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Title: Fear and Favor
Author: Malaginoo
Date: May 4, 2020
Language: en
Topics: journalism, Philippines, Bandilang Itim
Source: Retrieved on 2020-05-04 https://bandilangitim.noblogs.org/post/2020/05/04/fear-and-favor-freedom-of-the-press-in-the-archipelago/

Malaginoo

Fear and Favor

On May 3, the world observes the World Press Freedom Day, a day set

aside by the United Nations to commemorate the valiant duties and

efforts of the press. On this day, we reflect the role of journalism in

our lives, and remember the journalists who are persecuted and killed

for reporting the truth for the world to know. We are called to stand

for “Journalism Without Fear or Favor” something that has been lacking

in our country, especially under our current government.

We have seen since the advent of the regime under President Rodrigo

Duterte that now more than ever, the freedom of the press in our country

is continually violated by the State. Journalists continue to be

attacked online, intimidate, and illegally arrested for being critical

of the government.[1] They are degraded through the words of a President

and his sycophants.[2] They are forced to recant and censor themselves

for criticizing the multiple wrongs of the State.[3] They are simply

banned from entering press briefings for asking questions too tough for

a spokesperson to bear.[4]

All of this while media outlets that offer a view counter to the

narrative of the regime are threatened and prosecuted by partisans of

administration.[5] What is worse is that the regime has already taken

steps to completely legalize criminalizing dissent with the passage of

the “Anti-Terrorism Bill” with provisions so vague that alternative news

organizations and their journalists can be red-tagged and marked as

terrorists to be put in jail indefinitely.[6]

Meanwhile, false information masquerading as news continues to be spread

on the internet, largely through accounts and pages supporting the

regime of the President.[7] News items calling opposition figures

“destabilizers,” “communists,” and “traitors” are shared and reposted,

tricking people into believing falsehoods and influencing them to

supporting whoever sponsored the disinformation campaign.[8]

However, this problem did not begin with the current administration. Not

in 2009, not in 1972, not even in 1896. In fact, for as long as

journalism has been around, news has never been without fear or favor.

The History of Press Freedom

Press freedom in the Philippines has always been under threat of

censorship. Before the Philippines was even independent, the freedom of

journalists, such as propagandists were stifled. Whether it be under the

Spanish or the Americans, periodicals remained tightly controlled by the

government, only allowing works that are neutral or outright supportive

of the ruling class of colonialists.[9]

After 1946, the press—though nominally independent—was under the

influence of capitalists and politicians, such as the Lopezes of

ABS-CBN. However, the next violent wave of violations against press

freedom came under the rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Under that regime, all

media outlets, newspaper, radio, television, were taken over and

controlled by the government. All information was tightly controlled and

censored, and those who refused to relent were “undermining the

integrity of the government” and summarily arrested.[10]

Even after the fall of Marcos, the press was still under threat from

both inside and outside government. Under the succeeding administration,

over 40 journalists were killed from 1987 to 2001.[11]

The most cases, however, happened under government of President Arroyo

where over 80 media workers were killed. Worse, under Arroyo the

attitude of the government towards the press chilled with battles in

court against periodicals and illegal actions against journalists of the

time.[12]

In 2009, the greatest attack on the press came with the Maguindanao

Massacre where 58 people were slain—32 of which were journalists—by

forces under the Ampatuan clan while part of Esmael Mangudadatu’s

convoy. Only 30 of the 155 accused were convicted.[13]

Journalism was Never Free

The problem with journalism is not exclusive to the Philippines, though

it is clearly exacerbated by the culture of impunity in this country.

Rather, it affects all communities, all people, because the press

continues to be driven by motives of profit and advantage.

For as long as the press is controlled by wealthy businessmen, the

journalism it produces will always be influenced by their interests.

Just as how entrepreneurs use their private property to earn from their

businesses, the wealthy use media to earn the attention and trust of the

people. As a result, they can choose the tone of their news, the

opinions of their writers, and which items would help or hurt their

reputation. This way, they can influence people to act for their

benefit, whether political or economical.[14]

This is not meant as an attack on media workers, since they themselves

work for these companies, and are subject to the whims of their bosses.

They have to work in mentally strenuous conditions, sometimes with

unfair pay, and even get laid off. Worse, the stories they follow can be

risky, leading to the threats, assaults, and killings we are all too

familiar with.

There also independent media agencies and publications, alternative news

networks and campus journalists that do not work for profit but simply

to tell the truth. They are made up of people who report on events

hidden or obscured by large outlets, and express opinions that would not

usually be broadcasted out of “neutrality.”

In fact, with the advent of social media, anyone with an account on

social media can report the news. Journalism, which used to be dominated

by a few firms competing, yet in collusion in establishing a system that

let them centralizing and monopolize information, has been liberated by

platforms with a near unlimited reach. This, of course, is liable to

abuse, as we have seen with the rise of fake news. However, were it not

for citizen journalists, we would not see the current shift from radio

and TV, to online news.

