Press freedom
The rejection of the ABS-CBN franchise is a blow to press freedom.
Press freedom in this country has always been a history of constant struggle to push the boundaries of a free press. And whatever constricts a free press, in whatever form or manner, sets back press freedom.
Press freedom is never about constrictions. Press freedom is always about a free press having fewer boundaries, so our constitutionally-guaranteed free speech rights bloom.
Such clear definition, however, does not mean irresponsible use of free speech. Enough laws and competent courts are available to address those concerns, with the caveat that prior restraint cannot be exercised on what can or cannot be reported.
In the case of ABS-CBN, the country’s largest broadcast network, its broadcast news arm has been severely constricted and restrained. The broadcast news arm literally losing its ability to report news or have commentaries on free-air TV for lack of a franchise.
The constriction, therefore, is clearly a matter of press freedom.
Such constriction, too, is not a matter of eccentric or partisan opinion. In its 3 to 6 July National Mobile Phone Survey, the Social Weather Stations says more than a majority of Filipinos, 55 percent, agree that the non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise is a major blow to press freedom.
Nevertheless, attempts are being made to dismiss press freedom concerns. Many other issues, of course, hound the franchise controversy. But press freedom is our immediate concern here.
One often cited attempt to belittle the press freedom issue is the one put up by no less than National Artist F. Sionil Jose. Mr. Jose nonchalantly says the closure of the network does not “mark the end of press freedom” since “hundreds of TV and radio stations and broadsheets will continue to purvey news and views.”
Sionil continues with: “And there is the omnipresent social media wide open to both idiot and intellectual.
In fact, the removal of this media giant will contribute to the levelling of the playing field and the strengthening of democracy.”
Mr. Jose, however, is fudging. Out of the hundreds of TV stations, the disenfranchised ABS-CBN had
11 “originating” stations out of
69, had 14 relay stations and eight affiliate TV stations.
That’s a big chunk of information machinery gone.
In short, it’s not really about hundreds of media outfits that are left. Rather the point is, for press freedom to thrive further we need to add more free press outlets instead of subtracting. The more the better.
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In the case of ABS-CBN, the country’s largest broadcast network, its broadcast news arm has been severely constricted and restrained.
Mr. Jose is also confident about social media. The nonagenarian writer can be excused here as he may not have kept abreast with how social media is being used by bad actors to wreck not only legacy media outlets by assaulting its credibility, but also our fledgling democracy.
Enough here to cite echo chambers and social media bubbles where only one story, concept and viewpoint are repeated over and over again, leading to intolerance for divergent views and the collapse of democratic consensus.
Meanwhile, another excuse is being proffered by Malacañang. Press freedom isn’t an issue in the ABS-CBN case as the network is more into the entertainment business rather than into the news business, says the Palace.
Granting TV networks do have more entertainment programs than news programs, the fact is that, in the history of Philippine broadcasting, news programs had always been there along with the entertainment programs.
Perhaps, a little media literacy lesson helps. Broadcast networks, including radio, historically took their general form from the newspaper. But while a newspaper doesn’t need a franchise and no law can be passed abridging its hard-won freedoms, free-air TV is limited by its use of radio frequencies.
Radio frequencies are limited resources and only government can give out those frequencies, hence, a franchise.
Free-air TV broadcast format is similarly structured like a newspaper, usually having so-called sections ranging from the news section to the sports page.
Broadcast media, however, is forced to extend its entertainment functions because the only way for people to be glued to TV is entertainment. This fact attracts advertisers, and advertising revenues is the only major source of broadcast earnings and survival.
All these are commonplace. But there is need to reemphasize media literacy. It was shocking to see congressmen, during the franchise hearings, getting away with their feigned ignorance of how media works, its role and on the larger issue of press freedom.
What, for one, were they getting away with? To my mind these wily congressmen painted an egregious picture that media is so unfair, so much so press freedom should be curtailed!
But the fact is, print and broadcast media, particularly after being shackled during the Marcos era, have always taken an adversarial and critical role when it comes to government affairs and the work of public servants. Government dodos should live with that.
“For
press freedom to thrive further we need to add more free press outlets instead of subtracting. The more the better.