POLICE-RELATED stories have the most exposure in two media companies that still print newspapers, one online news site, and two radio stations, according to a three-week study conducted by students from Cebu Normal University (CNU) and University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu.
This initial study, conducted on July 17-Aug. 7, 2023, showed a total of 171 police-related stories published by SunStar Cebu, The Freeman and CDN Digital, and aired by radio dyHP RMN Cebu and dySS Super Radyo.
The study indicated that stories related to defense, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency ranked first.
Stories involving national agencies placed second (80), while those related to the Cebu City Hall came in third (70).
In fourth place were stories about the Cebu Provincial Government (18), and in fifth place were stories about the Lapu-lapu City Government (15).
UP Cebu professor Mia Embalzado-Mateo said the data suggests that the media and public are interested more in police stories.
The study was among the topics discussed during the forum held at the Marcelo B. Fernan (MBF) Cebu Press Center in Sudlon, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
The event was organized by the Cebu Citizens-Press Council as its way of honoring Marcelo H. del Pilar to celebrate National Press Freedom Day. Del Pilar was a Filipino journalist who, along with Jose Rizal and Graciano Lopez Jaena, was involved in the reform movement during the Spanish colonial period.
Aside from Mateo, the other panelists included Nini Cabaero, former editor-in-chief and currently an opinion columnist of SunStar Cebu; Joseph Elvir Tubilan, vice president for administration of CNU and former editor of Superbalita Cebu; and John Rey Saavedra, bureau chief of Philippine News Agency in Cebu and former editor of Banat News; and Jason Baguia, a researcher at Catholic University of Portugal.
According to Tubilan, the survey involved students gathering data by reading newspapers and news site, monitoring and tallying headlines that pertained to various story categories.
For broadcast, students listened to the newscasts from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
After the forum, SunStar Cebu reached out to Tubilan via Facebook Messenger to inquire about the initial study’s research method, sample selection, data collection technique, analysis procedure, and whether the survey results had undergone external validation.
Tubilan did not respond to the queries as he was in a meeting with other CNU officials. He said he had already explained the study’s methodology during the presentation at the MBF Cebu Press Center.