The evolving role of media in public information and service

IT is undeniable that in recent years, media has increased its presence in social media. With this evolution of increasing platforms also came the increasing and evolving roles of media in public service.

Traditionally, the media has always been thought of as an entity in society expected to deliver the news as it is. But as the years went by, journalism has taken a sort of “guardian” role for the people. It is naturally critical, sometimes too harshly, of people in government. But this criticism is something that is well within the protection of the constitutional right to free speech and of the press.

More recently, we have seen how social media has slowly taken over the previously preferred arenas of public discourse. We can see that even the mainstream media industry has shifted and made good use of social media platforms to achieve the ends of journalism.

With the convenience given by technology through social media has also come the accessibility of “distant” media personalities to the public. Through social media, the public can now, in real time, comment and even make their concerns known to the public and relevant personalities. It is no wonder that nowadays the public expects the media to be more responsive and to be more receptive to complaints that they wish to bring to the attention of government and public officials.

This has also paved the way for the rise of non-traditional media personalities who have now taken the social media space by storm. Vloggers are now opinion makers that continually shape the thinking of the public, especially the young. This is perhaps the cost of modernization and technological advancements in the space of public discourse which we all need to accept, and especially for those in power to be heard using these more modern platforms.

In the past, all developments in media platforms have been instrumental in our progress as a people. The creation of the printing press ended the dark ages and the tyranny of faith and thought by the few beliefs of the religious and the political circles of the time. The mass production of the Bible opened the minds and hearts of the people to the revelation, power and creativity that God has in store for nations. The entry of the television in the living rooms of ordinary families made the July 20, 1969 moon landing a shared global experience by mankind. The same can be said for social media and other platforms which make individual opinions and views of ordinary people count in the public space with maximum impact.

And yet some who cannot accept these developments would still choose to pout and be upset by influencers whose opinions seem to affect many of their followers. In my humble opinion, we should not hate this development, instead we should all learn how to harness and find our voice in this new space.

I believe that it is the duty of all freedom-loving nationalists and caring Filipinos to ensure that they learn how to use the modern platforms available to them to let their voices be heard or, even more, help those who are in need. As these developments happen across the history of our lives, we are all duty bound to use it to benefit others in the world we live in.

It is for this reason that I am very pleased to share among my partners and friends with my new program “Rekta kay Atty. Belgica!” will be airing over Light TV Radio. Our pilot episode will air on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. over Light TV Radio at DZJV 1458 Radyo Calabarzon and DWZB 91.1 FM Palawan. Our show will also air at Channel 33 and Channel 20 and via livestream on the Facebook pages of Light TV Radio, Light TV God’s Channel of Blessings, and my personal accounts.

“Rekta kay Atty. Belgica!” will serve as an avenue for the public to directly talk with a seasoned lawyer and former public official about their problems, as well as receive direct assistance in mediating with government agencies or private companies that they have issues with. It is our hope that this program will reach as many of our kababayan in need as possible so that we can continue to be of service to them and to our country.