Journos urged to practice proper judicial coverage

DIFFERENT legal practitioners urged journalists to practice proper coverage of the judicial system in order to increase transparency and improve the performance of courts and administrative authorities.

Alternative Law Groups (ALG) national coordinator Marlon J. Manuel, in an interview during the Media Training on Monitoring the Judiciary held Friday, June 23, at the University of Mindanao-Matina Campus, said most journalists in the country are unacquainted on court coverage.

‘Uncovering the Courts,’ a series of grassroots trainings organized around the country under the project Hustisya Natin, seeks to "empower civil society participation in monitoring judicial and quasi-judicial bodies towards enhanced integrity of the justice system.”

Manuel said the project is centered on citizen involvement in monitoring the justice system, prioritizing the journalists as they have the access to the matters inside the three powers of the government - executive, legislative, and judiciary.

"When we say that media has to provide transparency of the government, it is not just limited on the executive and legislative administration. They also have to cover the processes undertaken inside the judiciary administration," he said.

Judicial system in the country, Manuel said, has not always been in the headlines as it does not often involve the public unlike the other two powers.

He also said that journalists are encouraged to provide depth and context in their coverage of the courts by translating the complexity of the justice system into terms that relate to citizens.

"We, as judicial people, notice that journalists only write about the final decision of a certain case. They should also be attuned on the process taken in reaching that decision," Manuel said.

He added that appointment of judges in the Supreme Court must also be covered by journalists to monitor the Judicial and Bar Council in choosing the final list of nominated judges.

The `Uncovering the Court' training is a threeand-a half-year project and was already conducted in Manila, Baguio City, Cebu City and Iloilo City. Next month, the project team will be heading to Cagayan de Oro City to conduct the last media training.

Manuel said they hope the project will help improve the justice system in the country and enhance the credibility and integrity of the court administrators and judges.