Responsible Journalism

Journalism of the present tends to be less and less credible. It appears to be limited to either an individual omniscient or a one sided point of view. Can we say that what the CNN, the BBC, and ABS-CBN, to name a few feed us with non-biased information? I don’t think so and if you ask me why, there are many things to point out. Take for example our local and so-called as reputable news network ABS-CBN. They tell us that the motto of their company is “serving the Filipino.” ABS-CBN is run by the Lopezes and it is common knowledge that they also own and manage Meralco, the Philippines’ electricity provider. How could a capitalist pursue its existence as directed towards welfare of the many when its main pursuit is profit and the other deals with addressing us with the financial problems of our nation and sympathizing with it? Service is very noble these days and with commercialization of almost everything the value of income serves as the major interest and not the welfare of the mass public. So I could say that service is just a front these institutions or companies show us to deceit us and make them appear humanitarian and respectable. Expounding further, the CNN and the BBC, could we also say that they give us non-biased reports? Isn’t CNN an American-owned company and wouldn’t it cater to its locals? The BBC would it not side with the British majority? Each individual has their own interest and so do these news giving bodies thus we are not really holding on to objective truth but subjective truth.

We are now limited to the subjectivity of things offered by several stations as it is often mediated. Humans operate this complex system and they stand in between before it is offered to us similar to a film maker, he uses the camera but he/ she really does not give us the images he sees as it is as there is the mediation done in the process. If human intervention couldn’t be avoidable then we must somehow maintain that level of responsibility. As responsible beings we do not abruptly affect human behavior and trigger unwanted aftermaths. Say for example a Filipino watches CNN focusing on the news about the US invasion and Iraq and that individual is carried away with the heroism of the Americans and there is no room left for the fact that the Americans wanting to rule the world more over monopolize the oil industry so that they are the ones who command the figures rather than the rightful Arabs. What is shown or given by the media could affect not only an individual but peoples so it is necessary that the transfer of information should be done with the utmost care.

Sartre argues that “if existence really does precede essence, man is responsible for himself…and when we say that a man is responsible for himself, we do not only mean that he is responsible for his own individuality, but that he is responsible for all men” (16). So taking it in to perspective a journalist upon being assigned a topic starts with nothing and only in the latter will he accomplish something, a written output regarding the subject being asked of him. So from nothing there is an accumulation of something. Parallel to a human being, he/ she is born as nothing and he is the one who actually makes himself with the way he / she lives life. The latter effect of our lives is the amalgamation of all the things we have done. With regards a journalist the way you are to be treated or looked up to is how you start from nothing to going to the higher ranks say from a contributing writer to an editor in a newspaper, with professionalism and responsibility present. As for this individual who works as a contributing writer in this newspaper gets his/ her first assignment, the writer must take in to consideration that he/ she is carrying the name of the newspaper and at the same time carries responsibility towards its readers. Any objection by the newspaper officials (editors, owners, managers, etc.) and the readers would pose great threat to the writer’s career if his/ her work is not agreeable. On the other hand, even though the officials and the readers find the writer’s work agreeable it doesn’t justify that he/ she is a good journalist for the basis wouldn’t be how your words convinced many but how your words are able to help humanity.

The concept of goodness is to be measured under the idea that “nothing can be good for us without being good for all” (Sartre 17). In the case aforementioned regarding the Filipino individual who watches CNN, what it turns out to be is that it is good only for the Americans. Thinking deeply, wouldn’t their actions also imply marginalization? Would it not include prejudice towards race, gender, and many other aspects? And you the Filipino would you consider yourself as one with those Americans. The invasion of Iraq would that not suggest that they are afraid of those outside their race? They are afraid that the ones they call as the “other” may overpower them so as a solution they resort to ousting the Arabs. The Arabs are obviously different from the Americans taking into account the place of habitation, culture, and many other factors. The standards are defines the context of one’s own society and culture and anything not qualifying under it passes as taboo or the neglected. In this case the West, their perception would be a rich, White, thin, educated, successful, intelligent male who is the norm or epitome of the recognized citizen? It is to say that this would entail much hatred to many other categories out there. What if you are a bisexual and rich male? An educated lesbian female? An androgynous poor heterosexual male? A thin gay Negro? These are just few of the many situations or circumstances I could imagine and this would lead to another thing we know as interlocking opressions. Furthering my views, it is to say that articles or news should really be processed in a very cautious manner so as not to offend and drive others to believing thoroughly in what is opinionated that is fed to them. It is said that the quality of news as being effective is that when it could change individuals and influence them in terms of beliefs, philosophy, point of view, etc. This we must really be aware of at all times.

Words can either be powerful or weak. A journalist must handle language properly together with considerations to be noted such as the audience. A simple mishandling of language could alter so many things thus we are expected to think what our actions would do to humanity. An action that is of no impact to the doer could unexpectedly change peoples. Simply, it is not a matter of the intensity of our actions but the aftermaths it would entail.

Note/s:

1. Serving the Filipino: the phrase or propaganda of Philippine television network ABS-CBN.

2. Lopezes: an influential family in the Philippines known for their chain of business enterprises

and known as one of the most well to do in South East Asia.

3. Meralco: the Philippines’s only electricity service provider.

4. Marginalization: the prejudice towards others outside the norms of a given society.

Reference/s:

DLSU Philosophy Department. “Atheistic Existentialism.” The Philosophical Language. Ed.

Rolando Gripaldo. Manila: Cover and Pages, 2005. 155-165.

Sartre, Jean Paul. Existentialism and Human Emotions. New York: Citadel, 1987.