The Philippine Press and Media

The press replicates the pyramidal structure of Philippine society.

Radio has taken a backseat to TV in terms of reach.

Print is a poor third.

Newspaper circulations are shrinking and so is newspaper credibility.

But there is a Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

http://www.cmfr-phil.org/cmfr-on-the-cybercrime-prevention-act-of-2012/

The legal environment

Press freedom is officially the norm.

What is being done?

Training journalists and media workers, especially in professional standards and ethics;

Educating present and future journalists on their critical role in society;

Providing coherent continuing education programs;

Encouraging journalists to organize for better pay and working conditions;

Developing a media literate public willing to defend press freedom and able to demand better media performance.

Cutthroat competition characterizes the relationship among media organizations, especially the two major networks (ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. and GMA Network Inc.).

News is often defined by the broadcast networks as anything that will boost ratings rather than in terms of public significance.

Among the results is a focus on news that will sell: e.g., celebrity and crime news.

Philippine media and press are owned and controlled by business and political interests.

Ideological, political, and other biases often affect reporting.

Political pressure has also been known to make editors kill or water down stories.

Advertiser sensibilities are a major factor in what appears in the six o’clock news or in print.

The “national press” consisting of nine broadsheets, tabloids, magazines, and the news services of the two major networks is so-called only because it is based in Manila.

Outside Manila is the “community press” of some 500 newspapers, 600 local radio stations, and affiliates of the Manila networks.

Although many practitioners are highly skilled, Philippine media are besieged by professional and ethical problems due to:

Poor, inadequate or no training

Low salaries and poor working conditions

The “culture of corruption” in the media and in society at large

Despite the efforts of media advocacy groups and media organizations, corruption in the media persists.

Media corruption during elections means money practically decides the result of elections.

Professional and ethical problems affect the Philippine press’ capacity to deliver the news, and even how it defines news.

Low skills levels and corruption result in incomplete, unfair, biased, and even inaccurate news reports usually lacking in context.

Lack of context is a frequent criticism of reporting in the Philippine press.

Broadsheets vs. Tabloids

There is no Freedom of Information Act in the Philippines.

http://www.cmfr-phil.org/flagship-programs/other-programs/special-programs/media-and-public-policy/freedom-of-information/

Community newspapers are mostly owned by local entrepreneurs and politicians.

Some, however, are owned by large corporations with political links (e.g., the Sun.Star chain, the Cebu Daily News, and Cebu’s Freeman)

In the communities, some reporters are not paid as journalists but as advertising solicitors.

The Philippine press and free expression are protected by Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

Unlike other countries, the Philippines has no set of laws pertaining only to the press (Press Laws).

Laws affecting mass media are in various statutes, many of which are not specifically addressed to the media.

Although the press is legally autonomous, a number of factors affect the exercise of press freedom, among them:

The ownership system

The sensitivity to criticism of those in power

Advertising and political pressure

Corruption and other ethical problems

The Ampatuan (Maguindanao) Massacre of November 23, 2009 placed the Philippines at the forefront of the international campaign against impunity.

Because of the killing of journalists, the Philippines has been described “the most murderous place in the world” to practice journalism by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (2003)

http://cmfr-phil.org/endimpunityinph/

The “culture of impunity,” which encourages the killing of journalists

Only the Big Three broadsheets, a business newspaper, some niche magazines, and some tabloids in Metro Manila are making money.

Most Manila broadsheets depend on reporters to get the news in Manila, but on correspondents for provincial news.

Many write for the Manila broadsheets in addition to working for local politicians, the police and military, the Philippine Information Agency, and broadcasting.

Some media personalities make hundreds of thousands, even millions, monthly.

But the majority, especially in print, complains of low salaries and poor working conditions.

Free TV vs. Cable TV