I find it rich the way members of the Philippines’ community of “journalism” professionals could be so precious about what is and what isn’t “journalism”. That is in considering that very few of them can be considered to be exemplars of journalism practice to begin with.
Nonetheless, here is the esteemed Ed Lingao, journalist extraordinaire, in all his verbose pomposity fuming on Facebook over Mocha Uson’s un-journalistic interview of President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte…
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Fascinating. So now, a visit by an avid supporter is defined as journalism. (The comments can really be so interesting. People, please note that i do not care about your political affiliations. This remark is about how we perceive the role of journos, and curiously, how people think they can and should do away with media. You can glean that from many of the comments here. So I do not care if you are pro or anti Digong. But if you presume to lecture me about journalism, be sure you know what you are talking about or you are likely to get nailed. Oh and people, please keep your comments respectable)
It seems mainstream Filipino journalists are still butthurt over being kicked out of Duterte’s office. Mocha Uson, on the other hand, who runs a successful blog focused on raunchy material, was one of Duterte’s social media promoters and, not surprisingly, the subject of much derision from so-called “civil society”, a social notion the old-guard of Liberal Party supporters and the broader community of “Yellows” (those who remain fixated on the old glory of mid-1980s “people power” sentiment) have, for so long, been exceedingly presumptuous enough to claim total monopoly over. The degree of Filipino journalists’ butthurtness seems to be directly proportionate to the size of the sense of entitlement and moral ascendancy they cultivated over the last 30 years.
Unfortunately for old-school “journalists” like Lingao, nowadays comprise a different age. Over the 30 years since Philippine media was “freed” from the so-called “dictatorship” of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos, news reporting in the Philippines has degenerated from being a dignified beacon of sober information dissemination to the entertainment abomination that it is today. Gone are the days when Harry Gasser would deliver a sober seven o’clock report over RPN Nine’s NewsWatch. Today, it is now difficult to tell public service content in Philippine media apart from noontime game and variety shows. Filipino news programs today are a sad style affront to news reporting all over the world. They are sense-assaulting spectacles of colours and sound effects; the equivalent of the jeepneys that are a blight to the sleek understated modern public transport provided in other countries.
Then again, who’s the one quibbling over what “proper journalism” is to begin with? The fact that Lingao would battle Uson for turf in the landscape of “journalism” betrays a deep insecurity over the relevance of his profession today. For starters, did Mocha Uson even profess to be engaging in “journalism” in inteviewing the President-Elect? If she didn’t, what’s Lingao getting his panties all twisted about?
Suffice to say, Philippine corporate media has pretty much lost its ascendancy to inform Filipinos about pertinent issues that affect their lives. The ethics surrounding the noble duty of uplifting the collective intellect of the nation quite simply is incompatible with the profits-driven corporate goals of many mainstream media outlets. Instead, mainstream media have, in the last several decades, distinguished themselves as a tool for the “abatement of the nation’s intelligence” thanks to its focus on mind-dulling Filipino entertainment products over less-profitable public service content.
As a result, corporate journalism has had to compete with entertainment programs for eyeballs. The result is an even bigger disaster. The line between public service content and bald entertainment in Philippine media has become tragically blurred with the need for obnoxious bells and whistles extending to the delivery format of broadcast journalism. Of this “entertainment”, Isagani Cruz writes in a seminal Inquirer article…
The indiscriminate audience eagerly laps them up because it has not been taught to be selective and more demanding of better quality shows for their pastime. In fact, the easily satisfied fans have been taught the exact opposite reaction — to accept whatever garbage the industry offers them and, to add insult to their injury, to pay for it too.
It is in this context that Duterte now thumbs his nose at Philippine corporate media and its pompous cadre of traditional “journalists”. He can do that because there are now lots of players who will step up to fill the void. Indeed, the new players in 21st Century information dissemination no longer derive credibility from credentials or employers but from reputation and street creds painstakingly built in the digital jungle where they thrive. Indeed, it is in this very jungle that mainstream “journalism” lost its creds. That’s a reality folk like Lingao need to deal with. In this jungle, there are no personalities — only ideas and information.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Yeah, i miss Harry Gasser. Post-edsa abs-cbn got former vice pres noli de castro…then there were ted failon…corina…and the level of news reporting was never the same….in Tagalog…and they can just bash anyone (domestic or international) on air. (There are still some very good journalists and tv news reporters delivering it in English. Dumami pa sana sila).
