Journalism Realities

WHAT ARE THE FORCES SHAPING JOURNALISM?

Impact of the pandemic on news gathering

hybrid format, coverage restrictions, health requirements

Every reporter should have a negative antigen test to do a coverage;

Sometimes becomes a way to control the media

Media required to do antigen but other workers in Malacañang are not

Content-related challenges
Government content still amplified

Government is the primary source (they have a tendency to praise themselves; lack of urgency to serious
matters leads to spread of misinformation)

Ex: Booster shots rate still low because of misinformation

Misleading/false/alarmist claims

Expanding role of tech firms

News aggregators and broadcasters

Social media as a source of news

Facebook assumes a lot of roles (broadcasters, dating sites, church, etc.)

Customized news/algorithms

News filter bubbles (Ex: YouTube will only recommend what you like)

Challenge for journalists is to debunk these aggregators

As fact-checkers

Allegations of bias/censorship

Ex: Facebook fact-checkers (hindered by conflict of interest against conservative views)

Ex: Politiko vs. Rappler (Rappler tagged Politiko's post as false, limits revenues)

Impact of revenues

Advertising going online/downsizing

Ex: Bandera Tabloid by Rappler (fully digital now bc revenues have shifted online)

No more waiting who will be the cover on certain magazines

Social media presence

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 All news outlets to reach more audience

Journalists' relationship with the 'audience'

'Audience' sometimes are the content providers

More people have access to news

Mobile tech/cheaper internet access

More consumption but audience only reaches the headlines

Anyone can produce content

Democratization of media

Rise of bloggers/influencers/'citizen journalists'

Peddlers of propaganda vs. Reporters

'citizen journalism' should require certain disciplines

Suddenly you'll find yourself competing against non-journalism graduates for journalism jobs

Herbert Simon: "The wealth of information creates a poverty of attention," because of the onslaught of
content, hindi mo alam sino uunahin

If you give attention to everyone, you consume only little knowledge, and little knowledge is dangerous
(criticism to capitalism)

Journalists are becoming vloggers

Using tools of amateurs to reach more people

Outrage/cancel culture

Threat to free expression

Opposing views will bash you to the point you'll self-censor (how can you report properly?)

Has serious implication to democracy

"Tyranny of the easily offended"

Virtue signaling

No more media hegemony

You do not dominate the conversation anymore

Media does not set the agenda

Audience more critical of the media

Feedback mechanisms/"Flak"

Media filter (Noam Chomsky)

Efforts to discredit/supplant journalists

“Ako ang media” ni Duterte

"New censorship"

Allows publishing of critical reports but content will be spammed against it (recall virality strategy)

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 Self-censorship

State-run media wants to replace journalists to vloggers (engagement based so puro big evens, no vloggers
attend press-cons)

"Fake News"

Debate: news should be accurate, there’s no such thing as ‘fake’ news

Should be misinformation or disinformation

Weaponization of false information

Philippine Context
Media killings/"culture of impunity"

Freest press but one of the most dangerous countries for journalists

Ethical practices are sometimes the root of killings (envelopment leading to violence/"personal issues"

Online trolling

Lynching/threats/disinformation/shaming

Real-time bashing when certain reporters come in (goal is to demoralize)

Tougher law on cyber libel

Longer prescription period

Ex: Maria Ressa - Impeachment on Corona story (implication on us: ruling has longer prescription from usual
one year for cyberlibel)

Ex: story released in 2020, libel was demanded in 2022, case is dismissed (prescription period is done)

Court ruling on Ressa: Cyberlibel for 12 years because at the time the article was published, hindi pa
gawa yung prescription period on Cyberlibel

Does the case have merit? -- hindi sana maaadlak yung situation kung maayos lang ang data gathering

Other details: Keng reached out to Rappler but they did not publish it

ABS-CBN shutdown/Block timing

Impact on information access, labor, media industry, film, sports and entertainment

Block timing agreements: buying airtime to broadcast content (ABS CBN buys airtime from TV 5)

More agreements = more bosses to please

WHY TAKE THIS SUBJECT SERIOUSLY?

1. Broader perspective on journalism

a. Views on practitioners and scholars

b. Since everyone can be a journalist now, we want grads to have a deeper understanding on journalism

2. News skills

a. Academic writing

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 b. Research/critical thinking

3. Better appreciation of other disciplines

a. Social science, humanities, etc.

4. Thesis

a. Make it less scary

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