CHRISY ANN BALITA

News has the capacity to be an enabling political and social force in an active public sphere.

Mass media institutions choose a particular story or phenomenon depending on how “newsworthy” it is. Such
consideration, as well as the number of related information they were able to gather to support the story, are noted in
order to capture the audience’s interest for that particular news story. Exclusive underground scoops on infamous
issues like jueteng and government corruption needs reliable informants with enough evidences to support the
revelation because of the value of the issue and the persons involved in it. Such news stories may take months of
discussion among public. Take the news reports about the bus hostage taking in EDSA, the identification of the
government officials involved in jueteng, the Maguindanao massacre, the recent bombing during the culmination of
the bar exam, and even news feeds about local and international celebrities.

Due to the attention that media institutions give for a particular story, for example the victory of Manny Pacquaio in
his fights or the first appearance of Charice Pempengco in the television series Glee in a particular day or episode,
the audience is able to draw positive insights of the talents that Filipinos possess. Or it may, on the other hand, break
their confidence in the political system, for example, because of the existence of political dynasty, padrino system,
and other controversial aspects related to it.

In the field of politics, reports on the corruption of a number of public officials have become part of the daily
headlines. It is ordinary to read about a certain government official spending the country’s budget for unproductive
trips abroad or projects that were never finished. In this case, some people may accept corruption as customary so it
may not be deemed in greater importance anymore. And in the case that one of those audiences is serving the
government or any institution, he may be practicing the same while in office innocently because of how it is
projected by the media.

According to J. M. Balkin in his paper How Mass Media Simulate Political Transparency, he noted that political life
begins to conform increasingly to the image of politics portrayed on television. How it is projected by the media will
greatly affect public perception. For example, because of the anomalies during election, a number of voters may lose
confidence in its legitimacy and will prefer not to practice their right to suffrage because of the hopelessness of the
situation. He also added that mass media has the capacity to make the political system more ‘transparent’ by helping
the public understand the operations of the government, encouraging them to participate in political decisions, and
making the government officials responsible for their actions and decisions. Although the third aspect is dubious,
mass media particularly news reporting is able to make the public active members in the political sphere. News
reports on the programs of the government or even those criticisms against it have the capacity to stimulate concern
and participation to issue or it may draw support from them. But because of the attention given to these issues, it can
instead trigger apathy among the masses because of the vagueness of its state.

On the social level, news reports allow us to be aware of issues such as abortion, birth control, divorce, famine, and
other similar issues. Some news programs or institutions provide explanations on these issues and its effect in the
society. Showbiz news, on the other hand, may lead to a notion that the lives of the celebrities we look up to are
purely glamour and fame. But, we can also see that that they are normal beings, too. However, constant exposure to
the personal life of celebrities has, to some extent, made us less comfortable of ourselves and on the life that we
have. Media coverage on the personal life of the celebrities and the attention that is given to their physique triggers a
desire to acquire it in the fastest time possible. It has also made some people fond of sharing gossips especially
among women.

But the impact that news have on both the political and social aspects of our lives clearly depends on how we allow
it to influence our lives. It becomes a strong political and social force if we let it affect us. For example, social issues
like that of the break-up of a particular celebrity couple that we like will not make such a fuss if we will not let it.
Similarly, its effect may also depend on factors such as our family background, preferences, political views and
interest.

The family has a strong influence on how we will be able to react to a particular news story. A student raised in an
average family will be greatly affected by the increase in all train fares as compared to a well-off student. A person
who genuinely hates politics will pay disinterest in the news regarding charger change or midnight appointments in
the government. A person who despises Jennelyn Mercado will not be affected of the news regarding her meeting
with Patrick Garcia as compared to how her fan may feel.

True, news is able to affect the political and social aspects of the society. But its impact will still vary.