lha lav 10 Your Bright FUlure.

The UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST

GRADUATE SCHOOL ~I;1fIBusi'nes;sAdmnislri!ti8nl (OOA) MIJjOr'S ~ Fi nanctal Man a gem ent, Human Resource Maf1agement, M.(lrket'iog Mcmagement. PrMuCtiM/Op@tal:ions Management

Master in Busln.es!S Aa.min,is.tration (1M1lA) E~eol;~[jve Pmg ram/N Dn· Th es i~, Regultlr Program/With TheSis.

Reg u la r Prog r a m/Non - Thesl 5

Mastel' in Construction Ma nagel1lellt (MCM) Exetuti~' e P rag ram/ N a 11- Til esl s,

Regular program/W ttl Thesi5

HaiOteror Artli in Teacill'ip'!J (MAT)

Majors: BicOlogy, EngliSh, filipino, I-IJSIDry. Matti e mati CS. PhyslC.[l I c'd uca tlo n, Political Sdence

Ma5l\er of Arts in Education (MAl'

MajOrs: educational Adrrunlstratlon f,lnd Leadership, library Science, EngliSh as a S!!coM Language, Guidance

Doctol' of Ed'llciltlOIll (E.d,'D,'

MiljOI'; Ed ucat i~ n ~ I Adm i ni s~~ati on ol!I nd Leadership

M:lister in Public AGmll'llstrMlon (MPA) Plan A/Wlth Thesis;

Plan Btrojon·ThesiS but with r-1aj'or: Human ResoLJn::~ M!IlMgemeflt, "'sca P..dmlnlstr.!-tiO[l, or Public Policy and Program Mministr<ltion

Ma~r IlIf Sl:iem:e: (tileS)

MajOr In Environmental Science Malter In Library <! pd Inf'ormiltiiQn Scienc:e (MillS)

(OlLEGE OF LAW BitchelQr '!Jf LaW5 (IU8)

COU,EGE OF PEtmSI!!!'"l{ {Level n ,,"cered ited}

DcdDr of Dental Ml!ldirji'lei (DMD') Associatflln i-lealtl:l,$cience E~h.lCiloo~{IIJiSiE)

(a ' ..... o-veer Pre'OentiJstry course)

J\1ANlLA CMIPUS

2219 C. 11. Recto Avenue, .i\Ianlla

,COllE'GEOF DiJ!lii~S ADJI1iNISIMJIQl\I Bad'I~tolt'O'fSclencc fn AOeoUl'ltil1l1CV (EISA')

Bachelor of Sef;e".ce in 8U5l'1I1e5!i -

AdministratiDn (MBA) tLeyt;!t II Accredited) MajOrs; Financial Management, BIJsfne5S Economics, 6I,JsineS5 ManagemE:nt, MOIrke~lrlg Mana gil! rnant, M.21nag~ment Accounting

85M {~anilgement)·S~.a1 Begl'eE! Program (for entrepreneurs or executives in private enterprises or gOllern rnent, o r fQ r offiQers In the AFP, withOlUt a o;I-lre.~e. degr~e.)

A:55lDciate in Business Admirl[~Iit,ation (ABA)

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIEINlQES (Le1,le I II A.cc.rediterl)

AU, ,8roadta:rt COmmu.I'Ih::lItllolllJ g,].oumallsm

Bac;lhelnr of Arts (.AB)

Majors: ccooom cs, 'Engllstl" Flflpino, l"IistQry, lI1tematiCiT1 .. 1 St~ies (ArBors d' Sproalizat.oo; Ameri.can 5~udr~s, China Studies), legal Ma flag:~fI1el'lt, Plolltlca! Science, 50~i 01 ogy

liIa,meb:n of 'Sdenee' (e..s)

Majors: BiolOgy, litl'l"aT'I' ~ M InrormaWm Sciend!, Mathe,m&tlcs, Phyoslcs, Psycnolo£lY, Statistics

Short~efm Program IBading to a C~rtific3te D'F PrOfiCiency in: English, rlllplno, i"oElkleneSe, M a ndarl n, r.J ih,l;mgo r 5 pa nl~h C-OlllllOlrtCente'r C~l"I:ificate Program

