Helping while enjoying

Whew. Just had my longest sleep in years. Okay, maybe that's an overstatement. Make that my longest sleep in more than three months.

If I only have all the time in the world, I would probably do this.



White Water Rafting for Indigenous Peoples' Education

Take a thrilling adventure and make it worth a lifetime for a child!

Cartwheel Foundation invites you to experience the renowned Cagayan de Oro River white water rapids and raft for indigenous peoples' education, together with The Red Rafts and Men's Health Magazine. Starting this June until October 2007, raft with The Red Rafts, Cagayan de Oro's premier outfitter, and part of the proceeds of your trip will benefit the educational programs of Cartwheel.

There are an estimated 12 million indigenous peoples (IPs) in the Philippines and they have little or no access to quality education. Cartwheel is committed to bridging the gap and ensuring that they enjoy their right to education that is best suited to their culture and life experience. You, too, can lend your support and have a blast while you're at it-- you might just discover the ride of your life!

Go with your friends or even take the whole office for an outing (special teambuilding activities are included). Reserve your trip now!

Call/text: (0922)454-0021 or (0919)204-3534
Email: action@cartwheelfoundation.org

Note: Cebu Pacific promo of P99 fare to CDO available from June 21 to 27!

About Cartwheel:

Cartwheel Foundation is committed to bringing education to indigenous peoples (IPs), one of the most vulnerable sectors of the Philippines. IPs have long been neglected, isolated, and overtaken by development and suffer from a severe lack of access to basic services, including education. Cartwheel strives to bridge this gap by providing education that is culturally sensitive, appropriate, and relevant to their realities. Through the Pre-School, Alternative Learning, and College Scholarship Programs, Cartwheel works hand in hand with IP communities in allowing them to thrive in their rich culture and equipping them with tools necessary for community leadership and development.

Are you a good lover? (and some journalism quotes)

At our short refresher lecture on news feature writing by Yvonne Chua in the office today, she asked the staff some of the quotes we remember most from our experience as media reporters. I had a hard time remembering which quote struck me the most--probably because I was hungry at that time plus the fact that in front of us was THE Yvonne Chua, one of only three Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism Hall of Famers and probably one of my few dreaded professors in college. In fact, I even had to tell Ma'am Yvonne a quote I only got from Cheche Lazaro in her Media in Focus program: "But what the public's right to know?" Had she pressed me for more, I would have said: "Are you a good lover?" (This time, from Boy Abunda's ANC program). Haha. Poor me.

Speaking of quotes, here are Public Eye's 10 favorite quotes about The Fourth Estate.

Best. Journalism Quotes. Ever.
Posted by Matthew Felling

Number 10:

The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read.
Oscar Wilde

Number 9:

Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.
Thomas Jefferson

Number 8:

There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil.
Walter Lippmann

Number 7:

The liberty of the press is a blessing when we are inclined to write against others, and a calamity when we find ourselves overborne by the multitude of our assailants.
Samuel Johnson

Number 6:

A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom a press will never be anything but bad.
Albert Camus

Click here for Public Eye's Number 5 to 1 and the rest of its entry.

Hmm. Quotes about the Philippine press, anyone?

Harry Potter dies

With the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling, out in a few hours, below is a short take on the media coverage of the much-awaited book by the US-based CBS News's "Public Eye" and posted a week ago. The headline above came from the article and not from me. Kill the writer Brian Montopoli for such a head-turning and highly emotional headline. Haha.

Harry Potter dies
Source: CBS News's Public Eye
Posted by Brian Montopoli

Just kidding.

Or maybe not. I really have no idea. My best guess is he meets up with the kid from High School Musical and they go off to dance and fight dragons.

Anyway, here's a question: How will media outlets report on the last Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which comes out next week? As a colleague's wife (sort of) said: "If they tell me the ending before I've finished the book, I'll never watch them again."

But it's NEWS, people! NEWS! So how do you cover it? That decision is somewhat simplified by the fact that almost no one has read the book – media outlets couldn't spoil it even if they wanted to. "We're trying to find out as much as we can, but there's really only so much we can find out," says producer Erica Zolberg, who is doing a story on Pottermania for tomorrow night's "Evening News." (For the record, Zolberg says she wouldn't spoil the end even if she knew it.)

The angle of tomorrow's story, then, isn't going to be what's in the book, but how the publishers and their partners are keeping that information quiet. Zolberg spoke to Jim Dale, the voice of the Potter audiobooks and one of the few people who has gotten his hands on the book, as well as the webmasters of two of the big Harry Potter Web sites. Everyone, it turns out, is following the "no spoilers" policy to the letter.

Read more here.

Media must denounce any law that ultimately threaten people's lives -- UP CMC students

Got this from Martha, the vice-president of the UP College of Mass Communication Student Council.

Statement against the Human Security Act of 2007
College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines – Diliman

We, the students of the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines-Diliman, believe that the media, which serve to responsibly inform and enjoin, must unequivocally denounce any law, which ultimately threatens the lives of those they strive to serve – the Filipino people.

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 9372, also known as the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007, through the surveillance of unsuspecting civilians and the interception of private communication UPON MERE SUSPICION, violates freedom of speech and freedom of the press as enshrined by the Philippine Constitution;

WHEREAS, the vague definitions of terrorism and arbitrary qualifications for terrorists and terrorist activities promote a chilling atmosphere for the public and especially for media practitioners and students of mass communication who repeatedly and necessarily invoke the right to free speech and free press;

WHEREAS, the power to interrogate and detain a “suspected terrorist” on grounds of MERE SUSPICION is open to abuse and misuse for political ends;

WHEREAS, the HAS can easily be transformed into a repressive legal instrument under the implementation of the Arroyo administration whose integrity and intentions are still in question in the context of unsolved killings and enforced disappearances of media practitioners and individuals critical of the government;

WHEREAS, if a law as powerful as the HAS, which can be used to tag virtually any citizen as a terrorist, is enacted without Implementing Rules and Regulations, and whose substantive interpretation is determined at the discretion of the Anti-Terror Council, the police, the military and the few who are given authority, then it intends to sow fear and intimidation upon the very public it purportedly tries to secure;

We strongly condemn the Human Security Act of 2007 in its entirety and call for its immediate repeal by the Congress.

