On media bias
Mr. Chairman, the discussion on whether ABS-CBN has violated the stipulations of its franchise and whether it will be allowed a new franchise to operate has become a long-grown issue, but, with all the allegations laid out before us, we still go back to the biggest, if not the most important, issue: that the broadcast company is guilty of biased reporting.
But, Mr. Chairman, can journalism be truly and completely free of bias? As human beings, our way of thinking and perceiving and our understanding of the world are inherently influenced by the kind of culture, environments, and society we grew up in. These factors affect how we come to our decisions and our judgment, almost unconsciously. Therefore, even if a journalist strives to remove all impartiality in delivering news and information to the public, personal judgment shaped by these elements still play an integral part in deciding how to present the news and information, however unconsciously. And if that were the case, Mr. Chairman, then ABS-CBN is as guilty as any other media network whose news reports are an amalgamation of the information, details, and facts that their journalists have decided to include or omit.
The American Press Institute, Mr. Chairman, recognizes the inevitability of bias in journalism, stating that in the right circumstance, bias need not be a bad thing. It can help make information more understandable, lending humanity to facts and even prompting to right a wrong. It is, therefore, important for journalists not only to acknowledge its existence but also to learn to manage it through remaining objective in testing data and materials so as not to let their biases undermine the accuracy of their work.
Mr. Chairman, it has been more than two months since the screen of ABS-CBN has gone dark, something that hasn’t happened since 1972. Still, the discourse on whether the company is, indeed, guilty of the alleged violations thrown its way seems to be nowhere near over. It is within reason, Mr. Chairman, that we exercise due diligence in our scrutiny, but as ABS-CBN is being condemned, for preference and prejudice, we must also be careful to ensure that personal biases are not coming into play.
Mr. Chairman, it is easy to turn to the word “bias” when a particular report is unsavory or disagreeable, but it is the job of the media as a fundamental part of the democratic society to bridge the gap between the government and the Filipino masses by providing timely and accurate information no matter how hard it is to stomach.
More so, it is the media’s duty to be an avenue where the public may freely relay their concerns, needs, ideas, and criticisms, and if in this rigorous and prolonged deadlock we currently have with ABS-CBN, which has time and again refuted and disproved the allegations of violations thrown against it, we are keeping the broadcasting company from doing its duty to the Filipino people, then we, as representatives of our constituents and of the whole country, practically fail to do ours.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.