Amante: How to complain to the press

(Illustrator/John Gilbert Manantan)
(Illustrator/John Gilbert Manantan)

WE live in a time that allows us to connect faster, but that doesn’t mean our ability to communicate has kept up. The technological means at our disposal are easier and in some cases cheaper to use than what generations before us had, but most of us aren’t necessarily more willing to listen or more capable of understanding others.

A recent incident brought that reminder up again. Although a social media team handles SunStar Cebu’s official accounts, I check the inboxes regularly because the messages give me an idea of what our readers need or are interested in, at that time. Many times, our journalists have worked on stories that began as leads or suggestions from our readers on social media, and for that we are thankful. Most of our social interactions are positive, another thing we are thankful for, which is why when someone tries to attack us, he or she stands out.

Last Friday, a police official sent this message to our inbox: “Misleading mog headlines ha. D mn lng ninyo ibutang nga giatake ang pulis sa mentally ill na lalake. Bogoon mo.” (Your headlines are misleading. You didn’t report that a police officer was attacked by a mentally ill man. You are somewhat stupid.)

If that had come from a first-time commenter, I would have ignored the insult and just asked what story he was complaining about. But it was the fourth time he had reached out to SunStar since September 2017, so I got curious. My colleagues confirmed, using online and human sources, that he was a police official. The fact that he was a public official with access to a gun made me pay more attention. Was this just feedback or a potential threat?

So, the first suggestion if you want to complain to the press is this: Be specific. Mention the story you found inaccurate or offensive. If you can remember when it was printed or published online, even better. Most of our Facebook posts include a “direct message” button. But when these messages reach our inbox, the article that the reader was responding to doesn’t appear. The message arrives without context. In this officer’s case, we couldn’t see which headline or story had upset him.

To be fair, I could have shown him more empathy. Instead, I responded: “Sayon ra kaayo ka makatawag namo og bogoon. Unsa man nga istorya ang imong gi-reklamo palihog para ma-review namo? Puede ra baya unta nga mo-correction or mo-reklamo in a polite manner. (It’s so easy for you to call us stupid. Which of our stories are you complaining about, so we can review? You can correct us or complain about a story politely.) Your consistent behavior speaks volumes about your personality and your values.”

Don’t worry, this ends well. (Or at least I hope it does.)

The exchange continued in the same vein, mostly unpleasant and juvenile. The police official made broad attacks without presenting any facts, and I made the mistake of goading him and questioning his comprehension skills. At one point, he said that the organization’s most dominant color (yellow) “speaks for all of you working in SunStar.” Sir, if you only knew.

This brings me to a second suggestion: Don’t assume you know the writer or editor’s motives. You’re not all-knowing, and it pains me to have to point out something so obvious. If we published a mistake or failed to report on an important matter of public interest, we can correct it. If you disagree with a column or editorial, we’d be happy to run your rebuttal.

But when you assume that the mistake or omission was a deliberate one, you insult a team of journalists who are just doing their job of keeping people informed, as well as they can, in an extremely difficult time. You haven’t seen the hours they put into their work; you haven’t seen the anxiety that they suffer when they do make mistakes. You haven’t seen the lengths they go to, to address those mistakes. I have.

A third suggestion, then: Present your facts. Those will bolster your case much better than baseless and potentially libelous personal attacks. Remember that your ability to contribute to a productive discussion reflects not only on you, but on the public organization you represent.

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