Brzezinski reacts to the world's response to the "Paris" incident

Mika Brzezinski, the MSNBC anchor in the United States who became an international internet sensation after refusing to read a story about celebutard Paris Hilton's release from prison (which Cheche Lazaro mentioned in her recent Gawad Plaridel speech), aired her reaction to the public's overwhelming response to the issue in a follow-up segment aired by MSNBC itself.



The controversial episode, aired last June 26, showed Brzezinski refusing to read the Hilton's story on air. She later attempted -- but failed -- to burn the story's script on air. She then tore up the script, and one hour later, got up and ran another copy of the script through a paper shredder.



"An excerpt of the episode has been viewed around three million times on YouTube," according to journalism.co.uk (where I learned about the follow-up segment), "giving Brzezinski, who has worked in TV news for 17 years, far more attention than she normally commands in MSNBC's early-morning slot."

"The incident was quickly popularized on the Internet," the Wikipedia account on Brzezinski said, "and in the days that followed Brzezinski received large quantities of fan mail supporting her on-air protest as a commentary on the tension between 'hard news' and 'entertainment news'."

Says journalism.co.uk: "Many YouTube commenters have praised the anchor for refusing to tolerate celebrity news high in the editorial agenda."

In the interview, her interviewer and co-anchor in their morning program said to Brzezinski: "The journalistic community has heard your statement and it thanks you."

Crowdsourcing and pro-am journalism

Last Friday, I attended a short lecture on new trends in investigative reporting by Sheila Coronel, who is right now in Manila after several months working in New York as the inaugural director of The Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. In her lecture, the multi-awarded investigative journalist and former executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (one of only three Hall of Famers of the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism) discussed several new journalism techniques, including "crowdsourcing."

What is crowdsourcing, and why is it rapidly becoming a popular form of journalism in this era of Web 2.0 and citizen journalism?

Here's an article on Assignment Zero, the leading proponent of this journalism technique.

Crowdsourced Journalism - Assignment Zero: an Experiment in Pro-Am Journalism

Assignment Zero is an experiment in professional-amateur journalism: amateurs write/report, professionals edit. Everybody wins. And with this, “pro-am journalism” enters the lingo of the new world of media.

This win-win-win models solves one of the problems related with citizen/crowdsourced journalism: separating the chaff from the wheat. Very simply, to create a check on citizen journalism sources, including blogs, that influence opinion and pass on as “news.”

Citizen journalism/ my-blog-is-a-newsroom phenomena have many issues associated with them: everything from spelling & grammar matters, to fact verification, to having coverage diversity has been an open question. There are proposals of self-regulation and external control.

Journalism Professor Jay Rosen, in association with WIRED magazine, has found a pro-active solution somewhat Wikipedia style. Wikipedia is a self-governed content system where the contributors choose the editors - and create patrols such as the ”Association of Deletionist Wikipedians.”

Click here for more.

In a letter posted in the AssignmentZero site, Jay Rosen (a prominent American journalist and media critic) explains the reason behind the creation of AssignmentZero, which involves both professional journalists and internet users in reporting.

Why We're Doing This
by Jay Rosen

Welcome to Assignment Zero.

Inspired by the open-source movement, this is an attempt to bring journalists together with people in the public who can help cover a story. It's a collaboration among NewAssignment.Net, Wired, and those who choose to participate.

The investigation takes place in the open, not behind newsroom walls. Participation is voluntary; contributors are welcome from across the Web. The people getting, telling and vetting the story are a mix of professional journalists and members of the public -- also known as citizen journalists. This is a model I describe as "pro-am."

The "ams" are simply people getting together on their own time to contribute to a project in journalism that for their own reasons they support. The "pros" are journalists guiding and editing the story, setting standards, overseeing fact-checking, and publishing a final version.

Click here for more.

Bryant, the dancer (and please support Sizzle in Move!)

Sigh. I have been so busy with the activities at the office that I have almost forgotten I am a dancer -- online.

A few months ago, I was addicted to Audition Online, a popular online dance game where you compete with other players in a dance room by dancing some Korean and other Asian songs using the space bar and direction keys. Being the poor dancer that I am in real life, the thought of competing with other "dancers" was quite thrilling, and the fact that I have a number of relatives and friends (especially the younger ones) that play the game encouraged me to try the game (and unleashing the inner kid in me). When I told my friend Mae-mae, who is an Audition addict as well, that I play Audition, I think I was in level 5 or 6. And that was what? Maybe five or six months ago.

Poor me. After several months of almost-zero activity in Audition, I only managed to move up by just one level, level 7. And now, seeing how many players are well beyond level 7, I don't think I have the energy and time to improve my level. Sigh. I don't know.

Here's Bryant, the Audition Dancer.



Well, as far as dancing in real life and online go, I pale in comparison with my sister Hazel. Not only is she an active member of a dance group called Swipez Crew (a hiphop/R 'n B/breakdance group in our local community), she is also currently a level-16 dancer in Audition. Life can sometimes be so unfair. (Haha.)

Here is Hazel's Audition avatar:



Here's Hazel doing a hollow back, a breakdance move.



Speaking of dancing, I hope Sizzle, currently one of the finalists in Billy Crawford's dance reality show in GMA-7 called Move!, win the contest. I don't watch the local shows anymore, except for a number of news and public affairs programs. But since Sizzle is there competing, I try to make it a point to watch the show especially when I'm at home. Just like today.

Like Hazel, Sizzle is a member of the Swipez Crew, which always practice near our favorite hangout in our place. She seems to me a kind and caring kid who always smile at me every time I see her. I've seen some of their practices, and man, her moves are really awesome. You can count on her to give her very best whether they are just practicing or performing. You can really see how passionate she is -- and her group are -- in dancing. Man, if I only have those moves. I think one reason why my playlist carries some trance, hiphop, and R 'n B songs -- often to the surprise of my friends because they know I love rock songs better -- is because I hear a lot of these by watching the group practice, or even when I'm at home when Hazel plays the songs full-blast in our speaker while cleaning the house.

Here's a group pic of Swipez:



Here's a photo of Hazel and Sizzle, with my cousin Joanna (who's also a Swipez member):



I don't usually do this, but I hope you guys support Sizzle. Text votes are a big factor in determining the six winners of this contest (which will become Crawford's back-up dance team in his concerts in and outside the country), so if you could just text MOVE SIZZLE and send to 2344 (for Globe and Sun subscribers) and 367 (to Smart and Talk and Text), that's a big help already. A text message only costs P2.50 each. Come on guys (including you, avid Crawford fans Rocel and Scent), please help one kid's dream come true.

