It has been getting more and more difficult to be a journalist in the Philippines.
Aside from an increasingly cutthroat competition brought about by the digital disruption, things are literally getting bloodier.
This year, two journalists have already been killed in our country, known as one of the most dangerous for the profession. If their murders are proven to be work-related, the number of journalists killed in the line of duty since 1986 rises to 152, according to figures from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. Included in this number are the 32 killed in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, the single deadliest event in history for journalists.
It does not help that justice does not come swiftly for these victims – sometimes, not at all.
Amidst the dangers journalists already face in the country, then president-elect Rodrigo Duterte chimed in with some controversial comments of his own. Regarding the actions he would take to stop violence against journalists, Duterte said that they “are not exempted from assassinations” while giving the reassurance that “you won’t be killed if you don’t do anything wrong.”
Duterte has since backtracked on his statements, following criticism from United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon and various local and international organizations. Salvador Panelo, the president’s spokesperson during the transition period, assured that Duterte condemns all media killings “regardless of [their] purpose.” He went on to blame the media for publishing what he called “incorrect news reports.”
Such pronouncements have indeed been disturbing and reaffirmed the distrust that some have with the media. Adding to these statements is an alarming case of mob censorship. Several posts criticizing these pronouncements were flagged by users and were subsequently taken down by Facebook without any prior notice –most notably the page of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines.
It is as if the most convenient solution to a misalignment of opinions is to cull the voices of those whose views are incongruent. This antagonizes media and journalism further, letting the public see the profession in a bad light.
With the dizzying amounts of information available on social media and the swarms of opinions being exchanged, it is difficult to dissect each strand for validity. The responsibility journalism demands, however, asks them to always be disposed to the truth and to locate it despite the throngs of data, facts, and figures bombarding them. This applies to student-journalists, as well, who are committed to the truth and communicate it to the community they are serving. Journalists are certainly not perfect. That is why it is necessary to nurture an attitude of lending oneself to looking for, knowing, and understanding more in order to get to the heart of pertinent issues.
As the nation transitions to a new era, perhaps it is also time for everyone, not just journalists, to reflect once more on the importance of these. In the face of political disarray and confusion, endeavoring towards the truth is more pressing than ever and it will necessitate an entire nation’s effort. Everyone must adopt these habits and this discipline to strive towards veracity, finding comfort in the truly factual, and never resting until the truth has been unearthed.
