ENVELOPMENTAL JOURNALISM: A Threat to Local Media Credibility

Before mentioning the local set up on how local media practitioners practice this so called Envelopmental journalism accordingly based on some short interviews and questions here is a credited article from Yvette P. Fernandez entitled ENVELOPMENTAL JOURNALISM IN THE METRO MANILA from the book of Crispin Maslog entitled COMMUNICATION VALUES AND SOCIETY copyright 1992; her article cited some ill practices of some media practitioner in Manila which is believed to be a good example to be used in the transformation of local media's values from negative to positive, or in order to stay away from this practice. The source of data was primarily personal interviews, supplemented with a minimal amount of published material; the researcher interviewed 18 beat reporters, two-photographers, three editor-in-chiefs, one managing editor, one editor, four section editors, four news sources, one PR practitioner and several other respected names in journalism profession.

Here are the results of the research:

FOR LOCAL BEAT (REGULAR ALLOWANCES)

"Every week," one police reporter, the anti-vice unit gives about Php 4,000.00 to the press club, and they divide it and get about Php200 each.

"Sometimes these lords go directly to you, but that is only when you wield a lot of power, then they give you something P50, 000.00.But this is only when you are a prominent columnist or an editor.

Many tabloid reporters, claims one broadsheet police reporter get an allowance everyday from certain police officers.

"If you are industrious enough to up everyday, you will get money everyday"

In the police beat claims another broadsheet former police reporter, "the lowest sergeant and corporal would give you cash gifts of P50,P100, and P200 for you to write about their cases, It's a habit, and the beat is usually monopolized by tabloid reporters or veterans who do not care about ethics"

AFTER PRESS CONFERENCES

"During press conferences," says PR. Practitioner Tessa Jazmines it is SOP for PR groups to prepare something for the press. Tokens gifts baskets, like when we launched Kitchenomics, we prepared baskets of Del Monte products for them."

A feature reporter laughs."Once, there was a worker's strike at Robina. Gokongwei clled a press conference, everybody was there, perfect attendance, they were expecting to be given a fortune. Guess what? He didn't give anything. It was really funny. "Later, he sent gift baskets to the office after the story came out. Coffee, N-rich, biscuits and tootsie rolls. We found it cute. At least it was not insulting. It was not money. It was really a token"

ON MY OWN POINT OF VIEW: The Local Setting

When I joined a free seminar from Philippine Press Institute sometimes in August 2007? Ethics for mass media issue had been tackled. I remember one of the lecturers responded the question given to him by one of my co-delegates regarding on how to avoid this giving of money or anything from the involve person to an issue if there is . He said media practitioner has to think first before entering into the profession especially on matters of salary and compensation. He has to know first how much is the exact salary of his work before entering his profession, if he find it less compensating and cannot meet his expectations and needs better not to join and serious with the media work just to avoid ill practices in the near future. Thorough self examination to have to be done. Imagine you are an agent of information dissemination, you are task to inform the public about what is happening the world. In times of issues and problems you have to be detached, so that you will not be swamped into a situation where reputation is at stake.

Another lecturer said that if the thing given to you is money, do not accept it. But if its something that is consumable within 24 hours then go for it, everybody laughs that time.

I believe that if we have this called strong sense of responsibility and if our aim is primarily to serve the people and be an agent of change then apparently it redounds to positive aftermath. Credibility speaks I must say. Thorough examination to our spirit. Take for example when you go to a press conference attending a discussion about a certain issue the most common term I have heard from the people I have known , they have negative impressions to local media already, they used to call it in bisayan term as "MANINIGBAS" or in English Hacker. Hacker or hewer because they thought that the main purpose of being there is to ask money for the issue not to be issued, aired and blocked or for the issues to be modified from negative to positive. This happens to government officials' issues and problems. I believe that amidst all this reality there are still media practitioners who are religiously work and perform their task as the fourth estate "fiscalizer". Honestly, compensation in the media profession is quite meager compared to other professions. Other stations rely on the number of advertisers of the income from the advertisement, however making this situation as reasons in committing unethical practice is not acceptable I believe.