“Early one Sunday morning, I came across a program called “Be Alive” on GMA News TV. At first glance, it seems to be a typical lifestyle show, with guests and medical experts discussing health conditions that went from poor to excellent, thanks to some alternative treatment or medicine. I deemed it a noble effort, seeing as more and more people are in need of safe and afforadble ways to treat various diseases, which range from the common to the rare.
“Just this week, I got to watch “Be Alive” again, and the product being discussed by the hosts caught my attention. The natural supplement, called Laminine, sounded vaguely familiar–and for good reason. Upon researching about “Be Alive” I discovered that each episode focuses only on this product, a questionable practice given the disclaimer flashed at the start of the program:
“ “Our television program is not here to sell a product or to offer medical advice but to show that there are natural ways to address our ailments through information and healthcare prevention… and to give hope to our televiewers watching Be Alive.”
“This practice is highly similar to the presence of “advertorials” in newspapers and magazines (discussed previously), in which a write-up or press release for a product, service, or another similar subject is disguised as a feature piece that serves to review the subject, when it really is more of a publicity ploy than a true analysis of its subject. Upon doing further research, I learned that the production of “Be Alive” is actually driven largely by the company that manufactures Laminine. Be that as it may, the production team has still not been entirely honest about its goals, seeing as it has made a claim that goes against what it actually does.
“Better that the people of “Be Alive” honestly acknowledge the show’s leanings towards the company–like a cooking show that prominently features the same ingredients each episode, or an entrepreneurship program that carries a specific organization’s name–than claim to be neutral while subtly ingraining themselves into the televiewers’ subconscious. Honesty, after all, is the most important feature of any promotional material.” Posted by 2012-12727
Incest-rape beheading story reported soberly? 2 different opinions: 1)Kevin John Manalese & 2) 2012-33611
First opinion. Written by: 2012-33611
“Agence France Press. PNG girl beheads father after he rapes her— report. Newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved June 20 2013 at inquirer.net/427913/png-girl-beheads-father-after-he-rapes-her
“ “The identities and photographs of children and women who figure in the news as victims of sexual abuse (i.e. rape, incest, sexual harassment, prostitution, battering, etc.) must not be printed, and details about their personal circumstances and identities must be withheld. In the case of incest victims, the identities of the accused and immediate family members must also be protected. Disclosure of the identities of victims of sexual abuse—but not their photographs—may be allowed only in cases when the adult victim (above 18 years old) has decided to file a case in court.” – Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct of the Philippine Press Institute (Philippine Press Institute)
“ “Single-source stories must be avoided as a rule. There is always the imperative to get a second, third or more sources, the contending parties to an issue, the expert source, the affected party, the prominent and the obscure, in the story. We must strive at all times to ascertain the truth of our sources’ assertions.” Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct of the Philippine Press Institute (Philippine Press Institute)
“Sa tulong ng mga pamantayang ito, isang ehemplo ng responsableng pamamahayag ang naipakita ng Inquirer.net at ng Agence France Press gamit ang artikulong PNG girl beheads father after he rapes her— report na inilathala nitong ika-17 ng Hulyo, 2013.
“Ayon sa artikulo, nagawang paslangin ng 18-anyos na dalaga ang kanyang sariling ama matapos siyang paulit-ulit na halayin sa kanilang tahanan sa Papua New Guinea matapos umalis ang kanyang ina kasama ang kanyang mga kapatid upang bisitahin ang iba pa nilang kamag-anak. Nang aktong muli na namang hahalayin ang dalaga kinaumagahan ay hindi na ito nakapagtimpi at gumamit na ng kutsilyo upang patayin ang ama.
“Dahil isang biktima ng panghahalay ang dalaga at suspek sa isang krimen, nanatiling lihim ang kanyang pagkakakilanlan sa publiko. Upang mapunan naman ang iba pang detalye ukol dito, isinaad ang kung saan nakatira ang dalaga maging na rin ang edad ng kanyang ama para sa pagpapatibay ng kredibilidad ng balita at upang maiwasan ang kahit anumang maling impormasyon sa identidad ng dalaga. Hindi rin naglabas ng mga litrato ang artikulo ayon na rin sa pamantayan ng etiks.
