The Politician and Journalism

As the national and local elections on May 2022 draws near, most if not all of the candidates for all elective positions down to the last councilor of the municipality general seek the help of journalist and reporters to give publicity to their candidacies and platform of government or advocacies, once elected to the positions they are aspiring for. While these reporters who generally join the rallies of the candidates are not in their payroll, some if not all are expecting monetary allowances from the candidates. Thus, when media reports are released the good image of the candidate is usually given wide publicity. While our society seems to have tolerated this practice, as we have yet to hear any condemnation of this- we still believe that the same violates the ethical standard of true and faithful journalism which is none other than TRUTH. Thus when one opens the pages of a national or local newspaper, the favored candidate is usually projected as the messiah whose plans and programs would give us the heavens. Thus the TRUTH as a source of news and genuine news reporting is relegated to the background. And the readers are hence misinformed or uninformed. It merely becomes the instrument by which politicians form the opinions of people about certain candidates, regardless of whether these opinions are based on facts or not.

It would take the likes of Nobel Peace Prize awardee Maria Ressa to bring back the vital role of journalism in the political arena, which is to be the source of information and offer truthful analyses of issues affecting the public’s lives, which can enlighten them and stir them to action.

On the local scene, the tv and broadcast media reports that Mr. Luansing, the resident manager of the Metro Naga Water District has organized two Divisions in the District with twelve employees in each Division, is something that is beyond us. As a government-owned and controlled corporation, it is my belief that it has to limit employment, as indicated in the plantilla, Unnecessary employees and those in excess of the plantilla serve as an added burden to the Water District in terms of salaries and allowances. Likewise, in the report made before the Sangguniang Panglunsod of Naga, it would appear that the District is on the red as it has been losing millions of pesos. If this is true, then the District is mismanaged and Mr. Luansing has a lot to explain to the public.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“JOURNALISM CAN NEVER BE SILENT. THAT IS ITS GREATEST VIRTUE. IT MUST SPEAK, AND SPEAK IMMEDATELY, WHILE THE CLAIMS OF TRIUMPH OR SIGNS OF HORROR ARE STILL IN THE AIR” -HENRY GRUNWALD

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“THEREFORE, HAVING PUT AWAY FALSEHOOD, LET EACH OF YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOR” -EPHESIANS 4: 25