THIS has become a time where freedom of expression is mired with malice and the truth is multi-layered with confusion.
This is the time where the role of the press in Philippine society gets a frontline in criticism from the public. This is also the time when despite being barraged with thousands of information every day, the public is getting more ignorant instead.
Perhaps the Philippine press has failed the public? Perhaps, the core institutions – both in the textbooks and field practice – have failed to fill the gap in educating the public about the importance of a free press and objective reporting? Perhaps the press people’s ego is so bloated to the point of closing its doors to public criticisms?
Misinformation is spreading everywhere, produced from both the Anti and Pro. This is partly because these are being used to advance an agenda and this is also because the public had no idea. Sometimes, because the public begin to “distrust” the press because of fears that it is being used by the powers-that-be.
It has come to a point that the press, or the media, is being attacked for simply reporting what needs to be reported – for being accused of irresponsibility and biased agenda. Or is it also because the reportage skills failed to let the public understand the reason why there needs to be constant scrutiny for check and balance?
Now we hear stories of shutting, gagging the rights of others to speak, to express. We hear stories of aggressive behaviors against those who speak on what they believe in. We are beginning to see, yet again, how the suppression of dissenting opinions and some would only want one opinion to prevail.
This is the time where it is not enough to listen at one angle alone but to see the whole story from its beautiful parts even down to its ugliest pits.
(nefluczon@gmail.com)
