AS MEDIA practitioners, we cannot avoid committing mistakes, simple or serious, typographical or otherwise on the things we report or opine, either by print or broadcast. As humans, we are likewise susceptible sometimes with inadvertent errors even on the things we do every day in our lives.
The case is not different from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) who hugged the limelight in a couple of incidents and another one recently when it posted a logo of a food company with a name similar to the Department of Labor and Employment’s abbreviation.
Not long ago, the PNA came under fire after posting in its website China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency’s opinion that is against the arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea. The opinion of course favored the side of Beijing and such is against the Philippines.
In a yet another article, PNA had this story entitled “95 nations in 3rd UPR convinced no EJKs in Phil.” In the same write-up, it posted a picture that is vividly taken during the Vietnam War. It was posted together with a story on the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City.
Since the recent one was the third time, there is an ongoing clamor before the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to give what is due to incompetent editors who has just committed another mistake on the logo of a government department.
The PNA has apologized for the said mistake and promised to take steps to avoid the repetition of the same.
In a development, Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone who is a former journalist himself had advised the press secretary to take action against those who made a pattern of embarrassment for the government through the posting of erroneous news or articles.
The lawmaker has stressed that the PNA, being the government’s news website, should provide accurate information to the public and whatever is posted reflects on the government.
Meanwhile, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar has been urged to fire the editors responsible for the erroneous news posted by the PNA if only to serve notice that this pattern of embarrassment is not tolerated. The PNA is under the PCOO.
As a government newswire agency, the public expects accurate and reliable news it posts. With due respect to the men and women in the agency, they should exercise extra care in giving out information to the public and avoid errors in the news materials they release. While they are allowed to commit mistakes, there should be no repetitions since the government is put in shame resulting from carelessness. As humans, we know that they are also susceptible to errors. However, errors should not be repeated as if they are made as patterns.
The public on the other hand, should extend their understanding to the PNA as people in the said agency are also humans who commit mistakes.