Journalism under fire

Today, members of Cebu media close a week's worth of activities in celebration of Press Freedom Week. The celebration has been ongoing for 30 years, done in time with the commemoration of the martial law proclamation. What makes these two events in sync are the experiences that intertwine with one another.

You see, the media then was placed in a very delicate situation. Either you side with the government to help in their propaganda or live by the principles of journalism. True enough, those who chose the latter were later persecuted in forms of closures, takeovers or, worse, abductions. Though these stories are seldom told today, we remember that a repressive form of government once threatened the press.

Today, the Philippine press faces the same threat but in a different form. Legitimate media workers are at risk of losing their audience with the rise of online news outlets posing as credible sources. With little to no background in journalism, some members working full-time in the industry and get a ton of exposure; they launch themselves into the new platform just aiming to grab the audience.

They inject new forms of content regardless if it violates existing rules, laws, and ethical principles. Regulation is rare because of the nature of the medium. There is no need for them to even acquire licenses, permits, and other documents needed for a network to be recognized. They do as they please, not even blurring the lines of public relations, marketing, and newswriting. The audience loves them and they get patronage.

In a nutshell, the journalism industry is under fire because apart from the risks they pose being critical they are taken over by the advent of social media. It becomes easy for one to claim to be part of a news network, especially given the means today. It poses the question, how do we determine legitimate from inauthentic? Some community press newsrooms are also trying their best to be fair and balanced, while others simply lean on their slant for their own agenda.

It is no wonder that the audience is slowly losing its interest and trust in legacy media. I try to scramble thoughts in my head that would explain this, but I think it is really a point of reflection. The media may have failed and disappointed a big chunk of those who used to patronize it, but they learn and continue.

The challenge now is to remain relevant even in the most advanced times where press releases are given out in lieu of press conferences, photos and videos are sanitized, and narratives may have been changed. It is important that those who embody the principles and ethics of a real journalist must keep in mind their purpose. That should be in relation to having an informed citizenry and not to create puppets. We need the truth and not some cover up. If the fire continues to burn, so be it.