Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Seares: Hiding from media By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
AT A forum of the Cebu Citizens-Press Council (CCPC) at MBF Cebu Press Center last Friday, news sources’ habit of hiding from media when a damaging story breaks was cited as a reason against legislating right to reply.
KBP Cebu chief Ed Abad had asked at an earlier editors-(media) lawyers meeting at Marriott Hotel Cebu: They even shun the right. Why must it be made compulsory?
That surely isn’t the strong reason CCPC is opposing bills pending at the House and the Senate on the right to reply. But avoiding media when the news source is in trouble may seem odd, yet can be explained.
Most news sources become scarce or offer lame excuses when the story hurts them.
He’s in the shower or out of the house, or he’s in a meeting or just left the building. You’re lucky if he gives a “no comment.” Often, he just cuts off the call.
He needs time to sort out his answers but doesn’t admit it. He finds ways to dodge media or clams up, which doesn’t help when he must explain an alleged wrongdoing or plead a cause.
‘Days’ to reply
Police region chief Ronald Roderos wonders why it took lawyer Gines Abellana “days” to answer the charge that he was the source of the P50,000 offered to bribe a cop.
Only after a fourth news story saw print did Gines say he was entrapping the cop but his courier PO1 Blaire Quezon was caught instead.
Media offers the right to reply. Media need not ask when that is rebuffed. There’s also the right not to reply.
What rankles is when the news source avoids the media, then finally speaks up to complain that his right has been violated and now he’s itching to fire off a hail of lawsuits.
