Journalists can fall into any of three kinds of silence. First is the silence of the lambs when one can be so meek and yellow to stand up; the second is the silence of Judases when one chose to sell out; and the third is that of the unbowed — a volcano ready to erupt.
I reaped this essence from the heart of the homily by Most Reverend Pablo Virgilio David, Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando, Pampanga, at the mass for journalists he said at the Holy Rosary Parish Church, Angeles City on December 9, 2009. It was a mass in observance of the Global Day of Action which addressed the November 23 Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao where at least 30 of the 58 victims were media workers.
The homily saw print in this daily last December 10 and it penciled the dank of a profession which requires countless and irregular working hours with merciless deadlines (and pays too little, if I may add.)
Bishop Ambo David’s right, a profession it is that can be all consuming. It forces practitioners to light the candle in both ends. One end can be the resolve to sincerely deliver the news that usually pays a pittance, and the other end is to simply dish out undeserved paeans if not outright lies which more often earns a bundle. This is but one among many that can both ways burn you to ashes without hope of phoenix-like rising again. Can the Ampatuan Massacre be such kind?
That a journalist ought to address his/her job with utmost “objectivity” becomes difficult when the state pays but lip service to his/her role as the fourth estate, and refuses to create for him/her the wherewithal of three square meals. It becomes doubly difficult in an environment when the guns that let grow political power serves but a “blessed” few, and when with their unlimited resources these privileged ones move the fulcrum farther from the less “blessed.”
So, we journalists have buried our dead – but with our own martyrs now going over a hundred how easy would it be getting over our grieve — when the breath of the elements of the profession are those you see wasted?
Maybe, just maybe a partial answer to these is that the November 23 Movement, an ardent mix of jaded veterans of the Philippine press, a handful of mid-aged ones who are not known to spouse any advocacy save to practice in the context of the fourth estate, and a younger line of practitioners who are steadfast in the march for journalism committed to serve past the boundaries of the fourth estate — have shouted, “WE HAD ENOUGH!”
These three journalists ranks elected to move as one last Wednesday 9th December, and off to Mendiola they marched, to throw their questions straight to the top, where the prima resident is said to have gained much through the patronage of many feudal, political princeps. The movement was able to harness the support of over two thousand others including the cause oriented.
Bishop Ambo’s homily is an inspiring read, yes read. I was not in front of the Holy Angel University Gate 2 morning of last 9th December when 30 of my colleagues here in Pampanga marched from the mass said by Bishop Ambo and was stopped by policemen.
Who would’ve guessed Madam Gloria Arroyo was in an unscheduled visit for the blessing of a chapel (!!!) inside the nearby university?!?! Hmmm…. Besides, the global march had been scheduled early enough and Madam Gloria’s name media colleague swore was not even at the university program!
The homily heard — furthered the earlier resolve of a rare combined representation of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, Pampanga Press Club, Society of Pampanga Columnists, Central Luzon Media Association, Angeles City Press and Radio Club, Pampanga Tri-media Association and a local chapter of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas to link up arms to the call of the global day of action in quest of ‘Justice for slain journalists and for all victims of Ampatuan massacre.’
The homily is an inspiring read as I was not at the Holy Angel’s gate, not by corporeal presence, despite my ardent wish to be, when my colleagues chose to shout off their kind of silence.
But like most if not all of them I share the utopia that Bishop Ambo drew from St. Thomas More (himself a journalist.) A Utopia, a Shangrila, a no place, – a vision of an all encompassing knowledge that requires no deadlines and none will have to be martyred for it – a volume that necessitates neither laser print outs nor opaques.
Ah, that’s just lighting the whole thing a bit. But Bishop Ambo’s homily said it can be made flesh even by those who are tired of carrying heavy load, if only one can come to HIM whose burden is light.
It is something I sincerely wish too for those despite the muck that abound can only offer bucolic silence – or even a Judas silence, with or without the next election which is but four months around.
I wish not to be a Bruno Giordano who in 1600 was burned as a heretic. But I shall always wish to speak out my silence – the third kind too.