C01.LEGEQF EINGINEE:RING ~QfScien~ in CliViIEngineering (&sOC) 8adhHlo~ of Sdence in electrical Engineering

(&SeE)

Bilc:he!~~ofStienQe UIII Electf\l!]nie!!,~l1I.d CQmmun'iealli:OnlS ~ngln;eetln.g (BSECiE) IN5T11ft1TIE OF TECHNICAL E'I)~CAT~:ON' Computer Te(;hn.ici'ln (twa-ye~r course) EI~bonic5 Technician (tv/o-vear course)

If lUlU.

2218 ,_ MI, R91ltlll AliI •• Manila 1111.735-85111135-5411 to 82

...... , .

IE 11:11.1111:11

115: Sa1lt011 Rillad. £31001l3n I~Wly 181. 367·1181

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QQLL~~'OF Q;;U"IpUTER STUDIES ANljHil\"mMS

B,u;lnelgr of Sden~~ in CQmput.er ScienillE! (BSCS) (L,evel 11 Accredited)

Bametor of Science 1ft Infmmal:ion 'feclmolD9V (&sIT)

Badie:tof of Sclellce in Information Milnag,emem: '(IB:SliM)

~{im:iail)i!! un. Computer Tedmolo!;l'Y ,(ACT) InfOrmation andl C-OI'I'm,uli~;;rtions Tel:imal09l1' (non-degree, ~t\Drt·te~m COUfS@S In MiCrn;soft ornce Xl', Windows 200(l/XP, w~bpag€ nevetcpmeot, Visl,J<l1 Sa'sic f'r(!ogrammjng, MS A(;~ess, ere.)

~I.I.IiGE' OF EDUCATION (level II Accredited)

B,I(:helllll" of SecOJildiU'II' I:d:t.lcation (SSSd) Majon;: Biology, Chernlstrv, PhysiC!i, Gener.al Science, English, Filiplno, History, Matti and PEfoIM, (a combination of PE, H,~alth fcilJcatiQn <lnd Music), Guirlanee and: Counseling. Horne Economics.

Co rnpute r Ed ucauon

,Bach:t2llo~ of, elf!il:'U~:n1tllty Edlil"ca:tion, ('B EEd) wkh areas of specia~i7;ation in English, ",ljpinQ, Horne 'EconomiCS ,:md Technology. Math, PE, science and Health, Soo.lI ShHlles, Pre-school or Early Childl'lOod 6I;Il,Jc;I tion, Gu id~nc(! an [J C-ounsell rtlll III EI ~rn!!;n ta rv t.eve I

Biu:helor o.f Soience in Ni!!l,tritionl .m,d Dietetics (BSf'Ulo)

Ciernifi~ i~ Pl'OfeS!SJona~ i:chu::ation (CPE) Also offers EII'ementoirv allld High School eOllICOItjolll

__ I!!!!!!!!!!III!!!!!!!IIIIII _

IIJE Manil,a - granted Deregulated status b,y the Commission on Hi,gher Education

UE III.IIDJI JlUUYIIJ 1.f.II~At .EDI~'ll CEITE. Allrmr,a lBilU]II'~lt.,((, Q IZQII Cill Till. WiI~I.: 116,·08&1 I m·3315, • ••• I •• l'iII.".

II iTlll(H!!iI~ ~~Ath!'~k:s Agil i astt he Pw'es:s ,!III1,d Oth e rilll're;'ll$· to Pr~:s:s F~eedo m

Prom critic to cheerleader

1\lii Press Succumb~ to Th.a.k~~n"~ Pn=SSUI'~ _._._._. ._._. ._._._._. ._ ~.

~r:i,; j.i""i.i"" "f1.:ai/tl"",

CO\"'"e !Utg the .-\.t;:e h Con fikt

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Despirc dcmoc.mIi7-'l1tiOI"l.~1l C~mb(ldill.

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No debate, I~O di~cu~sion .-.-.--.-.-.-.--.-.-.-.--.-.-.-.-.- ",".-.-.-.- -.-.-,-,- -.-.".

