Cebu's press freedom

Kudos to members of the Cebu media for convening once again to celebrate their own press freedom. It started as a tradition to pay tribute to the second chance at being able to say and publish accordingly after the censorship brought by martial law. I grew up loving every bit of the Press Freedom Week. My dad would take me out to the city streets to watch the individuals of Cebu's press march down from the Provincial Capitol to wherever the venue of the opening program is. I used to wave at them like celebrities. They were after all celebrities in my own little world of dreams.

In 2014, I joined this esteemed group and the idea of press freedom suddenly became real to me. It wasn't any concept taught in school or discussed in any fora. We lived and breathed the liberty we had in accordance with standards set by our newsroom. However, this was not the case all the time. When populist leader Rodrigo Duterte sat, his statements against the press were very resounding that it sent a 'chilling effect.' He threatened them multiple times in various instances. Instead of the media getting the sympathy of the people, everyone was cheering him on. It resulted in media mistrust and the rise of the affinity towards vloggers and pseudo-pages. Regardless if what they released were true, what they posted still falls under the premise of free speech.

This effect was not explicitly felt nor expressed in Cebu's media. They stood strong and withstood the challenges by making sure they were fair and balanced. There might have been times that these values were compromised but they continue to deliver information that the people deserve. On some issues they remain mum, careful not to step on anyone's toes. Herman and Chomsky were right when they said that there are five filters of media, but we can somehow strike the balance.

In this time the issues may be the same coupled with a more challenging threat of artificial knowledge as this technology could take over man’s quip in the administration of the craft. If only journalists in Cebu would upskill and have access to tools so they can keep up with the evolving landscape, then I'm sure we would be pioneers once again.

I'm mighty proud to say that despite financial constraints, news avoidance which often leads to irrelevance, Cebu's media continues to thrive. This means that this set of dedicated individuals have continued to fulfill the legacy of the forefathers to keep the press abreast. As the fourth estate, we are duty bound to give the Cebuanos and other neighboring areas information which are helpful to them such as policy making and in shaping public opinion.

The future is bleak as to where the discipline of journalism is going. If we continue to fight for it like those who have gone before us did, then it will remain as true and pure as it is today. Cebu's media is incomparable to other journalistic practices.