• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): After discussing media’s coverage of the August 23 hostage-taking incident for the past two sessions, we will now evaluate your journalistic outputs.

September 8 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced Reporting): No class. You only need to submit your column article.

September 9 (Thursday)

• Media 230 HZZ (Media Ethics): Rain will discuss selected case studies on advertising and public relations.

Journalists and media workers should know crisis reporting,
Aquino administration must be held accountable for disorganized police

Statement from 10 faculty members, 155 students and 4 staff
from the UP College of Mass Communication led by Dean Roland Tolentino
dated August 27, 2010

As the police need to review the handling of crisis situations, it is necessary for journalists and media workers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses in reporting the hostage-taking last August 23 which left nine dead (including the hostage-taker) and seven wounded. Even if the media’s role is to help shape public opinion, the reporting of relevant information should be also in the context of ensuring the safety of civilians.

While our friends in the media should be commended for providing up-to-date information on what transpired, some media organizations should be criticized for the same reason because they ended up giving TOO MUCH information.

Commendation, however, cannot be given to the police as it failed not only to properly coordinate with media but also to ensure the peaceful resolution of the hostage-taking. Those responsible for the failed operation should even be punished. The disarray in the police operation reflects the disorganization and chaos in the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Aquino administration.

We need to remember some basic rules in covering hostage-taking incidents. First, journalists and media workers should refrain from interviewing a hostage-taker and reporting the latter’s statements while the situation is not yet resolved. Second, broadcast news anchors and field reporters who give live reports must not engage in speculation and innuendo as they try to “kill time” during a lull  in their reportage. Third, journalists and media workers should avoid interviewing elements of the police (e.g., snipers taking aim of their target) while an operation is ongoing. Fourth, they cannot report a hostage-taker’s state of mind or mental condition while there is still a standoff because it can make the situation worse. Fifth, they should be very careful when interviewing family members or friends of a hostage-taker as their statements could either even more agitate the latter. Sixth, they cannot give a live, blow-by-blow account of actual police operations as doing so eliminates the element of surprise in ending the crisis.

In analyzing the media’s coverage of what happened last August 23, there was  information that proved to be relevant not to the public but to the hostage-taker as he became desperate and ended up killing the hostages. That media covered live the arrest of the hostage-taker’s brother apparently did not help in resolving the situation.

It is appalling that the live coverage was done not to help the public make sense of the situation but only to milk it for all it is worth. The competition for higher ratings among broadcast stations was evident as they tried to provide “exclusive” reports, even going to the extent of interviewing another hostage-taker in 2007 who expressed no remorse in what he did. He even claimed that he did it for the country.

Just like the police, media should use the time to reflect. Journalists and media workers, after all, should not allow themselves to be held hostage by their  ignorance of ethical practice because they will end up doing a disservice to the victims and the public. And on the part of the Aquino administration, it should be resolute in resolving crisis situations affecting not only visiting tourists but also the majority of the Filipinos.

• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): Members of Group 4 will present their report on IT and Online Journalism. We will also evaluate your outputs. Please also email the URL of your published online newsfeature.

September 1 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced News Reporting): No class. We will have a research break.

September 2 (Thursday)

• Media 230 HZZ (Media Ethics): We will continue our Q & A on selected codes of ethics in entertainment. Neil will present his report on selected case studies in journalism. If there is time, Rain will also report on selected case studies in advertising and public relations.

A student from De La Salle University (DLSU)-Manila interviewed me via email about the concept of news blackout. This is a very timely topic considering the ongoing hostage-taking not yet been resolved as I write this today (August 23, 6:45 p.m.). Breaking news like hostage-taking highlights the uselessness of a news blackout as the people deserve to know the latest developments. Fortunately for the public in this case, the police did not impose a news blackout.

The interviewer’s questions and my answers were all in Filipino, so please find below the translation in English.

As a journalist, what is your definition of a news blackout?

A news blackout is the concerned authorities’ direct withholding of information which journalists need for their reports. The decision of the authorities could be in the context of protecting their own interests or of upholding the general welfare of society. Because of this, it is necessary for those in power to explain well the reasons for imposing a news blackout. They should also clearly state up to when it will last, if ever.

In your opinion, aside from invoking national security and upholding the interest of the majority, are there other reasons for imposing a news blackout?

It is very hard to define “national security” or “public interest” in imposing a news blackout. This explains why having a news blackout may not necessarily be for the good of the people. During the time of Martial Law (1972-1986), for example, state repression was evident (e.g., in the form of human rights violations and enactment of anti-people laws) but the Marcos administration opted to prohibit the reportage of sensitive issues (i.e., those that put the government in a bad light). While it’s true that the government has the right to protect the country, media have an obligation to bring to the public’s attention important issues (even if these are against the government like human rights violations, corruption and abuse of power). It is so easy for some officials to invoke the public interest in imposing a news blackout. But there are times when the statements they give are just empty rhetoric. In reality, they are only thinking of their own interests.

