Aquino cites key role of media in May polls

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday called on the media to give Filipinos a “just, comprehensive accounting” of the May elections, emphasizing journalists’ responsibility the world over in nation-building.

“Media, and perhaps especially print media, have a special role to play before, during and after our elections—as they do at any critical time in your own countries. We Filipinos will need a just, comprehensive accounting of this historic time and you are in the best position to do that,” the President said before more than 200 journalists attending Publish Asia 2016.

The conference is an annual gathering of the Asian newspaper and news publishing industry where management and business issues faced by the news media are tackled.

Constantly upgrade skills

At a welcome reception for delegates on the night of March 29, Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, CEO and president of Philippine Daily Inquirer, said it was crucial for editors and news executives to constantly upgrade their skills and keep abreast of the latest media trends in a fast-changing media world.

“Hosting Publish Asia in Manila allows us to expose our staff to the most innovative media companies from Asia and the rest of the world and to disseminate new ideas and a culture of change in the whole company,” she added.

Emilio Yap III, vice chair of Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp., noted that the news publishing industry was undergoing radical transformation, evolving from a traditional single-print support to multiple digital platforms.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Publish Asia in Manila this year as this event offers a unique opportunity for Asian newspaper publishers to exchange information and collaborate in order to address the tremendous technology and business challenges we are facing,” Yap said at the welcome reception that his newspaper hosted.

Three-day conference

Mr. Aquino’s speech opened the three-day conference organized by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-Ifra), which represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries.

Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.

An hour late

Mr. Aquino was nearly an hour late at the event, explaining, when he arrived, that he was dissatisfied with the speech prepared for him that he had to do a last-minute revision.

As he is wont to do, the President did not hold his punches, criticizing the media for their sensational headlines, the blatant bias and the inaccuracies, saying that it is when media “blur the distinction between opinion and straightforward news-telling that your profession is endangered.”

But for the first time since the campaign began in February, the President addressed the role of media in the elections and made an earnest appeal for a sober coverage, noting that “more sensational candidates (are) featured more prominently than others.”

Burma poll coverage

Mr. Aquino expressed admiration over the election coverage in Burma (Myanmar), which he described as “undergoing a very significant transition,” after the country elected its first civilian president after decades of military rule.

“Print and indeed, all forms of media, can impair that transition by highlighting fears and unfounded speculation. The opposite path—what we are glad to be seeing—is that they have lent their support to this transition by highlighting the good news—by telling the truth about the people’s sentiments, their dreams and their efforts to realize that through democratic means,” the President said.

He said that “in a very real way,” media were “luckier” than the candidates in the Philippine elections as “by far and large, you—the press—already have our people’s trust.”

“This alone reflects the magnitude of your responsibility to wider society: to disseminate information, instead of speculation; to foster higher levels of discourse, instead of becoming a rumor mill; to empower citizenries and nations, instead of tearing them down,” the President said.

Greater good

“It is my deepest hope that you will never forget this—that, whether in the Philippines or elsewhere in the world, you live and work accordingly, with the greater good of the public in mind.”

While he took stock of the new media forms, Mr. Aquino urged the media to overcome the limitations they faced in disseminating information.

“Dissemination does not matter so much as your most basic responsibility, which is to deliver information—information that the people can trust, that can lead to fruitful discussions on issues of national and global importance, and that can even lead to positive transformation. This is the value and the service that you must provide,” the President said.

He expressed concern over the lack of “any set standard” for new media, giving as an example the sensational headlines and publishing only parts of an article as a “clickbait.”

“Over the years, I have increasingly wondered about this trend, in light of the fact that print’s greatest advantage is that it can tell the complete story, whether in one article, or in a series, and have that read by a still-strong readership,” the President said.

“For instance, today, I am certain that you find yourselves increasingly read by citizens from all around the world. This is perhaps due to the fact that many nations are increasingly turning to our region, viewing us as wellsprings of opportunity for collective growth.