Think about this for a moment. There are hundreds of thousands of brilliant Filipino journalists many of whom go about their craft quietly and leave it up to their work to speak on their behalf. And then there is Maria Ressa. Maria Ressa gets to fly off to Oslo to receive her “peace prize”, hobnob with a who’s-who of wokedom’s US-backed finest, and laugh all the way to the bank with more than a million dollahs in prize money. You gotta hand it to Maria Ressa. Well done. She’s just the latest of many Americans who had come before her who had made a million bucks off their “little brown brothers”.
In her speech in Oslo this weekend, Maria Ressa crowned herself “representative of every journalist around the world who is forced to sacrifice so much to hold the line”. How much exactly has Ressa “sacrificed”? Doesn’t seem like much seeing her standing before the cameras halfway around the world courtesy of her latest junket. She also has an American passport, which means she has a lifeline back to ol’ Uncle Sam’s embrace where Julian Assange, the man she threw under the bus to get where she is today may be extradited soon. Indeed, there is not much evidence — no facts — to support her claim before the world that the Philippines is a “war zone” or a piece of hell specifically reserved for “journalists”.
Where then does that leave real Filipino journalists — you know, the ones who actually produce great works of journalism instead of making themselves the news? There are, after all, hundreds of thousands of them. The best of them publish brilliant very readable work on the Philippines’ major publications and news outlets. They don’t have as much name recall as Maria Ressa, but we know their work when we see and read them. Well, they will be left with a profession “represented” by Maria Ressa and her sophomoric team at Rappler. Never mind that Filipino journalism boasts an excellent tradition that goes back a hundred-odd years. They have Rappler which, along with its CEO, bubbled up to the surface of the muck that is Yellowtard chatter just nine years ago in time for the demonization of the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012 to represent them! Ang galing, right?
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It is fascinating that Filipino journalists remain silent and take all this sitting down — an American bubbling up from the ground and taking home (to America) what is purported to be the first Nobel “Peace Prize” of the Philippines. Is this “prize” really for Filipinos to behold? Take a careful look at Maria Ressa and what she really stands for and the answer to that question may not be as clear as her sponsors would like it to be for the rest of us.
Ressa may not have meant to say the following in irony but it would drip with it if read by anyone else…
I’ve said this repeatedly over the last five years: without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with the existential problems of our times: climate, coronavirus, now, the battle for truth.
Indeed, you can’t have trust. Ressa is spot on on that one. Recall a report published by the University of Oxford and the Reuters Institute last year that shows Rappler at the bottom of a ranking of the most trusted media brands in the Philippines.
It is likely because, as Ressa points out herself, there are no facts and, therefore, no truth in all the bad things she says about the Philippines and its government.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
There are many things that supports what Ressa claims about the country.
You, benign0, are trying so hard to discredit her that it is clear as day that you are so much wrong in this article of yours. You are so pathetic. And you don’t even realize it… appearently.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/11/23/20/19-journos-killed-in-4-years-of-duterte-admin-watchdog
Yeah, ABS-CBN confirms it. I’ll have 2nd opinion before believing in what crap ABS spitting out.
And what are you waiting for? You have to actively look for yourself for an 2nd opinion. A hint: The article from abs-cbn writes where they got their facts from.
Facts from where? CMFR? Other far-left organizations that doesn’t seem to be obvious in their motives? The fact that you easily trusted ABS-CBN when it comes to this is laughable. They are known for adding up unnecessary spice, just to spite the government on every angle. I guess, you gotta pander on that specific audience.
@Ahaha
If you hate abs-cbn so much then try read from other news companies.
You can laugh as much as you want. But the problem with you is that anyone and everything which tells you differently you automatically accuse them of lying or the like.
@BenThere Just enjoy your ABS-CBN then. No biggie.
The mighty hath fallen..used to fancy themselves as king makers, that abs cbn.
arrogant bastards.
Journos die all the time, as do slanderers and adulterers.
Digong – 22 journos killed
Pnoy – 30 journos killed
Arroyo – 104 journos killed
Erap – 6 journos killed
Ramos- 11 journos killed
Cory – 21 journos killed
1st Marcos – bazillion schmazillion journos killed (unverified)
The problem with journos is that they probably believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.