It's not the Exorcist or the Ring, but it can scare the hell out of you as well

Yes, this has been a stale blog. But now that I am done analyzing the news media coverage of the elections (except for the coverage analysis of the elections day itself which is definitely way lighter than the analysis of the three-month campaign), I think I can breathe for now. Thus, this new post (finally).

But oh, in case I falter in updating this blog (again), I invite you to visit our Freedom Watch blog, which we hope is going to be updated on a fairly regular basis sometime soon. We in the office are really excited on the plans we have for the official blog of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR). Can't tell you the full details yet, but some things are for sure: the writers will be given a chance to post in the blog, and that the blog is going to be interesting, relevant, and exciting. So please, please, make it a regular habit to visit Freedom Watch.

I have been wanting to post this video ever since I read about it in Robert Kuttner's piece in the March-April 2007 issue of the Columbia Journalism Review. Mentioning the film EPIC 2014 (which now has an updated version entitled EPIC 2015) in his piece, Kuttner talks about the dire future of the newspapers. "By the usual indicators, daily newspapers are in a deepening downward spiral," Kuttner writes in "The Race." "The new year brought reports of more newsroom layoffs, dwindling print circulation, flat or declining ad sales, increasing defections of readers and advertisers to the Internet, and sullen investors."

"The dire future predicted by the now-classic video, EPIC 2014, in which Google, Amazon, and an army of amateurs eventually drive out even The New York Times, begins to feel like a real risk," Kuttner writes.

Here's EPIC 2015 below. Watching this movie gives you little shivers, don't you think? It's as if you're watching a short horror film intended for journalists. Creepy.



For more about film, click here and here. The film's creators explain the origins of the movie here. Wikipedia entry here.

With more and more reports about newsroom layoffs, decreasing advertising and circulation sales, and the rise of Internet and bloggers as a primary source of news and information, should the press -- and the public which it serves -- indeed fear this dark prediction of the future of newspapers? Will the end of the newspapers also signal drastic changes in the role press plays in our society, and the journalistic principles -- accuracy, objectivity, fairness, balance, context, among others -- it dearly hold?

Kuttner ends his piece with a more encouraging note. It's a contest that newspapers might win, he pointed out. How? One way is for newspapers to to make the transition to the "promised land" (Kuttner's words) of hybrid print-Web publishing. "Newspapers have started down a financially and journalistically viable path of becoming hybrids," he writes, "without losing the professional culture that makes them uniquely valuable," adding that "whether newspapers are print or Web matters far less than whether they maintain their historic calling."

Read Kuttner's piece here. I have read a number of news articles and in-depth pieces about this issue, but I think this one takes the cake for its comprehensive and well-researched analysis.

Dog-tired but happy

I am simply dog-tired today but I'll leave after watching Cheche Lazaro's Media in Focus episode today, where today's winners of the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism and officers of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility are guests. Nice.

Congratulations to this year's winners. And thank you to all those who attended this year's ceremonies (More than 700 came--the biggest in JVOAEJ history!). Thank you and hope to see you guys again next year.

Inquirer, Star, Newsbreak and Philippine Graphic grab top JVOAEJ prizes
Source: Freedom Watch

For more information on the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ), please contact the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility at any of the following numbers: 894-1314/894-1326.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Newsbreak, and Philippine Graphic won the top awards in the 18th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) for works published in 2006 during ceremonies held at the AIM Conference Center Manila on June 28. Since 1990, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has been the administrative and technical secretariat of the JVOAEJ.

The first JVOAEJ was launched in 1990 to honor the late Jaime V. Ongpin who was secretary of finance during the Aquino administration. A press freedom advocate, Ongpin was involved in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship and was instrumental in harnessing public support for the restoration of democracy.

As in the previous year, reports published by daily newspapers were judged separately from those published by non-dailies. There were thus two sets of first, second, and third prizes for the investigative and explanatory categories.

The first prize winners in the daily and non-daily division of the investigative and the explanatory category each received a cash prize of P70,000 and a plaque.

Read more here.

The stage is set for tomorrow's D-Day

And the stage is set for the 18th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism tomorrow. As I wrote before, this year really looks exciting with new names in the list of finalists, plus the trusted old ones in the profession. Can't wait to know the winners tomorrow.

After the awards ceremonies in the morning, some of the winners and Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) executive director Melinda Quintos would later guest in Media in Focus, that program in ANC about media issues hosted by broadcast journalist Che-che Lazaro (who by the way is this year's UP Gawad Plaridel awardee). CMFR, the administrative and technical secretariat of the JVOAEJ since its inception in 1990, has again asked Lazaro this year to host the awarding ceremonies. So, please watch Media in Focus tomorrow.

CMFR is also launching its latest publication tomorrow at the event, the only refereed journalism journal in Southeast Asia. Wohoo!

CMFR publishes only refereed journal in SEAsia devoted to journalism
Source: CMFR

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has published the only refereed journal in Southeast Asia devoted to journalism.

The Philippine Journalism Review (PJR), which previously appeared in magazine form, will be launched as a refereed journal during the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) on Thursday, June 28, at the SGV Hall of the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City.

A refereed journal is an academic publication the articles of which pass through a "double blind" review in which experts review articles for publication without knowing who wrote them, while the authors themselves do not know who reviewed their papers.

PJR ceased publication as a bimonthly in 2004, but a monthly monitor, PJR Reports, was published in the same year. In her foreword, CMFR Executive Director and PJR publisher Melinda Quintos de Jesus recalls that CMFR has always intended to republish PJR as a refereed journal together with PJR Reports (PJRR). PJR will initially be published annually, while PJRR will continue as a monthly.

Click here for more. Venus and I provided a bit of editorial support in the book's final pre-printing stages, so we were able to read the drafts before it was published. It's definitely a good read.

CMFR is bringing copies of the new PJR Journal, as well as its other publications like the PJR Reports tomorrow.

The tales of one journalist and the online addiction of another

I wished I had my audio recorder with me last Friday.

Amid deadline pressures, I and Ate Carol managed to have dinner with Joe Torres of GMANews.TV and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines at Kalye Juan in Timog (my nth visit to the place). Actually, I was initially hesitant to go because of the numerous assignments I have to finish. Good thing we went, for it was like a Joe Torres: Up Close and Personal news special. Here is one of the country's most prominent journalists, talking about his personal life, why he went to journalism, his up-and-down lovelife (don't worry Sir Joe; won't divulge details here... haha!), his career, and the rampant corruption in media. Fit for a Maalala Mo Kaya or Magpakailanman episode. Too bad we didn't have the time to order beer while he was revealing to us major, major details about his life. Let's set another dinner, Sir Joe. And this time, we order beer. Haha.

