Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE

INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

Case Analysis 1

(COMM 205: Journalism Principles and Practices)

Christa Angelick V. Malinao

BAC 2A

February 21, 2023

A.Y 2022-2023

Marinduque State College

 Republic of the Philippines
MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

The majority of people believe that news should be trustworthy, timely, and accurate.
Journalists should conduct the necessary research to interpret events, take into account all
relevant angles, and prevent unnecessarily hurting sources or audiences. But do these moral
principles depend solely on the character of individual journalists? Or do other significant
incentives play a role in how journalists behave?

The most valuable asset that journals have is their reputation, which is why it is critical
that they act ethically. Ignorance is not a valid defense. I'm not trying to frighten anyone; rather,
journalists must remember that the press possesses considerable power, and that power can
sometimes lead to corruption. What does it mean to be a credible journalist? What differs ethical
journalism from unethical journalism? In a simple word, what makes journalism ethical or
unethical?

The NUJP, or National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, promotes free expression
and a free press while advancing the interests of the Filipino working press. Their mission is to
protect journalists from attacks, threats, and harassment while also organizing media workers for
better working conditions. Aside from their mission of protecting journalists, the NUJP has
provided or unveiled an ethical guidebook for Filipinos in the media, which they have dubbed
"love letters." From a student's standpoint or perspective, the advantage and benefit of this
ethical guidebook is that having a standard set of ethics for journalists to carry on throughout the
profession can help us practice consistently and as best we can without losing the quality of the
work that we do as time goes on. Also, this guide will be extremely useful, particularly because
there is a section in the ethics guide that draws on the experiences of “mga batikang manunulat”
or expert journalists, as well as the dilemmas they have faced and the solutions they have
created. This comprehensive 200-page book is like learning from experts. We all know that we
have this Journalist's Code of Ethics approved by the Philippine Press Institute, the National
Union of Journalism in the Philippines, and the National Club in 1988. A code of ethics is a set
of principles

Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

and norms based on an organization. Journalists adhere to a set of professional ethics in various
nations. This often outlines what they should and shouldn't do in plain, uncomplicated language
(Ingram et al., 2008). The Philippine Press Institute (PPI), in the belief that journalism in the
Philippines should reflect the hopes and dreams of a freedom-loving people, drafted the
Philippine Journalist's Code of Ethics, which was discussed and finalized in a multilateral
workshop conference held during the National Press Week of 1988. And aside from that, we
have Article 3 Section 4 in the Philippine Constitution of 1987, which abridges the freedom of
speech, expression, and the press. But how come there are still ethical issues in journalism? And
how did journalists become unethical?

Journalists are still human beings, as we are, and for that reason, they still commit
mistakes and are not as perfect as we expected them to be. The question is, what is the proper
course of action? When making a personal decision, we are guided by our own moral compass
and use friends, family, and a selection of social norms as ethical metrics. Ethics are the internal
guardian of moral principles, values, and beliefs that people use to assess or evaluate a situation
and then choose how to act. The media is free to carry out its social obligations, but it must
adhere to ethical standards when gathering and presenting news to the public by maintaining
objectivity and fairness. The ethical issues that journalists must evaluate are much more
complicated, and the consequences of their choices could have far-reaching and long-lasting
effects, both legally and otherwise. The application and assessment of the values and standards
that govern journalism activity is what is meant by ethical journalism. It is created to support the
public's right to know by both professional journalistic associations and people in print,
broadcast, and online news organizations. When under pressure to report lies, whether from
media owners, corporate interests, or political forces, ethical journalists resist (White, 2011).
Information that is newsworthy and fit for public consumption is characterized by accuracy,
neutrality, fairness, impartiality, and public accountability.

Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt famously remarked, "Great power involves great

responsibility." Journalists are sometimes obligated by their role in a democratic society, like,
for example, here in the Philippines, to cause harm to others in order to provide important news.
Journalists often appear to be unethical because of different interpretations of the role they play.
Our problem is that the way journalists interpret their role in society is different from how the
public interprets it. Because how you make unethical decisions depends on what your role is.
Journalism is also a field that demands absolute or "almost perfection," according on "Violations
in the Journalists' Code of Ethics in the Philippines" of Batanes to Tawi-tawi. Journalists have
this "professional morality," which has a separate role-defined and role-differentiated set of
moral rules. Also, they are expected to behave in a way that ordinary morality will not allow.
This comes in large part because this responsibility seems to be placed in the hands of
journalists. It is the only business that receives constitutional protection under "Freedom of
Expression." Journalists are expected to provide a truthful, unbiased, and comprehensive account
of the day's events.

Some of the Ethical Issue in Philippine Journalism:

News for Purchase/Sale

The shadow of paid journalism is the practice of giving cash incentives or gifts to
journalists to secure favorable coverage. The conflict of interest is clear: a journalist who accepts
bribes is reporting for personal gain, according to Philippines: How Media Corruption Nurtures
Old Systems of Bias and Control by Melinda Quintos de Jesus. When a subject has paid or
promised payment, a reporter might tilt the piece in their favor and split the prize with other
editors.