However journos.. i dont care how mighty your pen is.
When youre in a dark alley somewhere, and you meet a dark man with a sword, you run.
and what are you trying to imply with your post? That filipino journalists are dumb? That it’s their own fault for being killed?
It means journalism is just a job..dont get yourselves killed.dont bring a pen to a sword fight
Its not just any other job. Journalism has an important role in a society. They fight against abuse or misuse of power in a democracy by telling info, facts and truth. Some call it the fourth state power.
Seeing that current year mainstream journalism caters to the highest bidder, comparing it to just like any other job may not be so wrong after all.
When they stick to reporting the facts in an objective manner, they should be fine..just like any other job.
@Megget
If you do not agree with some reportings then you are obliged to prove them wrong, if you are much concerned. Meaning you should not just disagree and accuse them of not being honest. Otherwise you are just a troll.
When theyre wrong, and i believe they are wrong, then i am right.
@Megget
“When theyre wrong, and i believe they are wrong, then i am right.”
That’s nothing but words to others. If you can prove to the public that you are right and they are wrong. Then that is something else.
@BenThere I gotta disagree on that. Journalism, Facts and Truth? Fighting for abuse or misuse of power? Fourth State Power? Yep, they’re powerful enough to literally cancel people they don’t like. Like how are you sure that Journalism doesn’t abuse their power? Some of that facts and truth can be fabricated, as long as their allies wishes it. If their ally did some oopsies, Journalism can cover that. We should treat them the same way as government.
“… We should treat them the same way as government.”
That is my words too.
Nothing in that post of yours have I said something different.
Which reminds me. Why are we still trusting the mainstream media like CNN?
I hear these paid hacks on radio, calling themselves journalists..but theyre commiting slander on a daily basis..this is not real journalism, i am sure of that.i bet these are the ones that get killed…its just a job, boys and girls.dont get yourselves killed.
I’m pretty sure those that are not in the right side of Sta- I mean history are the ones who meet early retirement. I guess it is a matter of which side do we perceive are on the right.
Quite presumptuous of journalists then, thinking themselves to have such “powers”..this is not a power, rather a responsibility and obligation to tell the truth..some “journalists” go overboard, malign the wrong people..hence meet the sword in dark alley..
@Megget
So you do not believe that they have the power to make people think in a different way than usual. Such narrowmindedness… hehehe
You must mean these influencers on tik tok..or brand endorsers selling overpriced sneakers.
You actually confuse journalists with snake oil salemen.
🙂 You got to be a little child behind that screen of yours.
Because you dont know journalists from snake oil salesmen?
to the Maggot who wants the last say:
No. Because you obviously deny what journalists role is in democracy.
You can have the last say..just dont cry i’ll give you candy if you want
Snake oil salesman – sell oil made from snakes, purportedly with wondruous healing powers
Journalist – report facts
Do salaried journalists even want to be independent and objective? Most of them aren’t even paying attention during press briefings. So, there you go.
They should just do their jobs, avoid going overboard, avoid getting killed.
this aint the movies,let the cops with guns handle the heavy stuff.
Interesting debate here in the comment-section, but some important issues still seem unmentioned: Yes, honest journalists are vital to democracy, and I’m sure that many try to be that as much as reasonably possible, but…
● they, their paymasters, their paymasters’ paymasters, etc. have interests, inevitable leanings/biases/perspectives;
● the steadily-increasing global media-consolidation by corporate conglomerates (whose interests will more easily influence public-opinions) that’s narrowing coverage-options worldwide to multinational-corporate or government propaganda has accelerated further due to significant funding-issues; and
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2021
● their reliance on informants (esp. the private spy-industry by “news”-media here in the U.S.) makes them vulnerable “useful idiots” to double-agents (especially by the guilty elites who can afford to hire armies of them);
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/business/media/spooked-private-spies-news-media.html
Hence, my philosophy: Diversify and choose your propaganda wisely.
One solution could be to make laws to fight against news organizations becoming so big that reportings from these can interfer with its integrity.
I know that many are against such socialistic means, but is there really any other way?