Until now, I am still disoriented by the things he told me, especially on media corruption. Whew.

For Sir Joe's GMANews.TV blog, click here. His personal blog here.

By the way, I just recently created a Wis.dm account. Wis.dm what? Says Time: "Founded by Martin Clifford, a Web 1.0 multimillionaire who's back for round two, wis.dm aims to bring more depth and intelligence to online social networking. Unlike the most popular networking sites, which are more about narcissism (why else would you post 29 pictures of yourself?) and passive voyeurism (guess who your ex is dating now?!) the best way to enjoy wis.dm is to dive in and start asking and answering questions. And unlike Facebook and its ilk, wis.dm is fun to use even if you don't know anyone else on it." (Read the article Is Wis.dm Your Next Web Obsession?) Think of it as Friendster or Myspace, but an inquisitive one.

If you have a wis.dm accout, feel free to add me. Many of you already know my accounts in Friendster, Myspace, Eskwela, Linked.In, and Multiply, so I don't need to put the links here. Haha. Talk about cyber-addiction.

Has CNN also become a master of the journalism practice known here as "SS"*?

Should we add this to the growing list of ethical lapses of the mighty CNN? If a foreign correspondent of this influential global news organization indeed paid to stage a story, how are we assured that all the stories coming from CNN are true? And more importantly, what news organization is left out there that the public can really trust?

Am I hearing Filipino journalists saying "SS"?

CNN Reporter Admits Paying to Stage Story, Capping Nearly a Decade of Network Deception
Source: NewsBusters

So, what is CNN?

THIS is CNN in 1998; the link is to a story debunking the network's Peter Arnett and April Oliver, who accused Vietnam soldiers of war crimes in Operation Tailwind.

This is from 2003. The network's Eason Jordan confessed that the network twisted the news out of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, thereby giving false impressions of the regime to the world so that it could maintain its access to the country (the article is posted at the author's web host for fair use and discussion purposes).

Then there's this from 2005. Eason Jordan accused the US military in Iraq of targeting journalists, and ultimately resigned in the wake of the outcry. "Somehow" the actual video footage of Jordan's accusations, made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, never surfaced.

Next, there's this incredible episode from 2006, where the network showed videos of enemy snipers killing American soldiers in Iraq. Even more incredibly, the videos were marketed on corporate affiliate Time Warner Cable as an On Demand offering.

Now there's this -- paying to have a story staged (bolds are mine):

June 8, 2007 -- The steamy e-mails that landed a CNN reporter in the news and out of a job detailed more than his adulterous affair - they revealed that the Africa correspondent apparently admitted paying militiamen to help him stage a story, according to several sources.

For months, Jeff Koinange had been dogged by allegations that in February, he paid off gunmen to put on a show for a story about Nigerian resistance.

The accusations from Nigerian government officials were so strong that CNN gave a denial during a February broadcast.

"CNN did not pay for or stage any part of the report," anchor John Roberts said. "CNN does not pay for interviews."

But a Swiss author - in an e-mail to Koinange's boss, CNN Worldwide President Jim Walton - details a months-long romance with Koinange, and quotes the correspondent as saying he traded cash for the story.

"Of course I had to pay certain people to get the story," Koinange says, according to the e-mail.

"But everything was done in agreement with CNN and in accordance with their usual standards. But you do not get such a story without bribing . . . You have to have financial resources. But at the end, it was worth it. CNN has its story and I have my 'fame.'"

Read here for more. Click here for the original article from the New York Post (CNN'S BAD NEW$: Romeo 'paid for stories'). The New York Post also has Koinage's photo in the article.


*SS - a practice known in Philippine journalism where journalists exaggerate, "dress up" or concoct a long story out of a few facts or who angle it for the sake of boosting circulation or pleasing someone to whom s/he is indebted. (Source: The CMFR Ethics Manual: A Values Approach to News Media Ethics by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, 2007)

Wicked night

Still lots of things to do, but before we in the office lost our sanity, we decided to meet some of our interns last night in Korokkan in Timog last night. What a wicked, wicked night. We sang, danced, ate (and drank) all night long. Too bad Don and Bimbo (and intern Martha) left earlier. Maybe next time, all those who were not able to join us (like Junette, Melai and the rest of the interns) -- if there is another thing like this happening.

Thanks to Venus, Rocel (the star of the night), Scent, Karen, and Ivy for such a wacky and crazy night. And of course, to Tat, who organized the whole thing. Thanks Tat! Hope you can organize another soon! Haha!

God, how I miss the laughter and craziness when you're not busy.

I won't tell more, because someone might get angry at me for even posting about this because of its potential danger to blackmail (haha!). Here are the tamer photos of the event courtesy of Tat and Karen.

Wacky, crazy peeps



Don sang his trademark song by the way.



With Venus



Karen the Diva



Venus the CMFR Diva



Don the CMFR Crooner



















Bimbo enthralled the group with his soulful singing



Rocel, Karen, Ivy, and Tat (while they were still sober)



Venus, Ivy, Scent, and Tat (while the others were sleeping... haha!)



When I got home, I had to walk more than a kilometer because of massive road reconstruction (again!) in Caloocan (why does the Caloocan city government always have to reconstruct their roads in June??). And while I was walking -- sleep deprived, tired, hungry, booze-filled and all -- I realized the tons of work I am going to do when I get home and in the office for the rest of the week. Like the ton of bag from 7-11 containing liters of mineral water and Clover Chips I took home. Damn.

Just shows money isn't everything

Watch out for the June issue of the PJR Reports, which is going to be available this week. The issue focuses on how TV stations covered this year's elections -- including one which, in a very strange move, had comics as segment hosts and reporters and psychics as guest panelists on its elections day coverage. The June issue -- which also looks at the online coverage of the elections, media quick counts -- is also going to be available during the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism on June 28. So guys, please grab a copy.

Speaking of elections, if senatorial bets like Prospero Pichay Jr., Ralph Recto, and Michael Defensor are still wondering why they lost despite pouring in millions of pesos for political advertisements, here's an interesting piece from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism explaining why:

Missing the Massage
(Or why some big ad spenders lost)
by Jaileen Jimeno

MONEY CAN’T buy you love — or votes, as some politicians who spent big on ads have found out.