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Indurn.tsi:1,

1\' Stl'L!iotl~ Ca~h [n <I.rn C~mp:ljgn Commercials ..

'WirrufDpfJlUb lJaI4ru, .hffli»WiA -

1li.e 1fidill1 Me dig

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R.1dhib .MSlktrj~ InJ~

Elections 2004

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Cfflm for MMi!t F~l/t mM &ip~1I.1i.bN;l)I.. Philippifj~

n

ON! il"HE C<}VER

Over a billr-on Asia n5 11.0' tQ tile' 1l01~5 ~1Ii1$ year. 1111 me ny eo untries the praDlenos Il Fe lhes:a me': an emp!laSI S Oel ~rsQn;!l hti es .tIlliidl pE!llronag,e iJ'Ol'itiCS in lli eo cam POlil1/l$ ~h.erml.elves as well as ~n the media,

C'O'ie1f ~!1~8tf,31~O~ tl11ililmer All~a,&~<!8

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IlIlJOOSHElll.

MEU~IM Q[ '[tm)O, DE I~~LrtI

EIlrmli_

LUI:> V. 1r'tOOORQ

[1)IHIRYil AS:SIS1"ANT EVELVN 0_ I0.TICMf(

25

33

'HOARD OF AlIlVISERS

F.UCEKIA AI'O!ITOL (Pm';N"m~ liir"I"Kl~U~LAI i k11t'>A..n.t~[)JA (l~"l!lin) IV.vr Cit('(l.ll8K1TT.oNOIDI (11JdiltiJ,J,/j

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DBIG'N 'C>Il:NSUlUANIT ARNEl. RrI~L

1"hi~ IH~"'I i.<:Mit'1! "'it,;l. m~de ~,~ib~e c",jdt rhe slipp.:m (Of the fol!l(OIviil& W!,p~r:a[~ ~pOru<D.rs~

AJI~d &:Ill-;

U"ivc,,~ty Qf (h" ~i

:55

Jcllfrn8 I~ A51a is. ~ b)' ID!;! Cffi1ef tor MedIa ~ri3i3dam ~!Id lO:a_'bOlll!" (eM FO'l) fTO<T1

ilS ~e~~~.fUe'$ .~~ ~he Ateneo P.-.ofdSiOm~1 St;I1oal~ 1.3p H";' de Ii!! CQgl8 SL. salo=:edO \IlIIB~ Ma~atj Crt)l. Pf1 DPlf1le'S. Far iOOI~lrla5, rln~ (iJS~) 84Q.OB39j840000:wS9413l1NS94-13:260,

ell1~~ kIIlfrJl!smJ:sUOQ.,Qe!.QJ)

• m:ITDR'S NOrn:

THE YEA R 2004 is l~kei.y to be one of the n~!(}St eri tical for the countries of Asia .. SIi:<i rting Ma rlCh ~ n

T a i~'.al"l(, millio.rui. of Asiansbegae going to the polls this year. The process-inV'o.~vi:ng an estimated 1 _2

billion [ner! an dwomen qUOltHied to vote - \,,,,in end in September, k'uth di.N~r~ pre:',sid,ent~t!.1 elections !n lndonesia and p.'1rl!<tlueHtOl"Y elections in Hong Kong. The voters, come from countries as diver~e in cujture and levels of dev'l'l~opl'nent as Afg,hai1Listm:l and Taiwan, India and South Kotl?<l, Sri Lanka and hTalaysia, ~he Pl~iUppines, HO.l"lgkong, ~donesia" <1:110 AustT,l'dm_

hi ~ua:ny cases ilie' elec [:jOI~:!l- Il'losH}' .~D.r parHa m~n!ary representa ~Ol\. but lncludi ng t'hr..ee ecunfries (IndonesLaJ, t:he Phillpplnes find Taiwan) inwhi.chl. voters have lbce:!lJ called upan to elect preside.nts - have been contentious, demonstra ting not .oinl~! ~h~ of'Le1"lbrrolld 1"11 nge of issues that dtvide Asian soctenes, but also H'lQ dum'lI~lj~ inhel"(H'l.t in Lhe gcroMh of fled g[tng or restored deLl1oocTOlxies.