It is a terrible time when many journalists are bribable and willing to write for the
highest bidder. The narrative that is offered to the public frequently has little to do with the
reality on the

Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

ground and is instead just a jumble of stereotypes, hearsay, and babblings from privileged
officials who have no comprehension of the dilemma of their people (Baroud,
2015).Developmental journalism, or accepting payments in exchange for positive press publicity,
is the term used in journalism. In addition to direct sponsorship, money can be gained by selling
favorable headlines and coverage in the same manner as any advertisements. This is not to claim
that community journalists are the only corrupt media professionals in the Philippines. Instead of
revealing the official's misconduct with the money, the editor wrote about some of the official's
successes and projects to cover up the corruption problem. The editor is not being fair, honest, or
accurate in this situation. The editor's lack of independence was the most ethical violation,
though.

Bias

Journalists must avoid disclosing their personal political beliefs on social media since
doing so could influence how the public perceives their news. Several articles, particularly those
pertaining to politics, seem to reveal evidence of biases, whether they be for or against the
Philippine administration. Not all material uploaded on the internet is judged "trustworthy."
Journalists naturally have their own biases and opinions; they should not allow these to influence
their reports. This is what news reporter Angelique Rupisan of GNN TV 44 Pampanga says: "As
journalists, we must be very careful, or as much as possible, avoid posting our opinionated
political statements as it might give our audience the impression that we are biased." The internet
is full of biased and dishonest content that is posted by unverified sources because of its size and
openness, which contributes to the spread of misleading information and deceptive claims. Bias,
according to Parker and Berman, is the continual slanting of observations away from the truth
and in one particular direction. It raises a possible issue in both clinical research and pieces with
a political bent. Since people rely on news stories to give relevant and accurate information on
current events,

Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

neutrality is a necessary when it comes to reporting the news. The truth must always be favored
by journalists.

False Information

In the digital age, the unchecked dissemination of false information has assumed a new
shape, posing difficult problems for journalists and democracy. Information that is "not
supported by clear evidence or expert opinion" is referred to be misinformation (Nyhan and
Reifler, 2010: 305). Disinformation is the deliberate transmission of false, invented, or
decontextualized information with a specific objective in mind, such as growing conflict or
fostering social mistrust (Jackson, 2017; Marwick and Lewis, 2017). Since they are increasingly
charged with disseminating false information themselves, or, in more common parlance, fake
news, individual journalists and media organizations are likewise susceptible to misinformation.
In the Philippines, journalists fight to maintain the public and government's trust, which
frequently results in charges of spreading false information or fake news. Journalists who may
have reported the news incorrectly must quickly acknowledge their mistakes and make
corrections, particularly in this era when information is shared more quickly than in the past
when news stories were only broadcast and published via conventional platforms like television,
radio, and newspapers.

Enhancing professional and moral behavior is the problem's long-term answer.

Journalism will be protected with the help of public support and awareness. Owners will
recognize the worth in the journalist's work if the community is supportive. Ethical codes won't
cure all the issues of intolerance in the media, but they may help journalists concentrate on their
own

Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

duty. Conduct guidelines empower journalists to operate in accordance with their conscience by
outlining the principles and convictions that support independent journalism. Journalists must
consider the broad scope of aims and values outlined in ethical standards in the context of their
daily job when discussing issues of tolerance. Regardless of whether a journalist is covering
sports, entertainment news, the financial market, or current affairs, they all have a duty to uphold
an ethical standard to prevent conflicts of interest that could jeopardize their objectivity or
integrity. They must continuously remind themselves that upholding ethical standards is the
responsibility of all journalists, not primarily of the businesses that fund and distribute their work
and, especially, not of the governments. Journalism must reflect the entire community, be
accountable, and be inclusive in order to be effective. Journalists must create sources that reflect
the variety of ideas, emotions, and life experiences of the audience they serve. The protection of
others' rights must be weighed against such freedom of expression. Also, governments need to
promote journalism education that combats issues of prejudice and intolerance and inspires
students from various ethnic origins to pursue careers in media. In order to better grasp the role
of the media in battling intolerance, governments should also support initiatives within
journalism and the media to promote active training programs and social dialogue. Sadly, there
will always be journalists willing to publish misinformation in support of some of the most evil
and hateful political causes, but these individuals may be separated. It required that journalists
adopt accountability for their own conduct, develop a sense of professional community, and,
most importantly, guard against developing bias or being uninformed about their surroundings.

Let us stick to our goal and mission. Let's not stop choosing what is right just because
we are pushed to do what is wrong because of certain factors.

"For future journalists, we must be wise, not just smart.”

Republic of the Philippines

MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tanza, Boac, Marinduque

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Level II Re-Accredited by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges Universities in the Philippines
(AACCUP), Inc.

References:

 Baroud, R. (2015). What This World Needs is Some Really Honest Journalist. Retrieved
from on February 20, 2016.
 Jackson D (2017) Issue brief: Distinguishing disinformation from propaganda,
misinformation, and fake news: National endowment for democracy.
 Marwick A, Lewis R (2017) Media manipulation and disinformation online. Data and
Society Research Institute.
 Nyhan B, Reifler J (2010) when corrections fail: The persistence of political
misperceptions. Political Behavior 32(2): 303–330.
 Parker R A and Berman N G 2016 Planning Clinical Research (Cambridge University
Press) pp 203–16
 White, Aidan (2011). The Ethical Journalism Initiative. International Press Centre,
Brussels, Belgium Retrieved on September 3, 2016