Indeed, only four of the 12 biggest spenders on ads for the recently concluded midterm elections have made it so far in the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) ‘Magic 12’ for the Senate. Two more from the list of those with deep pockets (as drawn up by the market research, information, and analysis company AC Nielsen) still have slim chances of sneaking into the Upper House at the last minute, but that means they spent a total of P242.9 million just to get to the bottom of the winners’ list.

Political and advertising experts say that’s because most of these candidates — or more accurately, their handlers — simply failed to come up with an effective campaign that would capture the imagination of voters. They forgot that the message, not money, is key to any campaign.

“You will see that many candidates did not study or plan their ads,” says Malou Tiquia, co-founder of Publicus, the only lobbying and political management firm in the country. “There was disconnect in communication framework and the product.” Tiquia handled the campaign of then senatorial candidate Mar Roxas in 2004. Roxas, who marketed himself via the popular ‘Mr. Palengke’ ads, topped the race.

Advertising producer Toto Espartero, who directed the ads of presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva in 2004, is more scathing in his review of the more recent batch of commercials for the 2007 candidates. He says of the ads, “Parang karnabal, walang laman, walang usapan tungkol sa mga isyu (They were carnivalesque. There was no content, no issues were discussed).”

Mercedes Abad, one of Pulse Asia’s analysts and head of TNS Global, a market information firm, says resonance, believability, and relevance should be the guiding principles in a political campaign. But these were not the only factors absent in most of the big spenders’ commercials. So, too, were, sound planning, accurate reading of voters’ aspirations, and respect for the intellect of the public at large, say experts.

Tiquia says that the lack of planning in particular was why several candidates dumped ads and changed slogans in the middle of the campaign. Tags and taglines that seemingly had no leg to stand on in terms of history and identification with the candidate were used liberally — and, it turns out, disastrously.

Read more here.

Tipping the inverted pyramid over (and then some)

Feeling morose just now, after hearing a shocking announcement from a friend.

I won't begrudge you about it, so don't worry. Just feeling a little blue after hearing the news, leaving me in shock and awe.

I was just looking for some items that I've bookmarked, and found these two articles that you might want to read:

Where do young people get their news?

Young people perceive traditional media as more accurate, trustworthy and reliable than new media, but many get most of their news and information from another source entirely - family and friends.

That is one of the key responses from 10 innovative focus groups of young people in 10 countries that is part of a major research project on how young people get their news.

The goal of the research was to have young people from around the world confirm or challenge hypotheses regarding their media usage habits and attitudes. The insights will be used to guide the next phase of Youth Media DNA, a quantitative study in which 1 000 youths between 15 and 29 years-old will be surveyed in every country that participates in the study.

Read more here.

And for journalists out there, here's an interesting commentary by John Edward Ames of The Christian Science Monitor on the way we write our stories nowadays. What do you think of this article? Any insights?

Hey, journalists, enough with the fancy leads already!

It's the old bait-and-switch, compliments of tabloid culture: A newspaper headline grabs my eye, and I start to read the front-page story beneath it. But instead of immediately learning the pertinent facts, I'm treated to something like this: The demure woman in a beige pantsuit gazes from glazed eyes at what used to be her life's dream.

"It's the cruel irony of it," she repeats in a wistful tone. "Just before my husband died tragically, he predicted this."

Such language is served up widely now that news writers have abandoned customary tenets in favor of a go-as-you-please fiction style. Declining subscriptions and America's obsession with electronic diversions have forced a determined campaign in the print media to "connect" with their readers. That spells hard times for the old-school reporter, that all-seeing fly on the wall whose motto was "shoot it up the middle."

For much of their sometimes seedy history, American journalists have been perceived as tenacious seekers of the facts. Quill drivers, newshawks, ink slingers – reporters have been called many names, most of them not very complimentary. But at least they usually respected the difference between news and pulp fiction.

Now the fly on the wall is an "author" in a camel's-hair sport jacket – one who obviously takes sides with his characters and wraps up a few facts in a tortilla of melodramatic technique. Maybe this paltry piffle helps newspaper circulation, but it's sad to see good reporting replaced by "flash fiction."

I miss the crisp writing and quick, logical flow of information. Accuracy, brevity, and clarity used to be the bywords of a newspaper reporter. Now it's suspense, setting, and back story. Once called the "cynic tribe," many reporters these days are sharing a soap-opera love feast with Oprah.

Read more here.

Why not say it earlier?

"If they're just going to say that they have no jurisdiction, why couldn't have they said it earlier?"

Atty. Jose Diokno was right asking this in light of the recent court decision dismissing the petition filed by a group journalists and media organizations seeking to prohibit executive branch officials from censoring the media. And while the petition -- filed on March 8 last year 2006 following the infamous Presidential Proclamation (PP) 1017 that resulted in a police raid on a newspaper office and threats against critical media -- is already moot and academic, there is still a threat because of the possibility that the threats and raids (or worse) can happen again.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility is a petitioner.

Journalists to continue suit against press intimidation
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

Thirty seven journalists, the College of Mass Communication of the University of the Philippines, and eight media organizations will appeal a court decision dismissing their petition seeking to prohibit executive branch officials from censoring the media.

The petition was filed on 8 March 2006 following President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Presidential Proclamation (PP) 1017 on 24 February 2006 which resulted in a police raid on a newspaper office, and threats against critical media.

In a 17-page decision penned by Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes, the Court of Appeal's 12th Division on 30 May 2007 dismissed the petition for "procedural deficiencies," stating that the CA is not the proper venue for the petition, which he said should have been filed before the Regional Trial Court.

But the Court said that the actions of the government toward the media following PP 1017 "can be construed as a censure to the exercise of the universal rights of free speech."

"It bears to stress that the clear intention of the law is that no prior restraint can be imposed on the exercise of free speech and of expression, and that the freedom to communicate one's views and discuss any matter of public concern should remain to be so without fear or punishment or liability unless there be a clear and present danger of a substantive evil that the State has a right to prevent," said Judge Reyes.

Following the dismissal, the petitioners will file a Motion for Review (MR) before the Court of Appeals. If the MR is denied, the petitioners will file the case before the Supreme Court.

"We are alarmed and disturbed that the court did not face the issue squarely and (did not) judge it on its merits," lawyer Jose Diokno, member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), said. FLAG's Diokno and Theodore Te are the lawyers of the journalists in the case.

Read more here.

