IN THE lingo of the new generation, the view that mass media is omnipotent and thus, above account ability is “so out” as yesterday’s news.
So is the traditional stance that the news media should either be adversarial or obsequious to be of public service.
While vested with the transmission and opinion-making functions—pivotal in the Information Age—the news media should be regarded as just one of the stakeholders in society. As such, the media should be responsible for its contributions, accountable for its actions, transparent in its processes, and open to dialoguing with and educating the public for its wider participation in the information, consensus-building and advocacy functions.
As the theme of the 12th National Press Forum of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), “Building better communities through civic journalism” addressed the concern of news media professionals to respond to present-day challenges in their roles in the newsroom, as well as in the bigger playing field: the community
Community player
As a medium for self-regulation, the community press councils “have had mixed success as a mechanism for self-regulation” in the country.
This was according to Luis V. Teodoro, deputy director of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).
In his May 28 presentation during the PPI National Press Forum, Teodoro pointed out that the councils are, in the short term, a mechanism for readers/viewers/listeners to seek redress for grievances caused by the media.
Based though on the experiences of the three councils supported by CMFR—the Cebu Citizens Press Council (CCPC), Baguio-Benguet Community Press Council and Palawan Citizens Press Council—few complaints have been filed even though non-traditional means have been used to encourage citizens’ participation.
For instance, the CCPC launched a website, www.cebucitizenspresscouncil.org, which keeps visitors updated about CCPC initiatives, as well as facilitates online feedback, including complaints.
While the CCPC has no power to impose sanctions on its members (all Cebu-based print media and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), the council focuses on a citizen’s complaint but, in keeping with self-regulation, lets the concerned institution address the complaint.
Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief Pachico Seares, CCPC acting executive director, said during the PPI National Press Forum that the success in Cebu can also be attributed to the high representation and participation of non-media members from business, academe and religious sectors.
According to Seares, Cebu breaks away from the high incidence of journalist killings marking other provinces outside Manila because in-built press mechanisms democratically uphold the right to reply. Citizens can either directly complain to the media institution or channel a grievance through CCPC.
Citizen journalists
In the long term, the community press councils must “contribute to the enhancement of ethical and professional practice and to create a culture of media accountability in the community press,” exhorted Teodoro.
Both the CMFR deputy director and Gary Mariano, Philippine Press Council chairman, singled out the CCPC as the most successful of the existing councils in the country.
Lack of complaints from citizens cannot be taken as an indicator of a paucity of media-public problems. Recognizing this, the CCPC has undertaken a media literacy campaign to educate the public about how the press operates and interprets its news and opinion priorities.
Aside from campaigns conducted through newspaper columns and plugs, the CCPC initiated discussions with news sources on a variety of coverage-related issues, such as the forum with law enforcement and human rights officials on the presentation of crime suspects, as well as with multi-faith leaders on the coverage of the religious involved in sex abuse cases.
Empowering citizens can improve their effectiveness as media monitors and vanguards for fair and balanced reporting.
For the power to inform and persuade is too powerful to leave only to media owners, news professionals and media advertisers.
