Traders Hotel, Manila, April 23, 2012 - it was just less than an hour away from Cubao, riding the train and a cab from the Recto Station to Traders Hotel. I had just arrived on time to pass through the security check of the Presidential Security Group.
The President was the keynote speaker of the16th National Press Forum: Media Accountability and Public Engagement. It was also the 2012 Annual Membership Meeting of the Philippine Press Institute. Forty-Eight years had passed since the PPI was founded and Twenty-Five years since it was reactivated.
Several minutes passed until it was announced that the President had arrived. One could overhear from time to time from the PSG where and what time the President would arrive. His presence was announced and he was introduced byPPI President and Chairman Amado P. Macasaet and Secretary Sonny Of the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
The President’s speech was in Tagalog and he started with the anecdote of Filipino crustaceans or crabs. This segued to his and his government’s experience with media Including but not limited to news item that emerged from twitter, in particular he was dating someone in Greenhills. He also mentioned his perception of an overabundance of negative news and eventually wound up with a call for balanced news.
Here is a link to the President’sspeech, which I call the crab speech
The rest of the day was spent with speeches, panel discussions and forums about the press. Topics included Accountability and Public Engagement; Asia Media Barometer; Engaging the Public to Protect Press Freedom and Preserve Democracy; Self Regulation and Policing Our Ranks; and Safety and Welfare and Journalists.
All discussions were interesting and I suppose the speakers wee journalists one expected nothing less. There were a numbers that were brought about but those that branded itself to my mind was that:
First, accountability was something that need not be explained to those who understood the importance of it and in the similar vein explanation of propriety was wasted on those who did not believe in it.
Second, One had to learn to dish in what one dished out.
Third, There are cultural and even economic circumstances behind problems like corruption and abuse in media.
Fourth,The Philippine Libel Law is an artifact of our colonial past - Which was used initially to stifle the voices of dissent. And has now been used by others to needly harass critics and violate their human rights like sending them to jail. The call is though not to remove libel laws but to de criminalize it.
Fifth,Best practices - which include balanced reporting and fact-checking - is the first line of defense against harassment, which include libel and even to the extreme assassination.
Sixth, Self-regulation is better than an imposed regulation by government.
Seventh, Advocacy and even Public Service of news organizations can become a bed
of roses and thorns. Questions and issues may arise the whys of an advocacy or public service.
These are of course notes and impressions I got from the forum. And most of what I remember I paraphrased. What strikes me though is the similarity of the problems and issues between Print, TV, Radio and Digital Media. Then again the main difference between the four are the medium or platforms of delivering the message.
As for the President’s keynote speech. There was little or no reaction to it during the forum. Probably because all issues tackled from accountability to advocacy answered it.
Personally, I was not surprised by the President’s message. One expected it from any government in power. And to his credit he did put the emphasis on balanced news, which I believe though is still not a euphemism for propaganda in this Government. it would have been better if the President in his speech mentioned the de-criminalization of libel or even the passage of the Freedom of Information Act. But it was not to be.
I do not think you cannot step negative news from coming out and in our present time when almost anyone with an Internet-enabled device and a decent Internet connection can post anything. The problem is not negative news but how to react and treat it. There are of course valid criticisms that need to be acted upon and then there are those that well best laid undisturbed.
As for the press and media if anything can be taken from the forum it is this: FIrst, Best practices and self regulation is the best safeguard against issues of sensationalism, negativity and corrupt practices. It is also the first.safeguard against legal and extra-legal harassment. Second, Accountability and public engagement go hand in hand. Third, Although this was not mentioned, or I think this was not mentioned - if i am wrong my apologies, aside from practicing balanced reporting it is important to be transparent with the readers, listeners and viewers.
How does a blogger, social media, and netizen like myself figure in with all of these things? I believe as a blogger I should do these things:
First, Be fair to all sides: Give what is due
Second, Check the facts
Third, Be transparent about one’s motive and goals.
If this is a creed then I guess its my personal creed. Something not imposed by State, Group or individual but something i have opted to do.
