+ Blurring

the Lines
Between
Media and
Politics
Eldred D. Cole
Deputy Regional
Prosecutor
19 February 2013

+
CASE
Dumaguing vs. Romualdo, et. al.
Media
Hired
Did

affiliation claim

by the opposition

not wear identification

Involved

in a melee

Filed

criminal cases against the

governor & mayor-candidate

Decision:

+
Media Role
The Past
Edmund

Burke dubbed the news media

the fourth estate

the

freest press in Asia.

prior

to 1972, media helped check

government abuses by holding officials
accountable

strong

tradition of criticizing and

exposing government wrongdoing

+
Media Role
The Present
Individual and media organization
bias can distort reporting, which
leads to:
incomplete

and inaccurate
information, and
sometimes

trivialization and
sensationalization of events

+
Media Role
The Present
pervasive

and deep-rooted issue of

corruption in the Philippine media taking
place most particularly during election
years and campaign periods

"interview

packages" and other shady

deals that some media agencies offer
candidates

Teddy Casio, congressional candidate:

Before I used to be interviewed for free,
now I'm being asked to pay.

Marcos era, the regime

sponsored a view of the press as
partner in contrast to the
adversarial concept that looked
at the press as the watchdogs of
the government

The press then was regulated and

because of such control -

The birth of developmental

journalism came about, where
media is dictated to write only
about the governments so-called
development projects, and as an
off-shoot, thus the beginning of
envelopmental journalism.

The dictatorship did not only

kill the press, it purchases it,
lock, stock and fountain pen.

WHAT HAPPENED?

+
CHALLENGES
corruption

has significantly damaged Philippine

society by creating a culture of impunity
whereby corrupt officials are not prosecuted
and media practitioners turn a blind eye or do
not expose corrupt practices.

publicists

and spin doctors for politicians and

candidates

the

challenges of political reportage

violence

against journalists

medias

role in nation-building

Covenant

WAY FORWARD

Commitment:

Against Media
Corruption 2013 - -an
agreement that marks a
significant step toward
curbing rampant
corruption in the media

both media practitioners and

political parties and candidates
to reject engaging in acts that
contribute to corruption in the
media, which has consistently
marred Philippine elections.
Codes

of Conduct and
Ethical Standards

Remember, politics and

politicians are just
+ stories, not our
lifeline