The Blurring Lines Between Media and Politics

April 22, 2008

sHEsPEAk: by eldred d. cole

I was literally hot and bothered when I read one of the news stories yesterday regarding the election propaganda war between the camps of incumbent Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno and Misamis Oriental Second District Representative Augusto Baculio which was reported to have spilled over the doorsteps of a local radio station Monday.

I don¢t have any personal axe to grind against these two, it just that, some of their campaign shenanigans rub me the wrong way and I don¢t have any choice but to react accordingly. And besides, it makes good copy for a topic to discuss.

The election campaign season is well under way, as we cannot help but notice it, and the media have situated themselves smack in the middle of it. We have known for a long time that politics and the media have walked hand in hand, and have always played a powerful role in politics.

Even before radio, we had the penny press. There¢d be great wars between various newspapers about politics way before our parents were born. So even back then, the media were important. But you see, therein lies one of the dangers of politics in an age of media: the media can give importance to things that in reality have little significance. And sometimes the stories that become big stories become so out of convenience rather than out of impact.

So what happened last Monday that got my ire? It was the abuse of the use of media. Since Edmund Burke dubbed the news media the “fourth estate” media people have played a varying role in influencing the conduct of global politics. They served as cheerleader during two world wars and every regional conflict thereafter, or expose the realities of war that influenced leaderships¢ decisions or policy-making. Before and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the media were instrumental in shaping the emotions and responses of people around the world.

For the listeners last Monday at the time when both camps¢ supporters were mudslinging each other on air, the audience wouldn¢t care whether both were just blocktimers, or one who buys airtime and not employees of the radio station. For them, they have the microphones and they were on air, therefore they were legitimate media persons. It would not matter how many disclaimers would the radio station avow, the perception of the public would be that the media is part and parcel of politics and that with these two joined at the hip, impartiality of the media could no longer be trusted.

There is that huge responsibility of every media person to what he could do to help change the political scenery in our country. In fact, media played a big role in toppling a dictator or ousting an incompetent president in the past. Why play possum now and let politicians thrash the best out of the good things media people could do? In my opinion, a media person¢s job is nobler than that of the politicians and that I have high regards for the former than I have with the latter. Why else are they shooting journalists than politicians? But why let politicians overrule media people? Remember, without the media, politicians are non-existent.

But I just hope that this colossal responsibility should not be abused by each and every person who has the audacity calling themselves media person – not even for a noble purpose much less for the color of money. I admit I am a reluctant media person. In fact, I do not consider myself a media person. What makes a person who happens to write become a legitimate member of the press? When he writes with conviction, when he writes with impartiality so that justice and truth shall triumph even if it means paying it with his life, these are just a few of the qualities of a media person. But I could not help but wonder: where is the professionalism that should come with being in the media nowadays went? The pursuit of a story and for the riches of money seems to take precedence over informing the people the unbiased truth.

Well, I could get a heartburn on this diatribe. I am not haranguing the media for the sake of berating them. Far from it. I am just here to remind them how venerable it is to belong to this kind of profession, and to value it, because serving the public through words and actions, not through promises is the noblest thing to do in one¢s lifetime. To be in the media is a privilege. Remember, politics and politicians are just stories, not our lifeline. (For comments and/or violent reactions e-mail me at coi_416@hotmail.com).

CLICK HERE for the latest 2nd Hand Laptops, Mobile Phones, SMART/ GLOBE /TALK 'N TEXT/ TOUCH MOBILE / SUN CELLULAR Postpaid, Pre-paid and International Roaming PROMOS, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Airlines Airline AIRFARE DISCOUNT tickets for sale!

Check out our Updated/Latest List of GOVERNMENT JOBS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT VACANT POSITIONS, PRIVATE JOBS, PRIVATE FULL-TIME JOBS, PRIVATE PART-TIME JOBS and OTHER ONLINE JOBS in this link!

Written by admin · Filed Under Columnists, Sai/Mami/Fiscal Eldred Cole