrong in the field trip which in my opinion should have been on the first part of the story.
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By czarlinelene.wordpress
“Just this Sunday, Rappler released an article with the headline ‘Pinoy Archer Moreno wins Philippines first ever Olympic gold.’ At first glance, the subconscious mind would immediately establish that the Olympic indicated here is the Olympic main event that occurs during the summer and winter seasons of the year. It could have been a call for a nationwide, huge celebration, but this was not the case. As the headline gradually registers in the mind, the reality of the news report sinks in: it is not Olympic season yet so what is that clamor all about? It turns out, the Filipino archer clinched the medal in the Youth Olympic Games, a variation of the Olympic Games itself.
“Whether the writer used it to attract the readers or it was an honest mistake, it violates the first in the Code of Ethics: I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly. The headline was a bit ambiguous, if not misleading. The fundamentals of newswriting teaches us that the headline must contain accurately the message of the article. In this case, there was improper emphasis on the specifics of the victory of the child, which led to the subtle distortion of the truth.”
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Media Monitor (Aug 20-26) by Darien at darienbas.wordpress
“Tragedy struck on the 20th of August when news broke that seven students of the Bulacan State University perished in an unfortunate drowning accident during a field trip to Biak-na-Bato national park.
“….news channels … nonchalantly named the victims despite the fact that the people involved were minors.
“Under the Philippine Press Institute Code of Ethics Article number 8, sensitivity and caution has to be exercised when dealing with issues concerning women and minors and with the three major television networks in the country (ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5) naming the deceased, it is possible that the focus can be diverted from the story to the people affected, namely their families which can have a huge psychological effect and I highly doubt there was the consent of the families affected when they aired the names.
“Media practitioners should remember to uphold the Code of Ethics and also a degree of professionalism especially when covering sensitive issues like this one because in this case, it was the story that mattered, not the names of those involved.
“Whether the writer used it to attract the readers or it was an honest mistake, it violates the first in the Code of Ethics: I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly. The headline was a bit ambiguous, if not misleading. The fundamentals of newswriting teaches us that the headline must contain accurately the message of the article. In this case, there was improper emphasis on the specifics of the victory of the child, which led to the subtle distortion of the truth.”
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Media Monitor by kristina rivera
“One of the trends on the internet today is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. One of the first celebrities to do it in the Philippines is Kris Aquino. On her show “Aquino and Abunda” last night (Aug. 25), they aired a short video of other celebrities doing the challenge. Although Kris explained the good cause behind the challenge it seemed more like she was just advertising herself and her good will more than the actual cause. Although Kris may have raised awareness about ALS and the charity, the video seemed like it was highlighting Kris more than anything because at the end they focused on her and even said something along the lines of “and the celebrity who made it all happen” (referring to Kris). I just got the impression that it was more about Kris advertising herself and getting on board the trend than helping out the charity.
“This way of presenting the facts may affect its credibility because it raises the question of whether she was doing it to help the cause or promote herself.
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(Note for the student. Dear “wonderstruckwriter”: This example came from me and was discussed extensively in class last week – pls confer with your classmates. The purpose of the weekly media monitor exercise is to contribute in helping the students develop the habit of reading/ viewing the news with a critical eye. The goal would not be met if students are allowed to simply grab case studies taken up in class and pass them off as their own as their own media monitor. You may submit another one as a second chance, in addition to next week’s post, but with deductions, to be fair to your classmates. Also, as a suggestion: if your position is that the name of the subject of the rape-murder should not be disclosed, perhaps it would be good to refrain from disclosing the name in your own published post).
Media Monitor August 20-26, 2014 By Student wonderstruckwriter
“Rape cases are very sensitive topics to report on. It is because there is the involvement of physical, emotional and mental trauma to the victims and to their families. And although there is the need to report the truth of these matters, the Journalist’s Code of Ethics stated a provision on limiting the information a journalist can write about minors and women involved in criminal cases.
“For this week, A——— (name disclosed by GMA7 News & by student wonderstruckwriter, concealed by blog admin) case has been very present in the media. She became widely known as the 26-year-old victim of the rape-slay case in Calumpit, Bulacan. Causes both online and offline were established in her name (e.g. Justice for A——- ( name disclosed by GMA7 News & by student wonderstruckwriter, concealed by blog admin ) Facebook page, Call to revive death penalty), and stories about her life also emerged on the internet.
“However, I have reservations on how the media has reported on this matter. This reservation stems from the Journalist Code of Ethics provision: “I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in society.”
“The provision clearly states what it meant to say, however, it failed to provide a case to when it should be practiced or not. Apparently, this matter is a long-running debate to whether the press have the right to publish rape case victims’ names after death. In practice, though, media practitioners have already settled the matter—if the family has given their consent, then it’s fine.
“Let us examine this one by one. First, the provision’s reason for cautioning the press to publish names of these victims is clear as day—so as they would not ‘unjustly lose their standing in society.’ As I was reading opinions about this on the internet, many surviving rape victims were actually threatened by their peers, ostracized by the people. So I thought maybe this was what the provision was talking about. But does a “standing in society” apply only for living people? Don’t the dead get to have a “standing in society”, more specifically, a legacy?
“Second, as I have mentioned earlier, a family’s consent is the only thing needed for disclosing a rape victim’s name on reports. Regarding this matter, I tried to consider possible reasons to why it is considered ethical to do so. I think that the main reason is because a dead rape victim’s standing in society is reflected by her family, upon disclosure. Personally, when a rape victim’s name appears on the report, I immediately think of the family, and how that certain family recuperates from the tragedy. But to what extent does family have on this matter?
“Third, A——s case (name disclosed by GMA7 News & by student wonderstruckwriter, concealed by blog admin ) did not become a buried case—it actually ignited people’s feelings to address this effectively and even evolving it to become a proof that death penalty should be revived. I am devastated by the fate she suffered, but at least she did not die in vain. Was this because she was named and not one of the other faceless and nameless rape case victims reported? In my opinion, I think that there is something really wrong on how we treat these matters. News has projected a negative image on the ordinary Filipino, and reading about it seems “normal”. But regardless of A ———— (name disclosed by GMA7 News & by student wonderstruckwriter, concealed by blog admin) having been named by the media, shouldn’t the government exert extra effort in implementing its laws and strengthening the justice system?
“My point is, why do the media have to name rape case victims? What significant difference does it make? I think that reporting on the event itself is fine just as it is, or describing the victim is fine just as it is. I believe that a dead victim’s standing in society extends even after death. I believe that not naming a rape victim even after death, is called respect.
“Right now, A———- ( name disclosed by GMA7 News & by student wonderstruckwriter, concealed by blog admin) is making headlines. But she will always be remembered as the 26-year-old rape-slay case victim from Calumpit, Bulacan.”
