Media stories mirror social events. Ugly or beautiful, they will appear in the mirror – in the stories from the media. To the question “What do you care if people avoid the news?” we can say it is his right, it is his choice, so it is really up to him. But the wiser question cannot be removed either: “Why is it necessary to avoid looking at the mirror?”
In the political economy of news avoidance, the public loses. Poor people who struggle to enjoy material things are even more impoverished because they do not know if they still have a fight in life and who and what to fight. Any clear consequence of news avoidance? More pain as people are exposed to their inner poverty despite the depressed state of their livelihood.
Alright, just to be sure, isn’t this just an exaggeration? Here is the sentiment of a netizen the other day (exact, unedited quote):
“Tumataas presyo ng mga gulay, isda, baboy, manok at pati na bigas, asukal atbp. Tumataas din bayad sa mga pampublikong sasakyan. Tataas na rin bayad sa LRT at mga toll gates sa expressways. Lahat na lang ng presyo ng bilihin ay tumataas samantalang patuloy naman ang pagbulusok ng kalidad ng buhay ng mga Pilipino. Lahat na eto ay nangyayari habang panay ang byahe sa labas ng bansa ni BBM kasama ang pamilya at maraming “freeriders”. Umuuwi rin ng regular sa Davao ang VP gamit ang eroplano ng gobyerno. Pati ang anak ni BBM na si Zandro ay gamit rin ang eroplano ng gobyerno kasama ang girlfriend at mga alipores sa pagbyahe sa iba’t ibang sulok ng bansa. Like adding salt to the wound, inaprubahan pa ang Maharlika Investment Fund na walang sapat na seguridad at gamit ang kaban ng bayan ng punong puno rin ng utang! Hanggang kailan kaya matitiis ng sambayanan ang ganitong pamumuhay at kalakaran sa administrasyong ito. Kailan kaya magigising at mabubuksan ang mga nakasarang mata ng mga kapatid nating Pilipino sa tunay na katotohanan, katarungan at kalayaan. Pagod at lugmok na sa kahirapan ang sambayanan Pilipino. Tama na, sobra na…”
If such an analysis by a netizen was exaggerated, how did it become exaggerated? And that question deserves to be answered formally by a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) secretary (Salary Grade 31 – P318,806), by undersecretaries (SG 30 – P205,151), or by assistant secretaries (SG 29 – P181,550), or by directors with a salary level of P142,180 to P181,550. They are 47 senior PCO officials according to the latest count made by a veteran journalist.
Filipinos avoid news from the tri-media but follow the “news” and “views” of social media influencers. Anyare? It is said that the stories on radio, TV, and newspapers are becoming sensationalized and so it is now the chance for the former news consumers to choose sensationalized stories from new influencers, who are no longer far away because they already reveal themselves very flagrantly on their Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok accounts. People have forgotten that there should be gatekeepers or at least the editorial board with gatekeeping functions. Even without accountability, social media influencers gain millions of views and followers because what matters to people is there is something new. What is new? Avoiding news from traditional media. Why try something “new”? No one can fully explain.
The phenomenon of news avoidance is global. However, Filipinos are quick to embrace this thought, mabilis pa sa alas-cuatro. There is a term for that: mapagpaniwala o madaling maniwala (gullible or easy to believe even if there is an utter lack of rationale to believe the new thought).
In the midst of students of communication and journalism is Christian Esguerra of Facts First who is not far from their age, but already has extensive experience in the newspaper or multimedia platforms. Walang lugi to the seniors who are even sharper in journalism and have proven to be crusading journalists of their respective generations: professors Jose Dalisay, Yvonne Chua, Felipe Salvosa II, and Manuel Mogato, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.
Maybe they are biased? Or maybe they are on my side, so I am also biased? Or, or, or indeed biased; meaning, we are just on the side of truth and reason?Let us face the truth together and value reason especially now that there are many cases of deception, abuse, fraud, and pagkakampi-kampi. If there is money in exchange for avoiding the news, including pakinabang from political leaders and their influencers, do not take the bait because not only the money, but the person himself in the quicksand will disappear quickly. While in the mud, let us ask ourselves, “Do we deserve this? It is dangerous, maybe there is quicksand everywhere. Now more than ever, we must face the mirror and make reflections. Ugaliing manalamin para hindi na umabot pa sa pagtatanggal ng putik. Rather we take the opportunity to preserve beauty or know what to fix in ourselves and in society.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar serves as a member of the steering committee of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He was part of National University’s community extension project that imparted the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities in a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with a master’s degree in development communication from the University of the Philippines Open University in Los Baños. He recently defended a dissertation proposal for his doctorate degree in communication at the same graduate school under a Philippine government scholarship grant. He was editor-in-chief of his high school paper Ang Ugat and the Adamson News.