“Bukod pa dito, mapapansin din na hindi lang galing sa isang tao ang balita kundi ito mismo ay naberipika ng komunidad kung saan nakatira ang dalaga sapagkat ito rin ay kanilang pinoprotektahan sa pulisya.
“Bilang isang mamamahayag, tungkulin nitong mapangalagaan ang katauhan ng kanyang kapwa lalo pa’t kung ito ay nasasangkot sa isang sitwasyong maaaring makaapekto sa kanyang pamumuhay at magkaroon ng dalawa o higit pang mapagkakatiwalaang mapagkukunan ng impormasyon.
“ “I shall not violate confidential information or material given me in the exercise of my calling.” –The Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics (Philippine Press Institute, National Press Club)” Posted by: 2012-33611
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“Feminist News?
2nd opinion. Written by Kevin John Manalese
“Sex and Violence Sells.
“This is what manifests in an online article by the Huffington Post, featured in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Star FM Manila last Monday, June 17, 2013. The articles are about the decapitation of a Father by his daughter after repeatedly raping her, in Papua New Guinea.
“Terminology is very much problematic as the articles pertain to the daughter as victim, when she is liable to murder, specifically parricide. Labels on the people involved such as suspect and victim must be carefully observed, when accusation of the crime is problematic, especially in cases such as this. The article also prove to be slanted toward accusation of the father who raped, rather than the daughter who murdered, evidenced by the appendage of a paragraph that discussed statistics about violence against women. Thus improper emphasis has been committed, as well as wrong criminal accusations. Posted by Kevin John Manalese
“Ang balitang ito ay tungkol sa isang ina kung saan ay pinatay niya ang kanyang asawa at kambal na anak sa Negros Occidental dahil di umano sa mental illness na pinalala ng pagbubuntis at panganganak o postpartum psychosis. Sa ulat na ito ay hindi binanggit ang tunay na pagkakakilanlan ng ina na siyang pumatay umano sa kanyang pamilya. Isa itong paraan upang protektahan ang pagkakilanlan ng pamilya ng biktima at siyang dapat tularan ng mga mamamahayag lalo na may mga menor de edad na biktima at ang itinuturing na dahilan ay ang problema sa pag-iisip ng ina. Ito ay makikita sa Journalist’s Code of Ethics ng PPI:
“ “I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven otherwise. 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.” (Philippine Press Institute and National Press Club)
“Kung mapapansin din sa video ay hindi ipinakita ang mukha ng ina at mga itsura ng mga namatay himbis ito ay tinakpan at pinalabo upang hindi matukoy ng mga ibang manunuod ang kanilang pagkakakilanlan. Hindi rin napansin ang mga dugo dahil nga pinalabo nila ang mga imahe na may mga dugo. Kung ihahambing ang mga videos dati ay hindi tinatakpan o kaya ay nilalabuan ang mga imahe na ng mga taong naliligo sa sariling dugo.
“Kung mapapansin din ay hindi lamang sa krimen nagpokus ang ulat kundi nagbigay din ng impormasyon ang tagapag-ulat tungkol sa postpartum psychosis at nag-interview siya ng isang doktor na eksperto sa mga usaping tulad nito. Sa ganitong paraan ay nabigyan ng karagdagang impormasyon ang manunuod tungkol sa pinagdaanan ng ina.
“ “I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts or to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognise the duty to air the other side. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news, photographs and/or documents,
“Mapapansin din na hindi naging one-sided ang tagapag-ulat sapagkat sinubukan niyang kuhanin ng pahayag ang mga taong humahawak sa kaso tulad ng mga pulis at doktor na sumusuri sa ina pati na rin ang pamilya ng biktima upang nang sa gayon ay walang makaligtaan at maipahayag ang katotohanan sa krimeng naganap.”