Without Fear or Favor Today

Of course, we cannot predict the future. We don’t know what sources they

have for their news, or how they will report it to us. We can only act

today towards shunning the conventional and adopting alternatives that

work better for all of us. As libertarians, we organize and we act in

order to build a society where there is free exchange, even of ideas,

knowledge, and information.

Journalism in a libertarian society could be where media workers like

reporters, journalists, and investigators would be deeply embedded in

the community that they report to, so much so that the citizens

themselves become a vital part of the process. Surely, there will be

standards based on objectivity and quality, so that we will not repeat

the mistakes we are currently making.

However, at every turn, from gathering information, processing and

publishing news pieces, to spreading and disseminating it to local and

international outfits, it is necessary that media outlets are

transparent and accountable to the people they report to, by letting

them contribute as well. Instead of large media outlets using and

co-opting social media for their advantage, we can finally have a

“social” media, a means for us to relay and communicate the truth from

ourselves, to ourselves, by ourselves.

Journalism without fear or favor will remain impossible so long as there

are people willing to use the press as a weapon against the truth and

against us.

The written word has long been used as a tool of oppression, as a way to

silence critics, hide the truth and influence others to do the same.

However, in the same way, it has also been used to give voice to

voiceless, to stand for those who cannot, and to bring the truth from

the darkness.

Especially during these tumultuous times, news—especially on social

media—has been used to inform people in a time when society cannot

function face-to-face. It has been used to uncover the truth about the

incompetence and lack of action from an incompassionate government.

In response, the police retaliated the way they always would: with

terror, violence and fear. Journalists were among those arrested for

“violating the Bayanihan Heal as One Act” that governs the quarantine in

the country.[15]

If the government is willing to bring back Martial Law, then we should

also be willing to fight it, by supporting media workers who are “no

work, no pay,” journalists out on the street risking their health to do

their jobs, and those people who simply report the truth.

Our circumstances may be different in the coming days, months, and

years, but our goal should always be the same: Journalism in a world

without fear or favor.

[1] Allysa Mae Clarin, 128 cases of press freedom violations recorded by

media groups, (Bulatlat, 2019). Reporters Without Borders also tracks

these incidents, Reporters Without Borders, Philippines, (Reporters Sans

Frontieres, N.D.). Retrieved from:

rsf.org

[2] Paterno Esmaquel II, Catcalling: Duterte broke the law in own city,

(Rappler, 2016). See also Arianne Merez, Duterte calls journalist Ellen

Tordesillas a ‘prostitute’; president’s ‘vulgarity’ hit, (ABS-CBN,

2019). See also CNN Philippines Staff, Panelo: Ressa wants special

treatment being a journalist, (CNN, 2019).

[3] Samantha Bagayas, UE campus journalist ‘forced’ to apologize after

criticizing Duterte gov’t online, (Rappler, 2020).

[4] Rappler Editors, Rappler reporter now banned from entire Malacañang

complex, (Rappler, 2018).

[5] Darryl John Esguerra, Media groups: State agents behind 69 cases of

attacks vs journalists, (Inquirer.net, 2019).

[6] Ronalyn V. Olea, Why the anti-terror bill is sanctioned state

terrorism, (Bulatlat, 2020).

[7] Vera Files, A trail of false claims made and fake news shared by

Mocha Uson, (Vera Files, 2018.) See also, Victor Barreiro Jr. & Gelo

Gonzales, Fake account network massively pro-Duterte – report, (Rappler,

2019).

[8] Pathricia Ann V. Roxas, PNA hit for ‘red-tagging,’ posting ‘fake

news’ vs Makabayan solons, (Inquirer.net, 2019). See also Che de los

Reyes, Otso Diretso, ABS-CBN News ‘most targeted’ by disinformation in

2019 elections – UP journ analysis, (ABS-CBN Investigative & Research

Group, 2019).

[9] Ferdinan S. Gregorio, In Defense of Freedom: Philippine Press

Through the Ages, (National Historical Commission of the Philippines,

2012).

[10] Jodesz Gavilan, From Marcos to Duterte: How media was attacked,

threatened, (Rappler, 2018).

[11] Ibid.

[12] GMA News, Journalists fight back, file P12.5M suit vs Mike Arroyo,

(GMA News, 2006). See also GMA News, SC hears ‘violations’ of PP1017,

questions arrests, Tribune raid, (GMA News, 2006).

[13] Ronalyn V. Orea, Court finds Andal Ampatuan et al. guilty,

(Bulatlat, 2019).

[14] This is based on analysis of Antonio Gramsci on how the media and

other cultural elements of society are used for domination and influence

by the ruling class in the Prison Notebooks. See: Antonio Gramsci,

Prison Notebooks.

[15] Reporters Without Borders, Two Philippine journalists face two

months in prison for coronavirus reporting, (Reporters Sans Frontieres,

2020).