LiiLUllUCh of Asi!rl E¥.l:irept Australia and h1Ldi1l,. delTIoc.racy is eit:h€[ a newphenomenon, or ruts only been .recentiy restored, But the \.ibrl'lncy of Asfan democracies and the seriousness with which Asians regal'd elections, show how dearly Asians understand whars, al Sol.'1ke-·and ~~e!v

exp Ia in such f~~enome:na ~ s the pO!i.H~reC'~ion rorbulet~.C'C'in T a.~""'ilI n, and the N~m!!$:S of the elecw!'a~ COi~t~$t j n ~he Phmrl,[nes- A~sta~e,aner i;)!lt ;ll\i! the rOl:!cles thOll wm sh<'lpt~ the des ~i~ ies of ]bcil I iOt'l5 of Asia nssn t!'IJP- context 0 f a c(om pie:>:: a rid d;;li~;g'l'!!'ous world.

ln these cireumsra noes, ~1'rI.e rele of U\E! mass i'I'1 ad ia as WOnlHlt.ion-givcet has assumed greater sig~"Lific.Oll'Lce. From mereareuthpieces of the authoritmia]'l reginres tha~ are nQWh!!lAmy in Sou th KOI1C('I, Jhlli~iI!.~d, lndones ia" and [he Ph H~ pp~ fiGS, tlw med ia <Ire t~J(loW cha r,g~d ~ ... Hh 1l1w D"C$P(lcTIS:i. bilHy of eIi'Il~.:mcil'g the c"'pOIxHy of 'thJi! Asian veter ~ rn.ab\:e the illf:Otl'l"Iced ChOl('es so criltiral. to ~~is or herfUJt]JI\~_

Gi:ve!'il the uneven d~~i1Icte, of Asian deve~orrnem, the WfI'I"IS of ~he resporu.ib~~ i ly of IDe m.<:lss med~a have va r.i~ frem ndb.!.re to cu.lture. But ,H the (ore of ~IhZll mspot1l!'l~bj]. io/ remams the imsjc on,e-OlS tn.te in "developed" socreHcs as in cieveLoping ones - of providil'i!g citizens the aCCUlrnl'l2, tlnro<ls(:'d. and (OIllp]ete information thO'it C.OIi,,! help them elect competeut and hones~ leaders.

As ~his iSS1H~ of JmmlijUsm Asia shows, hmvever, tn..lt 1\~ponsi~iI ity h!lJS rIOt been. as adeq llately dl5ch~rg~d a 5 the seriousness (ilf lhe eecasien \'1.'0) rrants, ]]1 many instances this has IX>eJ'l due to those:' Issues, so .ffam:iliOlJI' in 0 the:'f rt'glO!'t5 <IS \veH. ofp.rrtiSOlrL med ia ownership, and unproMss:iof!,Olii conduct as weU 015 tow sUUs levels among pta(tit~o!fl~n;,-pwblem;s often aggravated by the determined ,eff.o:riIs of the powerful to use them edia in furthering their pol i t:ica~ and ,eoo:rtomiC'ul~ 1:e!\~s,!S-

UIJLde-f (hese compl~x dn;urnst,wces, the tasks of mooia practi !iolTlersftecessari Iyill'ld~ d e a COJ]1l 111 i tltl E'~tt to the jmpi"O'Vcl'nWnt of thp- skins OIl'IId ethic,,1 col'i'\pl U,11[l ~ of ~hei ~ ooU~agl;lf'S. Bu ~ even 'l't'OIfe u tgeJ~ tllf dees it req !,Ji~e tt~ defense =:'I ncl enhanca rU(!,n'lt of rn eel 101 fr~adom.