And it pains me to say our Utopia, our Shangri-la is yet devoutly to be wished.
I reaped this essence from the heart of the homily by Most Reverend Pablo Virgilio David, Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando, Pampanga, at the mass for journalists he said at the Holy Rosary Parish Church, Angeles City on December 9, 2009. It was a mass in observance of the Global Day of Action which addressed the November 23 Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao where at least 30 of the 58 victims were media workers.
The homily saw print in this daily last December 10 and it penciled the dank of a profession which requires countless and irregular working hours with merciless deadlines (and pays too little, if I may add.)
Bishop Ambo David’s right, a profession it is that can be all consuming. It forces practitioners to light the candle in both ends. One end can be the resolve to sincerely deliver the news that usually pays a pittance, and the other end is to simply dish out undeserved paeans if not outright lies which more often earns a bundle. This is but one among many that can both ways burn you to ashes without hope of phoenix-like rising again. Can the Ampatuan Massacre be such kind?
That a journalist ought to address his/her job with utmost “objectivity” becomes difficult when the state pays but lip service to his/her role as the fourth estate, and refuses to create for him/her the wherewithal of three square meals. It becomes doubly difficult in an environment when the guns that let grow political power serves but a “blessed” few, and when with their unlimited resources these privileged ones move the fulcrum farther from the less “blessed.”
So, we journalists have buried our dead – but with our own martyrs now going over a hundred how easy would it be getting over our grieve — when the breath of the elements of the profession are those you see wasted?
Maybe, just maybe a partial answer to these is that the November 23 Movement, an ardent mix of jaded veterans of the Philippine press, a handful of mid-aged ones who are not known to spouse any advocacy save to practice in the context of the fourth estate, and a younger line of practitioners who are steadfast in the march for journalism committed to serve past the boundaries of the fourth estate — have shouted, “WE HAD ENOUGH!”
These three journalists ranks elected to move as one last Wednesday 9th December, and off to Mendiola they marched, to throw their questions straight to the top, where the prima resident is said to have gained much through the patronage of many feudal, political princeps. The movement was able to harness the support of over two thousand others including the cause oriented.
Bishop Ambo’s homily is an inspiring read, yes read. I was not in front of the Holy Angel University Gate 2 morning of last 9th December when 30 of my colleagues here in Pampanga marched from the mass said by Bishop Ambo and was stopped by policemen.
Who would’ve guessed Madam Gloria Arroyo was in an unscheduled visit for the blessing of a chapel (!!!) inside the nearby university?!?! Hmmm…. Besides, the global march had been scheduled early enough and Madam Gloria’s name media colleague swore was not even at the university program!
The homily heard — furthered the earlier resolve of a rare combined representation of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, Pampanga Press Club, Society of Pampanga Columnists, Central Luzon Media Association, Angeles City Press and Radio Club, Pampanga Tri-media Association and a local chapter of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas to link up arms to the call of the global day of action in quest of ‘Justice for slain journalists and for all victims of Ampatuan massacre.’
The homily is an inspiring read as I was not at the Holy Angel’s gate, not by corporeal presence, despite my ardent wish to be, when my colleagues chose to shout off their kind of silence.
But like most if not all of them I share the utopia that Bishop Ambo drew from St. Thomas More (himself a journalist.) A Utopia, a Shangrila, a no place, – a vision of an all encompassing knowledge that requires no deadlines and none will have to be martyred for it – a volume that necessitates neither laser print outs nor opaques.
Ah, that’s just lighting the whole thing a bit. But Bishop Ambo’s homily said it can be made flesh even by those who are tired of carrying heavy load, if only one can come to HIM whose burden is light.
It is something I sincerely wish too for those despite the muck that abound can only offer bucolic silence – or even a Judas silence, with or without the next election which is but four months around.
I wish not to be a Bruno Giordano who in 1600 was burned as a heretic. But I shall always wish to speak out my silence – the third kind too.
And it pains me to say our Utopia, our Shangri-la is yet devoutly to be wished.