I just watched 2nd part of Mocha’s interview. Looking forward to 3rd (and 4th? wise ka rin Mocha). At least she came prepared with questions. When RRD was granting presscons, some reporters were ill prepared: asking stupid questions, writing stupid write ups…Looked up interviews with RRD’s cabinet members and the same thing. While a yellow reporter can go easy with noynoy (na nakakainsulto lang panoorin), some reporters would be so brazen to ask leading questions when these cabinet members are still weeks before they start in their new jobs.
They created the void, deal with it.
For pinoys after 1986, that is what they call freedom. Freedom para magpakabobo at magpakatanga.
The idiot pinoy will say, itagalog mo para maintindihan ko. In reality it only means that the idiot pinoy insists that the world change for them instead of the other way around. That is the way it has been since 1986. Katamaran ang pinaiiral.
where have you been? 1986 onwards gave the writer to write what they want. if only because of that, be thankful. of course some would write trash but there are those who made philippine journalism brilliant. ano gusto mo, nakakadena ang panulat mo?
THAT is the problem. Because of that kind of logic, the term “responsible journalism” is currently non-existent
I think your clueless about what happened to the late Louie Beltran. You connect the dots.
It never got weird enough for me.
One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.
Thank you GetReal for giving us quality information that mainstream media couldn’t give us anymore.
We are the GRP Citizen journalists ( GRP Bloggers). We came out, because the mainstream Journalists, prostituted themselves to politicians, like the Aquinos and others. Most became their propagandists; in exchange for cash, or favors. Some used their Journalistic profession, to dumb down their audience: the Filipino people…so that the Filipinos can be herded, like stupid sheeps, to vote for certain candidates.
Some used their Journalistic profession, as a stepping stone, for a political career…or used it to promote the political career or their husband or wife.
If these self serving Journalists, would not have prostituted and demeaned their professions. The GRP Citizen Journalists(GRP Bloggers), would never have existed.
And by the way; some of the Citizen Journalists(GRP Bloggers), are better informed and better educated than some of the Media mainstream journalists !
“…because the mainstream Journalists, prostituted themselves to politicians…”
Well, news flash. It has been in practice for centuries across the globe.
Here’s another example of “everyone else is doing it so it’s ok” crap.
I didn’t say it’s okay. I just stated facts, idiot
great article, as usual, benignO!
Well said Sir BenignO…
That’s what happens when you become too complacent about your chosen profession. Worse, when you assume you can get away with being lackadaisical about it and thinking the general population will always allow you to get away with churning out crap and mediocre fare and passing it off as “news”. Let us all be honest and call a spade a spade. Privately-owned media entities are businesses. And as such, their allegiance is to profit. Public service is a very distant second. And you can actually see that gaping void everytime you tune in to one local news program after another from the major networks. Nothing but loud music, loud spiels and sensationalized pedestrian/showbiz news gobbling airtime not even worth the equipment used to record them. Meanwhile, you have broadsheets publishing only positive “news” about their benefactors and near-zero coverage of “controversial” topics that put them to bad light. And “media practitioners” are crying foul for getting left out of the loop? And now has the audacity to question someone doing their job for them? Ang kakapal talaga. Truth is, the majority of media people here are more Stephen Glass than Gary Webb.
Pwe.
Yeah, I do miss Gary. PH journalism has now sunk to its lowest. Just look at the top news at PDI today…
Leni: Rody plays hard to get
Aquino raring to go home to QC
No VIPs at Leni’s oath-taking
WHO CARES? Nobody Cares! Shallow – reeking of content bankruptcy. People really should start finding better places to get their news. I won’t be surprised if next month we’ll have as PDI’s headline story:
Leni’s yellow cat gets hurt by wandering askal
Leni is now officialy the Kris Aquino of Philippine politics.
*Harry
Actually Ed Lingao was just feeling insulted that a non-journalist like Mocha had the opportunity to have an interview with Pres-elect Duterte while they were just fence sitters or being boycotted..
…because ph “journalists” today are no different from rabid sharks. Take a look at the major news outlets – abs, gma, pdi and rappler – they thrive on sensationalism.
duterte hit it right when he gave mocha an interview – it would reach her followers, composed of mostly young to middle-aged blue-collared job men who makeup most of the labor workforce. and since this is the internetz, its her blog, it would be as raw as it gets – neither whitewashed nor candy-coated as the news we get on tv patrol, today’s inquirer or fucking rappler.
Eto ang journalism ngayon ok lang na mali2 ang grammar.
and you think MOCHA do not thrive on sensationalism? have you seen mocha before she anointed herself as “media”? are we really for a backward movement?
@jorman
At least si Mocha, hindi nagsasabing JOURNALIST siya. Our journos demand respect and think highly of themselves but give people the same crap non-journos give the people.