What are the circumstances that could make a news blackout acceptable?

In general, the government should avoid having a news blackout. It should trust journalists enough that they would be responsible in their reportage (even if it’s true that there are some journalists who have shortcomings in the performance of their jobs). If the government is transparent and accountable to the people and does not withhold any information from them, it follows that those in power should not prevent media from reporting on issues that may be negative to them.

Is there justice in a situation where a news blackout is imposed?

There’s no justice in this case because it results in the deprivation of vital information. Actually, a journalist does not usually report ALL information he or she gets. There is still a need to verify all information before including them in his or her report. The journalist carefully selects the information that, in his or her own judgment call using the prescribed professional and ethical standards, should be made known to the public. He or she consequently decides not to include information deemed not important. It must be stressed that there are ethical standards in reporting so the government should not worry about irresponsibility of the media. Even if there are a few irresponsible and corrupt journalists, the government (or even the ordinary citizens) can condemn and expose them by, among others, not patronizing the media organizations they work for.

• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): We will discuss Online Journalistic Outputs by analyzing the articles you submitted.

August 25 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced Reporting): We will discuss selected types of journalistic reports.

August 26 (Thursday)

• Media 230 HZZ (Media Ethics): No class. See you next week (September 2).

• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): We will discuss case studies in mainstream and alternative online journalism. Members of Group 3 will present their report on digital media and webcasting. Your online news article is also due on August 17. Kindly email the URL of your published article on or before the deadline.

August 18 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced Reporting): We will hold our second workshop to evaluate your feature article which is due on August 16.

August 19 (Thursday)

• Media 230 HZZ (Media Ethics): No class because August 19 is Quezon City Day, a holiday. And since I will be out of town on the 26th, I will see you on September 2.As regards our September 2 class, we will continue the discussion of selected code of ethics in entertainment and analyze the case study on blogging that I distributed in class yesterday (August 12).  Neil and Rain should be ready to report on selected case studies in journalism and advertising/public relations, respectively.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Asian Media Cooperation and Cultural Exchange 2010 Conference

Organizers:
College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman
Inha University, Incheon, Korea

Conference Dates: October 7 to October 8, 2010

Location:
College of Mass Communication (CMC) Plaridel Hall
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

To register:
Please submit your full name, title, institutional affiliation, email address
and telephone number to Prof. Danilo Arao at danilo.araoATup.edu.ph and dannyaraoATyahoo.com.

Scholars and professionals interested in Asian culture, media issues, information studies, and international cultural exchange are invited to participate by contributing a paper or attending the conference.

The theme of the conference is “Asian Media Cooperation and Cultural Exchange.” This will be the first conference to be held in the Philippines’ national university, the University of the Philippines Diliman. The objective is to strengthen international academic and cultural exchange in the culture management, media studies discipline, and to promote the knowledge of Asian culture.

The conference aims to bring together scholars from the Philippines, Korea and other Asian countries to discuss issues related to Asian culture and media.

It is expected that quality papers will emerge from this conference, and that it will lead to an increased understanding of Asian culture and media among the participants.

Deadlines:
Abstracts due on August 22, 2010
Full Papers due on September 7, 2010

Please email abstracts and full papers to Prof. Danilo Arao at danilo.araoATup.edu.ph and dannyaraoATyahoo.com.

Please note that presenters who will come from countries other than the Philippines will have travel support.

• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): Aside from discussing mainstream and online journalism, we will analyze the news article I distributed in class last August 3. If you failed to present your blog proposal on that day, you have to do so on August 10.

August 11 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced Reporting): No class. Consider this as your “research break,” given that the new deadline for the submission of your feature article is on August 16 (Monday). We will hold our second workshop on August 18.

August 12 (Thursday)

• Media 230 HZZ (Media Ethics): Weena will present her report on selected codes of ethics in the field of advertising and public relations. Gracious and Natalie should be ready to report on selected codes of ethics in entertainment.

• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): You will present your blog proposal in class. This will serve as your midterm examination.

August 4 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced Reporting): No class. You only need to submit your midterm exam not later than August 4.

August 5 (Thursday)

• Media 230 HZZ (Media Ethics): No class. Kindly submit your midterm exam on or before August 5.

• J 117 TWX (Online Journalism): Members of Group 2 will present their report on definition and fields of online journalism. We will also continue our session on HTML hand coding.

July 21 (Wednesday)

• J 202 WZZ (Advanced Reporting): We will subject your submitted news articles to a workshop. Please don’t forget to give your classmates a copy of your article.

July 22 (Thursday)

• Media 230 (Media Ethics): Amer will lead the discussion on selected codes of ethics in the field of journalism.