CERTAIN news personalities have earned much-coveted broadcast awards on top of big paychecks and diehard viewers and fans, so much so that ordinary folk sometimes consider them demigods, taking almost everything they say on TV as gospel truth.
Lately, however, some veteran newscasters on their radio/TV programs have taken on a different mode—promoting and advertising various products, displaying them for all viewers to see. How are they different now from paid hacks?
While there is no law stopping broadcasters from moonlighting, they should remember that they belong to a different breed of professionals where principles and ethics are supposed to be the guiding force. Once these are compromised, expect the deterioration of the credibility and work quality of these news personalities.
BENJIE GUERRERO, Diliman, QC