Journalists – to be more knowledgeable that those who thrive on sensationalism but acts like they only thrive on sensationalism
Mocha Uson – thrive on sensationalism but during the whole interview acted more professional that most journalists.
Saya diba? Ngayon…masisisi mo ba mga tao kung dun maniniwala kesa sa mga “watchdog” kuno?
Seriously, where have you been? Do you live in the Philippines?
Kasi based sa observation ko..people no longer trusts the media peeps. Dati, kapag corrupt ang mayor or barangay captain, ang iniisip na takbuhan ng mga tao ay ang mga journalists kasi nga “WATCHDOG” kasi nga “walang kinikilingan, serbisyong totoo at sa katotohanan” lang but what happened? People relied on social media because they realized even journos cannot be trusted anymore.
That’s why people voted for Duterte. Kaya nag agree ang mga tao sa sinabi ng media na may corruption sa ranks nila at dapat mag shape up sila.
But their reaction…lol. They proved Duterte right.
Instead of actually shaping up and cleaning their ranks, abaý mas lalong nagalit at mas lalong malicious ang mga news.
Journalists- they claim to be more knowledgeable..
Mocha Uson – thrives..
“Kaya nag agree ang mga tao sa sinabi ng media” sa sinabi ni Digong dapat.
Fuck all journalists, we dont need any more of them, WE NEED SCIENTISTS Y’ALL. Turn on the nuclear reactor. Revive the aerospace program. establish a ministry of information technology so that the govt doesnt have to rely on third party private IT service providers! Doing so may be expensive right now, but think how much we would have progressed (and even saved) if these projects were started a long time ago.
Butthurt ka na naman benign0, kaya napasulat ka na naman?
Son, you’re missing the point.
Read the damn article, please.
Oi, CoryKong, bumalik ka na lang sa libingan mo!
I almost puked when I read the title of this article. I thought you actually praise that whore/self-proclaimed political analyst/Dutertard Mocha.
Turns out you actually berated Lingao for going down to Mocha’s level.
Geez, you should minimize using click-bait titles sometimes.
And what ‘level’ is that? Are you actually saying “journalists” here are that LOFTY? Gimme a break man, a lot of journalists from ‘prestigious’ media outfits are also whoring themselves for the highest bidder. And as for the click-bait, you clicked it. Give yourself a good thump in the skull for clicking in the first place.
“And what ‘level’ is that?” – Ans: the level of idiots.
Why are you starting an argument all of a sudden? We’re probably on the same side, basing on your statements. I’m never a fan of “journalists” these days. They can all go to hell for all I care. And Mocha isn’t an exception.
The cover picture aptly fits one of my early articles:
The Filipino Thirst for Foreign Blood
What bothers me is that Digong might only grant interviews to “fair-skinned Tisays”.
Sooner or later, a job in journalism will have the same requirements as those of a flight stewardess or Henry Sy’s automated greeting mannequins.
What is becoming of this country…
Requirement for President: able to read and write
Requirement for Journalists: beauty queen material
Mocha interview > Vice Ganda “interview” (piece of crap fluff)
Mocha Uson is a phenomenon. Here’s one woman who is single-handedly slaying the mainstream media and keeping President Duterte’s base of supporters active and engaged. She’s doing a much better job than Duterte’s official communications group and she’s doing it with very little resources.
Mocha puts Martin Andanar and Ernie Abella to shame, quite frankly. I don’t know why those two still can’t get their sh*t together despite having multi-million budgets and full-time staff. I just cringed when I read Abella’s statement on the EU parliament’s meddling yesterday. It was badly written as usual, with too many unnecessary words and grammatical errors and no clear focus, but the worst thing is he addressed the EU not the EU Parliament (they’re not the same, it wasn’t the whole EU that came out with the resolution, just one group).
No one expects Abella to know everything. We know he was just a pastor before he became presidential spokesperson. But he should at least have enough sense to get more knowledgeable people in government to review his statements before he releases them. He should have enough sense to hire staffers who can write more concise and more grammatically correct statements. Instead of correcting all the wrong perceptions about Duterte and the Philippines, Abella’s statements usually make Duterte look even more inept.
Maybe Duterte should dissolve the groups of Andanar and Abella, then use their budgets to hire a competent PR agency. There’s no chance of winning the propaganda war with those two in charge. Duterte is only surviving because the independent bloggers who support him are so good. Andanar and Abella only know how to do routine things like give updates on the President’s activities. But they don’t know how to fight propaganda wars.
Kawawa si Presidente. His name and the image of the Philippines are being destroyed abroad and all his communications people can do is come out with lame, amateurish, barely coherent statements.