IT IS bad enough when trolls are let loose upon media reporting on the disastrous preparations of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) for the 30th SEA Games.
It becomes ridiculously unacceptable when the officials responsible for the disaster resort to bashing media as well, as if the reports on their shortcomings were to blame for the disaster.
Just this Tuesday afternoon, Phisgoc COO Ramon Suzara called out media for what he described as continuously negative reporting, asking to publish instead positive reports and project the country in a good light.
The NUJP wishes to remind Mr. Suzara that the duty of the press has always been to report things as they are, based on verifiable facts, and not to pander to anyone’s perception of what is, or should be.
Attempting to dictate how the media should report the news has no place in a democracy.
The truth is, even if media chose to distort the image, this would do nothing to hide the gargantuan mess the whole world already knows about.
If anything, shining the light of truth on the state of the SEA games preparations can only help ensure that our nation and people be spared from being so humiliated in the future.
For this, we laud the community of independent Filipino journalists who have insisted on reporting on what is happening without fear or favor, despite the heavy online harassment and trolling.
Mabuhay ang malayang pamamahayag!
(Statement of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Nov. 27, 2019)
Because it’s there
WHY DOES (sic) Philippine media always give bad news about your country? – Korean Media
Because it is there. Duh!
You don’t want anything bad published?
Don’t do it. Duh, duh.
