Review on News for Sale

The Book

News for Sale 2010: Cash Overload, Media Overdrive, compiled book by Philippine Center for Investigative Journalist, tackles about how media covers the candidates for national and local government. Also, discuss about the how media practitioner deals with envelops, which candidate offers to them.

Before the 2010 Election, politics was very simple. Campaign then, was not that glamorous like the 2010 Election, which there are several celebrities endorses their bets and online media exists – For the candidate to be more known, and showbiz personalities influence the people to vote for whom.

But, in the history of politics, media corruption is always present. Having a barter between the politician and media practitioner, trade of money or gifts for a story with a whole lot of twist. This trade between the source and media may result to influence the write-ups of the news men.

May 10, 2010: Pera-Pera lang ‘yan!

This election, 2010, was a lot differ from the previous polling, from the system of voting and how candidate competes with each other had a lot of difference. This automated election tested the ability of media in delivering news quicker than before.

Covering this type of reporting requires a lot of skills and money, for the expenditures of the media organization while conducting coverage to supply news to the public.

“We can’t even raise the salaries of reporters or provide them enough allowance for out-of-town coverage,” said one senior newspaper executive. While, Lynette Ordonez-Luna, editor of Inquirer.net said, “We could have had more people and equipment for an improved coverage of the elections. All of that can only be possible if we had a budget for it,”

Without the money, funds, improvement in coverage of media organization was affected. Media outlet may depend on the politicians allowance for coverage, which may affect or twist the content of the news in exchange to the goodness of the candidate.

On the other hand, television networks did some program to educate the Filipino on what to do in the upcoming automated election. This  program are ‘Eleksyon 2010’ with a ‘Leksyon sa Eleksyon’ and MTV ‘Bilog na hugis Itlog’ of GMA 7 and ‘Ako ang Simula’ and  ‘Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo’ of ABS-CBN.

“Globally, it’s really citizen journalism and professionalism combining,”  Maria Ressa of ABS-CBN said about the ‘Ako ang Simula’, “So, our goal was how to grow citizen journalism so that it becomes a force in the election,”

And because of the success and popularity of ABS-CBN’s ‘Ako ang Simula’, GMA 7 and TV 5 build their own version of citizen journalism program, ‘YouScoop’ and ‘JournalisMo’, respectively.

In addition, GMA 7 showcase election special program such as ‘Kandidato’ and ‘Isang Tanong’, which features the candidates to present their platforms and stands to the current issues; ‘Biyaheng Totoo’ and ‘Votebook’, an election-related mini-documentary.

This program were established because, GMA 7 believes that through this shows, all candidates of are given a chance to speak-out their voice.

And to avoid biasness, ABS-CBN made Kris Aquino, sister of Noynoy Aquino, and Korina Sanchez, the senior news anchor, who recently married to Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas, rest during the campaign period.

Newspaper also had their own version of citizen journalism; they allot pages for the writer-wannabes. Star made ‘Inbox’, in which email and text messages from readers are posted while, PDI have ‘Youngblood’ and ‘Highblood’, a feature essays written by youths and senior citizen, respectively.

Also, Star conducted a getting-to-know-you session with the presidential candidates, resulting a write-up that aims to know the candidate more.

“Everybody was given a chance, except Jambi Madrigal, who did not come,” Marichu Villanueva, Star Associate Editor, said.

Meanwhile, as Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility review the flagship of the two big TV network in the Philippine, they showed that ABS-CBN covers a lot of Villar while GMA 7 aired more of Aquino, Estrada, Teodoro then, Villar.

Exposing more news about some particular candidates, the biasness is not only exist in the media practitioner who made the news but, also to the gatekeepers or front-liner of the media organization. This is because they are the one who choose which news to air or publish and which is not but, sometimes the choice is with the owner of the company or editorial policy.

“Our rules are simple: If the story is newsworthy, it goes on air. The call always belongs to the people who cover and air the news, not (to) the people who fund or advertise in it,” GMA 7 said.

Additionally, Howie Severino of GMA 7 said about their policy, “We refused offers of money and policed our ranks. We constantly reminded the staff about our rules and the consequences of breaking them,”

“We always paid our own way and never relied on political parties or candidates, even if they offered to foot the bill. We believe that to be able to live up to tenets of ‘serbisyong totoo’, which is ‘walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan’, to be truly objective, we could not be beholden to any individual or entity,” GMA 7 said.

Some of the reporter, respondent on the study of PCIJ, revealed that they were offered some gives like branded flipflops, pasalubong, travel bags and money, called as reimbursement allowance that ranged from 500- 3000 php. Envelops were sometimes attached with the Press Release that they handed after or during the coverage and mostly, handed through personally – Face-to-face.

Whenever a media practitioner receives money, even gifts, from the source or candidate, the news story that you were writing is influenced and twisted.

For instance, a media practitioner received 3000php from a gubernatorial candidate and hears the candidate said some negative things on his opponent then, the media practitioner will no longer write about the bad attitude that the candidate showed during the press conference but, he will report only about the platforms and plans of this governor wannabe. And through this, the position runner already buys the media men favors.

And sometimes, the gatekeeper and editor are the one who push them to that thing, to be bias.

“Para lumabas ang story, dapat kunin and pahayag ng partikular na kandidato at hindi masyadong halatang banat sa pinapaburan ng publisher,” one of the respondent said.

Not only that, there are also some media company that are controlled and funded by the government. This are the NBN Channel 4, Philippine Broadcasting Service, RPN 9, IBC 13, Times journal, and its sister tabloids People’s Journal and People’s Tonight, who receives budget subsidy from Malacanang.

Corruption not only exists in Metro Manila, but also to the province, where media are more prone to be exposed in corruption.

In fact, there are some media organization, which only publish or airs during election because, this business is best during this time.

And the reason that was seen why did community media commits corruption because, through this they can gain more money.

Community media are not just a reporter, most of the time they’re also do sale man of their newspaper.

Freddie Solinap said, “Pag hindi ka magdikarte ng ganun (to sell space), wala kang income. We do that, we make contracts where there’s festival, we’d really give a proposal to the mayor to feature that town. Sometimes, they will buy the newspaper edition, for example, they will buy 10,000 copies to distribute to the communityor their constituents, depending on the headline,”

Through those strategies, the community paper raised some income that can support their following issues.

Sometimes, it comes to the point that one community media was shocked because one of the new elected officer offered him money after the interview, the officer called it as ‘gas allowance’. It felt so insulted in the journalist pat because, he don’t got their for that envelop but for the information that is needed, for the media practitioner to disseminate to the people.

“Balita lang ang kinukuha namin,” Solinap said, “If they give something, well, it is normal, you woyld be a hypocrite to refuse. You accept, but it does not mean that just because he gave you money, you will agree to what he says,”

“It is a matter of survival for journalists who are in outlets that don’t pays them enough,” says Romy Elusfa, Mindanao freelance journalist.

Government is the one who made the media corrupt, as they also corrupt from the funds of the public. Without their offers, money and gifts, journalist would not received any from them, the sources. Maybe, journalist can received those money and gifts but, you’ll give it to a charity, like what other respondent of the study said.

Whether a media practitioner receives money or gift from the sources, he must write for the truth because, media serves for the public, who had a right to know the truth.

Posted/Published at Facebook as a requirement in Special Problem in Journalism course.

Posted/ Published last July 16, 2012.