STORIES pertaining to violence and death often get the most extrusive coverage because these almost always get the attention of the public for its eye-catching beat. When I was still a TV field reporter, I got to experience incidents like while I was covering a particular story with some of my media colleagues, we rapidly try to finish the current interview and leave right away to get to a reported crime scene as soon as possible. And these accounts are commonly placed in headlines or top stories. There’s this old proverb in journalism that says “if it bleeds, it leads” suggesting that articles or news features about bloodshed might help to sell more newspapers or will for the most part have much higher ratings in broadcast perspective. But does this practice by some newsmen do more harm than good?
Photos of people weeping over the dead body of a suspected drug pusher are becoming marketable to some readers in broadsheets and social media news nowadays. These images are usually moving and very graphic that could easily make a person create sympathy. It’s more complicated in TV news because the cameraman should get that perfect moment because television is moving. The lens should catch that point when a family member or a spouse arrives at the crime scene or the instance when an OFW parent gets to see the corpse of his or her son for the first time. A full story on the side of the family of the killed person suspected to be involved in illegal drugs is usually featured extensively emphasizing that the whole incident is just merely a tragedy of mistaken identity. It’s really a heart-breaking sight.
Some of these editors may have a point. I mean, who wants to watch, listen or read a story about the boring low crime rates that a community enjoys when you have a moving video or photo of a person going hysterical over the death of drug suspect? But does anyone care about the relief of the barangay officials or the homeowners association for they won’t have to worry again about having illegal drug problem in their jurisdiction? Does anyone hear a story of a neighborhood who are satisfied with the results of the war against drugs? It’s very unlikely that you’ll find some in the mainstream but if you go out and search these old territories known once for having a high crime rate, you’ll generally get that sense of peace of mind from the residents and they’ll show you that they’re enjoying the state of comfort and security in their locality.
Last April 7, Pope Francis in an interview in Vatican said that the mass media should report the whole story on migration. The pope told reporters that the media should stop perpetuating negative stereotypes and instead be driven to explain the different aspects of the issue.
In Karnataka, a state in south western region of India, the elected officials during an assembly, regardless of their political affiliations, were asking their speaker to give them protection from sensationalism of electronic media or else they cannot continue in public life.
A high ranking police official in Pampanga revealed to me that when ‘Oplan Tokhang’ was temporarily suspended, the criminals went out again like having a pass to do what they do best… disrupting peace and order.
Perhaps, this is the reason why one barangay captain in Angeles City is elated with the reloaded Oplan Double Barrel of the Philippine National Police. More than two weeks ago, an incident involving a group of minors got into a street brawl victimizing a student who was supposed to get honor recognition in his school this year. The kid died because of massive head injury. It happened on an afternoon. The young suspects were tested for illegal substance. The result showed positive for use of prohibited drugs.
Read the headlines, watch the primetime news, and listen to the radio reports, but also remember to analyse the real situation of peace and order and the war against drugs in the Philippines.