Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Journalists’ motives, PR work questioned
ANALYZING the “politics of the reporters and editors” and how mistakes in news reports are rectified were some of the points discussed in a forum held yesterday.
In the forum called “Reaching Out to News Sources: How to Handle the Media”, media workers said that in trying to outsmart the competition, it did not mean they were not being responsible in their reporting.
The forum is one of the activities for Cebu Press Freedom Week.
ABS-CBN broadcaster Leo Lastimosa admitted that when he made commentaries, he had to pick issues that were exciting and colorful, keeping in mind the ratings game.
However, he assured that competition among the media outlets is “a good thing.”
To make sure their listeners stay loyal to them, Lastimosa said, they have to maintain their credibility and this is done by being responsible.
Ratings game
Capitol consultant on information, lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda, for his part said they study all articles that are published and analyze why one article is placed in the front page of one paper but is buried in the inside pages of another paper.
“In analyzing these stories, we touch on the personalities involved,” he said.
He explained that because they were in politics, they, like the media, are also influenced by the ratings game. They analyze these things as a guide so they would know how to release information and get favorable results.
Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief Pachico A. Seares, though, asked Sepulveda and other news sources not to question the motives of the news organization.
“I suggest you look into the story alone and not the motive of the writer or the editor. Is something wrong with the story or headline?” he told Sepulveda.
He said that if news sources did not like what was written about them, they should not call up the media organization and ask if they were “no longer friends.”
Most of the news sources present acknowledged that media could be very powerful.
Fr. Guillermo Gorre said that the media could do good in presenting the truth, but it was also powerful enough to destroy an institution such as the church.
However, Lastimosa said listeners and readers were not as dumb as to believe everything they read or hear, and can form their own opinions.
‘Bribe, sue or ignore’
Lastimosa also acknowledged that Cebu has “educated” news sources as there have been no media killings in Cebu. “Here they only bribe, sue or ignore,” he said.
Public relations officer Jonji Gonzales worried about the image of PR, saying most media organizations tended to see PR as “spin doctoring, telling a lie or hiding the truth.” What also bothers him is that some media workers are also dabbling in PR activities. Gonzales said one could not be in PR and in media at the same time because there were some interests that PR work needed to protect.
He is also concerned about the public preferring to complain to the media first before heading to customer services.
24-hour access
From the side of law enforcement, Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos said the Philippine National Police was as transparent as possible, with police blotters available at the police stations 24 hours.
But as for operational data, he admitted they could not disclose some of these as long as operations were ongoing.
The Freeman managing editor Nimrod Quiñones, Cebu Daily News chief of reporters Suzzane Salva-Alueta and Lastimosa composed the group of media panelists. Reactors were Gonzales, Sepulveda, Roderos, Gorre and John Joseph Mercado of Bigfoot. (MEA)