The Ull'!!:!a!h~ to the ~I1IH:e'r a ee as rell~ <IS eve r, ! rI the Philuppille-s:, where press fl'eedm:n is pmlec~~d b~' 'llw Consu tulilo!', 2003 sa w the most :rIu mber of [eurua lis t'S assassina ~E.'d. since 11967. ]]'1 Th .. i,l,!]lJci, rite SOl me year ~\,'i'mec500d a,gg[e5Si\ie effo.rl5 by the governaneut ~o control the pr,es!S,~ ... rhlj]e in lndouesla tile conttnulng ethnic connie t bee .a me fue occasion .ffor the dea lh of a jou rnahst and the harassmen l of ma rliy othe.rs_ ln Ca mbodia, dernocra ~i2.9.· lion ~~II.S 1l0't pr'evenled govern men t ofHci1ll!> r rom s hrdla rly ha rassing jeu rna I ts lS, 'in son'H~ 'Lns~a noes (fVen bcriilg[l~g theIn .1:0 ceure,

And y~t, in Asia as H is ~lscwh~~'e, ~h~ Irnk beL'\!I>',ccn l~~e e)(erc!se' oJ democratic ]"jg~!:S~ of wh ich e~octio~~s a ro tift£'

!VI ()S~ pro~l il~efl~. expression - and 'the :;la!.C of thll' med la constsis of lhelllt~c!,lsbeirig the rrimary.S()mNiI11~ ~l\e only,so~_rre of reln<lblein.f@l1nOl.l1.on 01"1 the ~ssllesthal concern citizens, Among others, those iS5U es indude the public's need in d,emocratizing societies fOf info rmatio n on the!'! leadees UCI(:!!Y WQI,IM 'I!!~£la. ~I~ democrauaing Asia independent,. skm!C!d II nd ethh::'8Jl mcdta are no 100'1g,er a hJ:>Iu'1', bl!ll.t an urgel~~ m;:ocss.iltr.

VUlS V. TEOOo.RO Editor

• PUBliSHER'S NOTE,

-F-OR SOMf:ONE who has seen the last few decades of

_ politiCfI,] chenge in the PhiHppin~s ~nd otherparts of ... , the I'eglon, the role of the press In the current elections in Asiil begs to be reported, As the press, is indispensa ble as the so-called watchdog of pawer, media scm tiny nrust become pad andparcel or [he democracy watch_

Whiie l{Jurmrl i~m Asia serves :pl'iInarily as <:Ii review of the state of H1.e press .in the pI' vious year, keeping track of the critical issues and their' presentation as these were re(]ected i rI thenews: a Jolic of 11 rticles in this edition hers dose lab of the mecli<l in countries holding @J.e.clions· in 2004. These reports do look hack a t p~5t electoral axperience incountries as diverse as ~h~ Phihppine.s, Ma111ysia, India and Indonesia whiLe examining !:he role o.f the press in current poltucs, particularly in the people's selection of ueuonal leaders. The Asia watcher cannot but see the

ell rrent politicel season as a uruq lie poin't in the course of the region's history, These elections !:nay not occupy as limth space as that glven I:Q the US elecuons in the internetional media, But they herald prohabilities of change that mRY ha ve consequence'S for the rest of !:he world,

Those of us eJigaged in media stu dies iu the Philippines bew<li1 the paradox in the country's press profile, The press ln the coun tTy is free from. gove.rnment control and gains 21 h;~\'el o'f celeb.rity much like that seen in the entertainment business. Broadcast journalists play such a visible role that two comdidiite5 fur vice-president are former TV news lIncilol's, Even lower-ranking on-camera l'eporOO'~ bscome household names and. gBJin popular foll.Qwing_

L~ut the mp Side of the media coin shows seven journaltsts killed in 2003; with one [oumalist killed in. the fin;t quarter of this year - all of them working outside uf Metro Manila, Since 1986, there have h~~1i 44 journalists killed in the line cd dll Ly.