The President at the 16th National Press Forum:
Traders Hotel, Manila, April 23, 2012 - it was just less than an hour away from Cubao, riding the train and a cab from the Recto Station to Traders Hotel. I had just arrived on time to pass through the security check of the Presidential Security Group.
The President was the keynote speaker of the16th National Press Forum: Media Accountability and Public Engagement. It was also the 2012 Annual Membership Meeting of the Philippine Press Institute. Forty-Eight years had passed since the PPI was founded and Twenty-Five years since it was reactivated.
Several minutes passed until it was announced that the President had arrived. One could overhear from time to time from the PSG where and what time the President would arrive. His presence was announced and he was introduced byPPI President and Chairman Amado P. Macasaet and Secretary Sonny Of the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
The President’s speech was in Tagalog and he started with the anecdote of Filipino crustaceans or crabs. This segued to his and his government’s experience with media Including but not limited to news item that emerged from twitter, in particular he was dating someone in Greenhills. He also mentioned his perception of an overabundance of negative news and eventually wound up with a call for balanced news.
Here is a link to the President’sspeech, which I call the crab speech
The rest of the day was spent with speeches, panel discussions and forums about the press. Topics included Accountability and Public Engagement; Asia Media Barometer; Engaging the Public to Protect Press Freedom and Preserve Democracy; Self Regulation and Policing Our Ranks; and Safety and Welfare and Journalists.
All discussions were interesting and I suppose the speakers wee journalists one expected nothing less. There were a numbers that were brought about but those that branded itself to my mind was that:
First, accountability was something that need not be explained to those who understood the importance of it and in the similar vein explanation of propriety was wasted on those who did not believe in it.
Second, One had to learn to dish in what one dished out.
Third, There are cultural and even economic circumstances behind problems like corruption and abuse in media.
Fourth,The Philippine Libel Law is an artifact of our colonial past - Which was used initially to stifle the voices of dissent. And has now been used by others to needly harass critics and violate their human rights like sending them to jail. The call is though not to remove libel laws but to de criminalize it.
Fifth,Best practices - which include balanced reporting and fact-checking - is the first line of defense against harassment, which include libel and even to the extreme assassination.
Sixth, Self-regulation is better than an imposed regulation by government.
Seventh, Advocacy and even Public Service of news organizations can become a bed
of roses and thorns. Questions and issues may arise the whys of an advocacy or public service.
These are of course notes and impressions I got from the forum. And most of what I remember I paraphrased. What strikes me though is the similarity of the problems and issues between Print, TV, Radio and Digital Media. Then again the main difference between the four are the medium or platforms of delivering the message.
As for the President’s keynote speech. There was little or no reaction to it during the forum. Probably because all issues tackled from accountability to advocacy answered it.
Personally, I was not surprised by the President’s message. One expected it from any government in power. And to his credit he did put the emphasis on balanced news, which I believe though is still not a euphemism for propaganda in this Government. it would have been better if the President in his speech mentioned the de-criminalization of libel or even the passage of the Freedom of Information Act. But it was not to be.
I do not think you cannot step negative news from coming out and in our present time when almost anyone with an Internet-enabled device and a decent Internet connection can post anything. The problem is not negative news but how to react and treat it. There are of course valid criticisms that need to be acted upon and then there are those that well best laid undisturbed.
As for the press and media if anything can be taken from the forum it is this: FIrst, Best practices and self regulation is the best safeguard against issues of sensationalism, negativity and corrupt practices. It is also the first.safeguard against legal and extra-legal harassment. Second, Accountability and public engagement go hand in hand. Third, Although this was not mentioned, or I think this was not mentioned - if i am wrong my apologies, aside from practicing balanced reporting it is important to be transparent with the readers, listeners and viewers.
How does a blogger, social media, and netizen like myself figure in with all of these things? I believe as a blogger I should do these things:
First, Be fair to all sides: Give what is due
Second, Check the facts
Third, Be transparent about one’s motive and goals.
If this is a creed then I guess its my personal creed. Something not imposed by State, Group or individual but something i have opted to do.