I’m not a big fan of ABS-CBN, but I must commend the head of ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs, Ms. Maria Ressa, for a very poignant but true-ringing assessment of journalism in the Philippines today.
In response to allegations that ABS-CBN News is partial to the interests of the Lopez family on the one hand, and overly critical of the Arroyo administration on the other, Ressa declares that their news organization is composed of professionals who are “journalists first.”
Reading her editorial, I was struck by what she wrote, because it succinctly described our state of affairs vis-à-vis where our society finds itself in these troubling times. Here is that pithy statement that has made my estimation of ABS-CBN go a couple of notches higher:
My mandate is to create a professional news group with world-class standards. Yet, in our polarized society, the idea that the Lopezes would not “use” ABS-CBN for its vested interests seems hard to believe. I believe that is a reflection of the mindset, customs and corrupt practices today rather than a reflection of the reality we at ABS-CBN live through daily.
This is a challenge to us Filipinos: for us to open our eyes wider, for us to see beyond misplaced loyalties, and understand what’s going on around us with more discernment.
Better said than done, I’m sure. But we have got to stop being defeatist and start somewhere somehow.
[Thanks to my friend, Migs, for pointing out Ressa's article to me today.]
6:10 pm on 26 May 2008
The power of Maria Ressa unleashed!
very intelligent and brave lady.
Like what i said in my blog also regarding this article by Maria Ressa: “In a corrupt society like ours, its sometimes hard to distinguish the good from the bad. But its not hard to see those people who intends to be good.”
12:43 pm on 29 May 2008
Regardless of what she said in her editorial would you believe that the Lopez family is not using abs-cbn for their interest? I would not buy it for a second. That’s the tragedy in this country corruption infects everybody including the journalist. Btw I also completely agree that the government is running after meralco because of abs-cbn’s sins in this regime. In the end we are all just taken for a ride, how sad.
8:32 am on 30 May 2008
“When President Arroyo asked me why ABS-CBN was “critical,” I said that we do not consider ourselves “critical” of the government. We believe we demand accountability because that is our role as journalists.
We also reflect reality. After all, 76% of Filipinos in Metro Manila say they distrust President Arroyo (according to Pulse Asia’s March 2008 Ulat ng Bayan).”
This is the part of her “statement” that I do not understand. Should “reality”, as reported by surveys, be used as a justification for being “critical”? (That she chose to use Metro Manila survery results (which I presume has the lowest trust rating) is also puzzling. Why not use the trust rating results of the whole country?) If the surveys show that a person has a high trust rating, should journalists be less critical? The case of Mayor Duterte and how the local journalists treat (or ignore) issues related to him and and his family immediately comes to mind.
12:42 pm on 30 May 2008
@Bdul — I see you point. Come to think of it, I myself have raised that fact with my journalists friends, about Duterte issues I mean. Guess what, I got “no comments” all around.
11:39 pm on 2 Jun 2008
oh my, you believe that sucker?
would you agree that she dubbed mindanao as the biggest university of terrorist in asia? WTF!
in short di ako bilib! FTS!
1:10 am on 3 Jun 2008
@keith — She said that?? I don’t mean to be rude, but could you point me to a link that shows Ressa said that about Mindanao?
At any rate, I was lauding what she said in the article I quoted. No matter what kind of person she may be, her words in that article rang true for me. Come to think of it, even Marcos had something worthy to say way back when.
5:00 pm on 3 Jun 2008
buy a copy of his damn book titled Seeds of Terror.
5:15 pm on 3 Jun 2008
Thanks, keith.
6:43 pm on 5 Jun 2008
Panyero,
I was listening to Karen Davila and that male announcer (5:30pm) on the day of the Meralco board meeting. The impression that I got was that the two were obviously Lopez assasins. Journalists firsts, assesino by night.
Of course, that is just my perverted opinion.
5:50 pm on 19 Jun 2008
this is a correct assessment…gma-7 is more protective of their interests and their stars….