JVOAEJ finalists named; Invitation to attend awards on June 28

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

in cooperation with

The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Norway

The Asia Foundation with support from the United States Agency for International Development

and

Ateneo de Manila University


invites you to


The Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar

and

The Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism


Thursday, June 28, 2007


Seminar will begin at 9:30 AM
Awards will be announced at 11:30 AM

SGV Hall
3/F AIM Conference Center Manila
Benavidez cor. Trasierra Sts.
Legaspi Village, Makati City


A cocktail lunch will be served
RSVP Carol or Lara
(63 2) 894-1314/894-1326/840-0889

Tension's up as countdown begins

This year's Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) looks really exciting. Whoo. I can very much feel the tension in the air nowadays as the D-Day approaches. And not because the journalists attending don't know what to wear.

Hope to see you guys on June 28th. If meeting and and sharing views with some of the country's best print journalists present in the affair doesn't appeal to you, then maybe the sumptuous cocktail food and drinks would. For more information about the JVOAEJ and if you have plans of attending, just leave me a message either in the comments or in my shoutbox.

JVOAEJ Winners to be announced on June 28
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

The winners of the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) for works published in 2006 will be known on June 28 (Thursday) during a program to be held at the AIM Conference Center Manila at Benavidez corner Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

The Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility (CMFR) has organized the awards program since 1990. This year, program sponsors include the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Norway, The Asia Foundation with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ateneo de Manila University.

The awards ceremony will follow the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar which starts at 9:30 AM. As has been the practice since 1995, selected finalists participate in a panel discussion about their articles and take questions from the audience of mostly journalism faculty and students.

As in the previous year, reports published by daily newspapers were judged separately from those published by non-dailies. Thus, there are two sets of first, second and third prizes for both investigative and explanatory categories.

In the explanatory category, there are six finalists from the dailies and six from the non-dailies competing for the top prizes, while there are four finalists in each division in the investigative category.

The first-prize winner in each category will receive P70,000.00; the second-prize winner, P40,000.00; and the third, P20,000.00 Finalists will each receive P10,000.00.

The winners of the top prizes and the finalists will also receive a plaque.

This is the 11th year that the Canadian Embassy will award the Marshall McLuhan Prize, a travel study tour of Canada, to a finalist in the investigative journalism category. And for the fifth time, the Australian Embassy will present the Australian Ambassador’s Award, an observation tour of Australia, to the finalist in the explanatory category.

The first JVOAEJ were given in 1990 to honor the late Jaime V. Ongpin, who was secretary of finance during the Aquino administration. A press freedom advocate, Ongpin was involved in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship and was instrumental in harnessing public support for the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF JVOAEJ FINALISTS FOR COMPETITION YEAR 2006 (in no particular order):

Explanatory Reporting Category

Daily Division

Change oil
Dave Llorito
BusinessMirror
April 27, 2006

Doing good in bad times
Daxim L. Lucas and Clarissa S. Batino
Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 8-11, 2006

Traffic: Time to count the costs
Paolo Joseph L. Lising with Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales and Kristine L. Alave
BusinessWorld
April 10-12, 2006

Guimaras oil spill
PDI i-Team
Fernando del Mundo-Chief
Leila B. Salaverria and Tina Arceo-Dumlao with Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Carla P. Gomez, Margaux C. Ortiz, Tetch Torres and Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
October 23-25, 2006

History is not teacher’s pet
Jonathan M. Hicap
The Manila Times
September 17-18, 2006

RP detergent industry struggles to stay afloat
Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star
November 8-9, 2006


Non-Daily Division


New Rx needed for generics movement
Alecks P. Pabico
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in Malaya on September 27-28, 2006

Seeing red
Carmela Fonbuena
Newsbreak
July 3, 2006

Tempest in a (feeding) bottle
Vinia M. Datinguinoo
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in Malaya on September 6-7, 2006

Incentives for the rich harm the poor
Roel Landingin
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in The Philippine Star, BusinessMirror, Malaya,
Manila Standard Today and Sun.Star Cebu on August 14-15, 2006

Divorce by religion
Aries Rufo
Newsbreak
August 20, 2006

Preparing for disaster
Vinia M. Datinguinoo
Published in i Report on March-April, May-June 2006

Investigative Reporting Category

Daily Division

CSC reels from GMA prerogative to appoint execs
Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 27-29, 2006

Citrus farmers restive over mining project
Melvin Gascon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 15, 2006

Appointments raise questions in land row
Felipe Salvosa II with Maria Eloisa I. Calderon
BusinessWorld
February 7-8, 2006

Untangling the RSBS mess
Fe Zamora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 13-16, 2006

Non-Daily Division

The Romualdezes and Equitable Bank
Lala Rimando with research by Evelyn Katigbak
Newsbreak
June 3, July 3, 17 and 31, 2006

Boys Town wards cry sexual, physical abuse
Tess Bacalla
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in The Philippine Star, The Manila Times, Malaya
and Sun.Star Cebu on June 12-13, 2006

Leyte sea roils from rape of WW2 ships
Inday Espina-Varona with Yvette Lee and Christine Mangulabnan
Philippine Graphic
October 23 and 30, 2006

Making money from making peace
Aries Rufo
Newsbreak
July 31, 2006

Journalists and disclosure of sources

So, Scooter Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay a $250,000 yesterday for his role in the Valerie Plame affair.

Here's a CNN account of what happened. The CNN report also helpfully gives out a timeline of key events in the investigation of the case. You can also read Time's timeline.

In another article, Time gives us an idea of the effect of the Libby trial on the press.

"(Patrick) Fitzgerald's investigation has set a precedent that will encourage other prosecutors to seek testimony from the press, forcing other journalists to betray their sources. Journalism and the public interest will suffer. It is dispiriting that the Supreme Court refused to hear our plea. But in the absence of a favorable court decision, Congress should pass a shield law to protect journalists and their sources. Reporters Without Borders publishes a press-freedom index, based on responses from media organizations and other experts around the world. The U.S. ranked 53rd out of 168 countries last year, trailing embarrassingly behind Bosnia, Namibia and the Dominican Republic. Without relief from continued assaults on the press, we shall fall further toward Russia (147) and last-place North Korea.

Read the article "How Libby's Trial Hurt the Press " by Norman Pearlstine here.

Priceless: Pacquiao the Political Theorist

Wow. This is priceless.

He should have also included showbiz along with sports and politics, as I am sure many of our politicians and politician wannabes from showbiz and sports have the same thought as well.


