TF forum tackles gov't transparency

CEBU, Philippines - With President Noynoy Aquino’s “no wang-wang policy” and great emphasis given to government transparency and accountability, at what point will the media and the government meet?

This will be the theme for this year’s “Reaching out to news sources” forum that will be hosted by The FREEMAN today at the Marcelo Fernan Press Center.

“Given that direction, no wang-wang, meaning no corruption, and the nature of the media na mangusisa gyud, asa ta kutob mo-search in a government na nag-emphasize sa transparency? At what point man sila magka-meet?” The FREEMAN Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tundag said.

Tundag said there was difficulty trying to determine which direction to take last year’s Press Freedom Week celebration since the “no wang-wang policy” was barely three months old then.

“This time, with more than a year behind it, and great emphasis given to government transparency and accountability, The FREEMAN feels the time is ripe to test and challenge this direction,” he said.

The speakers for the forum are Cito Beltran, Philippine STAR columnist, corporate trainor/mentor and a frequent visitor to Cebu; Minerva Newman, regional director of Philippine Information Agency-7, and Dale Mark Antonio, vice president of the Association of Government Information Officers-7.

The FREEMAN’s corporate partners in the forum are the Visayan Electric Company and the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

The series of forums aligned with the celebration of Press Freedom week started yesterday with the theme: Where is Journalism in a Digital World?

The forum raised issues concerning digital distribution of information and how the institution of the newspaper is adjusting to the digital world.

Javier Vicente Rufino, director of Inquirer Mobile and the guest speaker, said he cannot see print media dying years from now even with technology reshaping so much of today’s life.

Rufino said the Internet or new media is not seen as a threat to print media.

“We see it as a neighbor, a highway to reach more audience or readers anytime, anywhere,” he said, adding that circulation of papers is limited but with digital journalism we can reach the whole world.

Rufino said print media will continue to play an important role in terms of depth, insights, analysis, commentary and branded content.

“The challenge for print is to adapt to a full media landscape that is no longer dominated by paper but ensures that good and responsible journalism is still there,” he said. —/BRP - (THE FREEMAN)