“A journalistic purpose could be someone with a Xerox machine in a basement.“
— Former United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia
THESE DAYS, ALMOST every sector in our society is tainted with corruption — even us members of the media who instead of being a source of information has become the mouthpiece of politicians.
The truth is that when some of us forget our ethics and start become promoters, we change our hats from that if an informant to PR (public relations) men.
So, we focus now on the clash between Pasig City Mayor Victor Maria Regis “Vico” Sotto and the camp of our colleagues Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao. Looking deeper, we realize this is not really about whether the vaunted Discaya family paid P10 million or not — in our opinion, the issue here is credibility.
And Mayor Vico hit where it hurts: Journalists who became household names because of their credibility can’t simply say, “this is lifestyle, not journalism.” Hindi ganoon ang tingin ng publiko. Once you lend your platform and your name to contractors or politicians with alleged questionable dealings, you are also lending your credibility.
WHEN TRUST IS GONE
Kapag naniwala ang tao na puwedeng bilhin ang airtime mo, kahit walang pruweba na may bayaran, trust is already gone.
Obviously, “Ate” Korina and “Kuya” Julius denied the 10 million peso claim and even warned of cyber libel. Fine. If no money was involved, then the rumor is false.
But bigger question stays. Bakit sila? Why feature politicians and contractors in the first place, lalo na sa panahon ngayon na exposure is everything? Why act shocked when people assume influence and money are behind it? Calling it a “life story” doesn’t change the fact na media exposure has real political value.
That’s why Vico’s point matters. He’s not accusing them of breaking the law. He’s saying it’s shameful.
Media is supposed to hold those in power accountable, not give them airtime to polish their image. Kahit walang iligal, the perception of compromise destroys public trust.
And trust is all media has. Lose that, and you lose the only reason people still listen.
FOR your comments or suggestions, complaints or requests, just send a message through my email at cipcab2006@yahoo.com or text me at cellphone numbers 09171656792 or 09171592256 during office hours from Monday to Friday. Thank you and mabuhay!