‘Biased media and biased reporting’

In telling us what is happening around the world, the media serve as a messenger. They pass on to us messages and information. They are a friend of the people—that is, until they start giving us “biased news” or wrong information, in which case they become our antagonist.

I may not be a mass communication or journalism graduate but I know that the media should not mislead us. They should help us get to the truth. They should give us the right information.

Nowadays, some Philippine news agencies or TV networks seem to have forgotten and no longer practice the principles of responsible journalism. I think they are more focused on making good business and on capturing the public’s attention and on raising their ratings. Bad journalism.

Giving biased news or wrong information could create, among our people and in the international community, negative perceptions about our own country. Like what happened in the recent Asean meeting in Laos where lots of reports about President Duterte and US President Barack Obama engaged in a sort of spat came out.

Some of these reports carried malicious titles or captions against President Duterte, or injected “double meanings.” Yes, they did capture the public’s attention but at the end of the day they were not helpful and beneficial to our country. What is frustrating is the way they wrote about or covered “Duterte events” which created confusion.

I know that the media should not be one-sided, but you can  see a hint of bias in their coverage and reporting. Biased in the sense that their news stories lead us to question our own government because they are based on false information or unverified social media postings.

I am not against the media. I just want to express my frustrations with what is happening to some “messengers of truth.” I value the importance of news, the sacrifices media people go through just to get and relay to us the news. So, I won’t let the “dirty and biased media” ruin the reputation and efforts of media people who do their job well and in a principled way.

—ANNA FELICITY F. LUNA, [email protected]