Cebu Citizens-Press Council

Politicians question media spin
Editors welcome news sources’ comments, request proof to back complaints vs. journalists

By Karlon N. Rama
Sun.Star Cebu, September 26, 2009

A CONGRESSWOMAN and an election hopeful urged the media in a forum Thursday to correct how spin doctors are affecting coverage and how journalists themselves slant the news in favor of “the other side.”

“It happened to us,” Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz said at the Cebu Citizens-Press Council meeting last Thursday at Cebu Marriott Hotel.

The congresswoman of Cebu Province’s sixth district cited how she once sent a press release to three newspapers but only two ran the story “as is.” The third, she said, edited the story and gave more weight to the comment of the other party in the story.

Businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr., for his part, said some reporters took to calling the allegedly overpriced computers earlier bought by the Lapu-Lapu City Government as “workstations” in their stories.

The term, he said, gave the impression that the units were actually worth the amount the city government spent despite official findings that they were overpriced. He said the reports with the reference began appearing after the city hired a spin doctor.

“Our policy is to get the other side and subject the story to our editorial evaluation,” said Atty. Pachico Seares, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Cebu, in response to Ruiz’s claim.

He explained that if the other party’s comment is more relevant, then the paper will naturally give it more prominence.

Isolde Amante and Eileen Mangubat urged aggrieved parties to “show proof” so steps can be taken by the individual news organizations concerned.

Amante is Sun.Star Cebu managing editor for news while Mangubat is Cebu Daily News publisher.

Meanwhile, the CCPC has approved the commission of a study, to be conducted by mass communication students from at least two Cebu City-based schools, which will look into how newspapers cover the 2010 election.

A similar study was done during the 2007 polls and part of the aim of the new study is to determine if the observations taken during the last one have been corrected.

The CCPC also adopted a recommendation that news organizations begin drilling their reporters in election procedures as earlier as now for the polls in May next year. This measure “just can’t wait,” said Seares, who is also executive director of the CCPC.

Pelaez, during the forum hosted by the Cebu City Marriot Hotel, cited ethics.

He said some media practitioners double as PR workers and lamented that those who do not have the money to hire them “can never have the last word on issues.”

Mangubat, in reaction, said the policy at her paper is to have those journalists resign.

On the other hand, broadcaster and lawyer Ruphil Bañoc, station manager of radio dyHP, says he reshuffles the assignment of his reporters whenever he notices reports that seem to slant towards a particular party.

But PR specialist Alex Uypuanco, who attended the forum on behalf of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, said correct media handling isn’t about influencing reports but clarifying issues for the media.

He instead urged media to “show more of its investigating side rather than just its reporting side.”