"Sports at pulitika, pareho lang iyan. Kasiyahan lang naman ng tao ang habol natin (Sports and politics are just the same. We all just want the people to enjoy and have fun).”

- Manny Pacquiao, national sports icon and "hero," as quoted by ABC 5 in their May 14 Bilang Bayan coverage.

And we wonder why politics in this country has become such a drunken farce.

Stare, Salivate

Just came back to work after a grueling trip in Dagupan and Baguio last weekend (But Philip, Wilma, Melissa, Haidee, thanks for making our six- and eight-hour bus trips enjoyable). Back here in Manila, nothing changed much for me: Even after the elections, there's still much work to do. But please, just don't mind my incessant whine.

Meanwhile, you might want to take a look at the new and improved website of the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), the premier professional journal for journalists and media professionals.

About the redesign, CJR wrote:

"This is the new Web site for Columbia Journalism Review. It merges two previous CJR sites (CJR.org and CJR Daily.org), and we believe it will provide readers with more than the sum of the parts. Look for fresh content every day — sharp and timely reported press analysis from our online staff; deeply reported media criticism from the print magazine; specials and interactive features to advance the conversation about the performance and problems of the press; as well as some old favorites, such as Language Corner, a guide to writing in English, and Who Owns What, our guide to media ownership. We’re beefing up our coverage of political journalism with the relaunch of Campaign Desk, of business and economic journalism with a reinvigorated Audit column, and of science and environmental journalism."

Visit the website here.

Looking at the new and improved CJR site, I feel like a child staring and salivating in front a Legoland or Toys "R" Us store. Guys in the office and dear RV, let's get working to make a better site.

Threatened? Shout it out!

With the canvassing of the election results remains chaotic and bloody, are we seeing more threats against journalists covering it? Journalists -- whether they are based in the provinces or in Manila like Ricky Carandang -- remain under attack for only doing their work.

I was able to catch ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel) reporting about the threat against two of their journalists. The two journalists were in the studio talking about the threat. While ANC and ABS-CBN have been reporting about these media threats and attacks in the past, I hope they would also give cases involving other journalists who might not be connected with their network the same airtime they gave to Carandang and their radio reporter Noel Alamar.

Having that said, ABS-CBN is right to quickly report, and condemn, the incident. When a journalist gets a threat, he or she should quickly report it -- nay, shout it out -- to media organizations and authorities.

Reporter receives death threat after exposing election anomalies
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

A television and a radio reporter for the ABS-CBN network received death threats in Lanao del Norte, a province located in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), after reporting election irregularities in the province. ARMM is in Mindanao, the second largest and southernmost island of the Philippines.

ABS-CBN television news program TV Patrol World reported on 28 May 2007 the threats received by reporters Ricky Carandang and Noel Alamar, which came after they reported election anomalies in Lanao. Carandang is a television reporter/anchor while Alamar reports for DZMM, the flagship AM station of the ABS-CBN broadcasting corporation.

ABS-CBN news and current affairs head Maria Ressa released a statement on the 29 May 2007 episode of TV Patrol World condemning the incident.

“ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs condemns in the strongest possible terms, these attempts to intimidate the members of our newsgathering team. We would like to warn those involved that their identities are known to us,” Ressa said.

Ressa also added that they are “prepared to take legal action should these threats continue or should any harm come to Mr. Carandang, Mr. Alamar, or any member of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs.”

Read more here.

Thank you, guys

So, just after three hours since I turned off my office computer in Makati, I'm back in front of the computer again -- this time here in our house, while I am wondering where to start in my work -- whether to monitor the news programs I am assigned to cover for the June and July issue of the PJR Reports, or watch first the May 14 elections coverage of selected programs. Since I am leaving for Dagupan Friday afternoon to attend the (very early) Saturday wedding of my thesis partner in college, I have no choice but to stay awake until then. Never mind If I look like a zombie on the wedding day. Aaargh.

But I just want to say that without the help of our interns this summer -- about 20 in all -- many of the activities of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) would not have been finished. Or if they were, they won't be finished in record time, which the interns have done. So, thank you guys. I know how you guys have worked hard and I know how the staff, particularly yours truly, have made your lives these summer feel like hell. But as I've said repeatedly, that internship at CMFR is not going to be a bed of roses. Now, with all your monitors and stories in, all those election-related reports, all the profiles/primers about the journalist killings, all the research work we've asked you to do -- and yes, even the photos, directories, and encoding you've done -- don't you feel proud that you did something in your internship to further professionalize and improve the country's press?

In a previous post anticipating this year's interns, I wrote: "(Here's) hoping to see a batch that is equally great, if not greater, than the previous one. No pressure, guys, but last year's batch of interns was a tough act to follow."

Indeed, to succeed a previous batch of great interns was a tough act to follow. But I think this year's batch far succeeded in whatever expectations we in CMFR had about them. As a group, their immense volume of work was simply incomparable. I don't even know where to begin. The elections coverage of the tabloids? Public affairs programs? radio stations? The study on political advertisements? The study about the preparedness of the press in this year's elections? The database on journalist killings, more comprehensive now than ever? The digitization/reorganization of PJR Reports and Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism articles as well as the CMFR photos? Simply astounding.

So to our interns, take your much-deserved break. And to the handful of interns who are still in CMFR doing last-minute work, see you in the office and may you finish soon to enjoy whatever remaining days you have this summer (I know some of you are taking your short summer breaks outside the country). And to those who plan to do volunteer work for CMFR, see you soon. But to all of you, thanks and see you in our nightout (just like what we promised) soon.

Meanwhile, below are some photos of the best journalism students around. You can see five of the six CMFR staffwriters in the photo above as well as most of the interns this summer. (Photo above courtesy of the proud alerts intern Tat; the rest from Don)

During our trivia contest last May 18 in the "interns room", just before the final program for the interns:







Showing they are the best: Two of the "little Bryants," Angela and Rocel, after winning in the group category of the contest (with their proud and smiling "Big Bryant" together with Bimbo and Junette who managed to smile for posterity's sake). Hahahaha!



Rachel won the contest's individual category. Here with her proud "father" Don (flashing his pearly white teeth) who looked like he was the one who's going home with the goodies from CMFR:



CMFR's five "Outstanding Interns": Rachel, Stephen, Rocel (who was named the "Most Outstanding Intern") Tat, and Ivy:



The interns who attended the May 18 program. Unfortunately, some were not able to attend the event. The interns come from the University of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas, St. Scholastica's College, and Far Eastern University (Go, Criz!).



