Media Ethics and the Mindanao Crisis in the Philippines
by Reporting on a culture other than one’s own presents tremendous challenges to a mass media practitioner, even to a recognized veteran in the profession. The task becomes even more daunting when the mass media practitioner is reporting on the day-to-day events of a long drawn-out conflict between majority and minority cultural communities. A mass media practitioner’s ethnic biases tend to surface, despite carefully chosen words and politically correct terms.
This is because mass media practitioners are only human after all, and do not operate in a social or cultural vacuum. Like many other professionals, mass media practitioners are shaped largely by the norms and standards of their own culture.
Mass media portrayal of Mindanao has promoted a negative image of the Muslims as among the residue of the earth. Bandits, kidnappers, corrupt politicians, and all other undesirable characters in society are invariably associated with the Muslims of the southern Philippines. The majority of the Filipino population, basically Christians and steeped in generally negative reportage on a “troublesome” minority population like the Muslim, is expected to react adversely to any perceived favor or special treatment accorded the latter.
In her article entitled “The Other Face of Mindanao,” Gina Mission said that “Mindanao is portrayed as a war zone and that for the uninitiated; it is easier to visualize an island at war than go to the place and see for one’s self the validity of such a description.” Mass media practitioners seem to think of news from Mindanao only in terms of violence, conflict, and crime. Such mass media coverage gives the public impression that there is a full-blown “war” on going in Mindanao. As a result, mass media practitioner’s portrayal has prevented and investors and developers to step forward because they get scared by what they read in the papers.
Since the so-called “war in Mindanao” started, the island has caught the mass media’s attention. It has consistently been in the headlines. Banner stories range from robbery, shootouts, military ambushes, and kidnapping incidents to the more sober peace talks and “failed ceasefire.” Headline photos also show the fatalities of “war”, women and children taking up arms, and military and insurgents in full battle gears and in combat position.
Based from a data released by the Growth with Equity in Mindanao, a non governmental organization working towards accelerated economic growth in Mindanao and ensuring that the benefits of growth are widely distributed among its people, a lot of development activities are happening in Mindanao, yet it is only the insurgency problem that gets reported.
Instead of reporting events associated with Mindanao with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Muslims as a people, mass media practitioners of whatever faith or conviction incite those on the other side of the fence to defend or attack.
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Post CommentMa. Lorena Gorpido Sebastian
On July 2, 2008 at 9:32 am
It was an interesting article!
Being a media practitioner is really a somber one. After reading the piece of writing, I realized that a media practitioner must have an adequate knowledge on what they are going to thrash out in their article or in their news report. Not only that, a media practitioner must also be vigilant in what he would inscribe about the issue. One must select the right words that will really fit the following cases. They should also be specific in terms of places and datelining. These are some of the things a media practitioner must bear in mind.
I understand why some media practitioners choose to publish or report some of the negative happenings in the Muslim society. We must remember that they are only doing their job. It is a matter of giving reliable information to the public, but they must also know the effects it may cause. Being cautious is really a must in mass media practitioner.
I like the article a lot. God bless.