The interns with their hot-headed supervisor:



And with Bimbo, allegedly the "hottest" staffwriter around, who according to latest reports, already has a fans' club of his own. Just kidding, Bimbs. :P



With the staff



The interns with their bosses

Starting with the oh-so-serious, no-nonsense Team Bryant. I just looked like I was awarded with a "Jeers/Squash" label by the PJR Reports monitor. While my two interns rightfully deserved "Cheers/Star Apple."



The youthful-looking Venus together with her mature-looking interns.



Don, the "hottest" staffwriter according to the interns last year, together with his interns



The rambunctious Alerts desk together with their inimitable boss, Bimbo



And the Team Junette, who looked like a bunch of cheerleaders (hot!)

That's what the First Gentleman thought

So, Mike Arroyo thought that his "generosity" would make the press love him. That's what he thought.

Here's the joint statement of the journalists who have filed a class suit against the Mr. Arroyo:

In view of Jose Miguel Arroyo’s announcement that he intends to withdraw all the libel suits he has brought against journalists (46 in all), the question is raised whether we might respond by withdrawing our own class suit against him.

As it happens, this is not a case of such humanitarian challenge as the question seems to suggest. Mr. Arroyo, no doubt, deserves every sympathy after his heart surgery but, however serious his condition may be, it does not excuse him from misrepresenting his place in the way he has done: his is not to dispense generosity (his own word) to the journalists, but to ask them for it.

Apparently, Mr. Arroyo has had a dubious epiphany. Instead of realizing, as might have been the case in a true chastening, that he has filed whimsical, malicious, wholesale suits, and apologizing, he presents himself as in fact the one wronged and offers yet to forgive.

That is adding insult to injury, and it serves only to strengthen our intention to proceed with our suit for damages in behalf of our profession.

In the history of Philippine media, it is Mr. Arroyo who has filed the most number of libel cases versus journalists.

Let us remember that he is out to erode the watchdog function of the press. That is anathema in a democracy.

We’re trying to build the press as an institution that will function vigorously as part of the checks and balances in our system. As it is, we already operate in difficult conditions, where vested interests dominate some media organizations and the culture of impunity casts its dark shadow on us.

Today, we face a new battleground—in the courts.

The killer project

Finally, after more than a three-week hiatus, I am posting an entry in this blog again. As some of you know, I have been busier since the news media elections coverage monitoring project of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) started in February. Well, when did I stop whining about how busy we have been at CMFR?

But man, this year so far has been a killer. And to think that we are not even finished with the final report of the news media elections coverage monitoring project. Then in June, it’s the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism. Don’t forget that we do publish the PJR Reports every month. Maybe Glenn and the other interns are right. I sure looked like mess over the past few months, haggard from all the activities in the office. Maybe that is why most interns preferred Bimbo as the hottest staffwriter, not me. Haha. I guess, these days, I’m the hot-headed staffwriter.

Don’t get the idea, however, that I am complaining. One thing I loved working at CMFR is that you get to learn a lot of things about the media and their role in the society, what journalists should be doing, and the ethical and professional issues involving the press. It’s like taking up an informal master’s course in journalism. Plus, you get to work with some of the best journalists I know. If you’re a journalist and media-monitoring work does not appeal to you, then the idea of working for the likes of Melinda Quintos de Jesus, Luis V. Teodoro, Vergel O. Santos, Chit Estella, Booma Cruz, and Rachel Khan might. And then you also get to work with the best young journalists (Venus, Don, Bimbo, Junette, and Melai, who came onboard last May 16) I know. And no, I’m not just sucking up to these guys. They are really, really great.

Well, since we devoted a lot of time and energy – and a lot of meriendas courtesy of Ate Carol – I think my first post after more than three weeks is about the news media elections coverage monitoring project.

As I’ve said earlier, the only thing we’re not finished yet with this project is the final report, which will cover the news media coverage of the whole campaign period including the last two weeks or so of the campaign. What is good with this project is that it is only the second time CMFR released periodic reports about the media coverage of the elections and included a review of the television coverage. The first time CMFR released reports about the media coverage while the campaign was going on was in the 2004 presidential elections, the only organization in the Philippines to do so.

In the landmark 2004 project, CMFR accomplished the project with the help of citizen and academic groups – the first time a media NGO involved such groups in a broader watch of media coverage. As in 2004, Prof. Danilo Arao and selected journalism students from the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication also helped in this year’s news media elections coverage monitoring project.

Aside from better media-monitoring instruments we used, what is exciting about this year’s project is that aside from monitoring selected broadsheets and news programs, CMFR – with the help of interns whom CMFR had trained for the project – also reviewed the elections coverage of selected tabloids, public affairs shows, and radio programs. In our March 5 roundtable discussion on monitoring elections coverage, some of the journalists present raised the idea that CMFR should not only monitor the elections coverage of broadsheets and news programs but also tabloids, public affairs shows, and radio programs as well. A gargantuan task, we thought back then. But lo and behold, monitoring these other platforms was done, even though it proved to be really difficult.

To further complement these in-depth reports about the news media elections coverage, CMFR also did an analytical study of the political advertisements in newspapers and TV (which is available online as well as the monitoring reports), as well as how the press prepared itself for the coverage, basically an update of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism study in 2004.

To read the reports, here are the following links:

CMFR Monitor of News Media Coverage of the 2007 National Elections

First Report (February 13 - March 2)
TV, broadsheets covered TU most in first three weeks of campaign

Second Report (March 3 - March 16)
Arrest of Ocampo triggers surge in party list elections coverage

Third Report (March 17 - March 30)
Scandals put party-list ahead in media coverage
But Team Unity retains coverage edge over Genuine Opposition

Consolidated report (February 13 – March 30)
Media coverage of elections declines in sixth and seventh weeks of campaign

Fourth Report (March 31 – April 20, 2007)
Senate and Party-list News takes a Backseat
Team Unity, Genuine Opposition still the most-covered subjects

Supplemental Reports

Tabloid and AM Radio Coverage of the
Senate and Party-List Elections (16-27 April 2007)

Public Affairs Programs' Coverage of the
Senate and Party-list Elections and Political Advertising in Print and Broadcasting

For more information about the project and reports, you might want to read the CMFR Roundtable Discussion on Monitoring Elections Coverage. Clips of the roundtable discussion are available here as well.