Few of these cases have been til ken to court for trial, Such a "culture of 'iIYlpi.mity'· undercuts the gains of the ballot Wlwre the police cannot find. suspects 01' allow them to esrape, where the justice systern seems helpless to prosecute; the rule of law is mostly lnyth,

As in other countries ill Asia, ihe cul ture o f power in lh(' Philippines Involves the use or violence, Polihcoll

campalgns rna y be f@s.tive and staged as enterta lnmen t,. but BJ casua Hy 001..1 nt reminds ev,er,'on,e of the prepond eren l use of guns. The KiUi[lgs of journalists in and out of war zones reflect sadly on the vulnsrebtltty of journal is 15 in the field. Wh.ere Wi1.f rages. they end upcouneed among the so-calledcollatera I damage. W here the loca lpowers rule their turf as watlords, C'rittCiI.J joureahsts tire moving targets fo:r hi.red assassins. Reports from Cambodta. Indonesia and the rhnippi]1,es des<:rU\lEl some of the most dangerous se-t~ings for press practice in Asia,

Democracy proceeds on uneven rerr.dn in the region, which males media scrutiny a nd press Olna1ysi5 so much more intdguing than me press isSUES, p.layed out in the West There ars votes east in places where the pres.s is largely controlled by politicians and political parttes. The ownership of the press represents vested mterests, for where' else can in vestments be- fOlll"l d when circu lation and aciveTtis:ing revenues cannot 5U5l~ in the costs of the enterprise. Asian countries have not developed the bases for ni.e press as an independent commercial enterprise and fmc so long, news organizanons are linked to more

pm.fi'ta ble endeavor ... Or are used to secure a pohtica I agenda,

ln a ye1rr when As]" t"I communities are choosing to retain or to change governments, the press and how it does its job cannot but be a ma tter of UI'gent concern,

How wen are people informed about those aspiring [or pubhe office? Can the plCess cut awa.y from. the commercial mold w]th stories favoring onlypersonellty and color, reducing reporting to mere peripatetic exercise? Can ~h(? press catch onto the promise of change and take up the issues that a new leader may v'lish to raise as a way of bl'eakJing away from the past?

Or is the press, the weak link in the cha in of ignorance f1ndm:isrinformatton ~hat hold& back so much progress LI~ Asia?

~~ "» ,~ ~ __../ .

~~::=7. -

MELINDA QUINTOS DE 1ESUS Publisher

________ ----;iruJma1ism;Ir.:.11-l

3,

.Atta c ksa ga in stth e' press

Ft10m critic to cheerleader

THAll P'RES,S

SUCCUMBS'TO THAKSIN,IS PRESSURE

By Ri(M;ariQ Liqiili~ical

_ __ ._._ _._._. __ ._

'THAUND

SELF-CENSO.RSI-UP eems to be ~e option of choice in the Thai medfa 'wd,ay" thanks tomntinum'g pn~SS'U:illl"e hom the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shillawa.b:a. and its friends in high places.

The pressurei.5, in tihe :form of advertising withdrawal lLry government agencies and big bU;5]1'IeSS from c:riticill media Olfg<'lnJizations, Or pFivat:e mtereatB,' ~.<Iik:in:g <'I stake' innewspapers, or .simply ~nlerfe.r·r ms; WI ,ed:itoria~ policy.

Empro'Yu~g a divide and rule strategy, thegpverrli.ll'1.1llnt ~pp~ars ~o have co-opted some amongll1i.e Thaim\edia, Snme new5pape~s and rnagazlnes ,!I.1\e" forced ~o tee U1e line :l1or elCpoedfency.

to its ennaal assessment of the' medi,~, the l'h!li J Q1,IrnaJi,slS· AS$Cido\\tioJl (HA) described 2003, a~ Ifte y~~!r the Thai media wa~ reined in OJ' the govel::rm.1.enlL

"J~]a\!'in:g to succumbto Thaksin government assectates' 2!idve.rtjs~ ment P!\esSUI'~ and subtle and

_jWllli.di""smau.· ·J:U.;l~w:laL· _

4

systern;atic ]itIte.rierem:e in media mechan:ism.,. the media resorted to seJf~censorship and restrained itself from. being cntil;a~ of the govermnenV' the T] A said.

TJA found that the withdrawal of advertisement in. newspapers by (he business assodales of powerful figu.res ~n the govertmtent had lntensiflsd 1:n order to quell rdH<ism. The budget wr govemment agencies' public rela tions has also been i.ru::rc!l5irngly used to ~ewam media lba~r-erm"t~d1 ~irI favor of the g9'Vf'rn.ment, it added_

MQ.r~ove:r, critical end balanced reporting was ~rl1.!lde diifn,cuU 'by th~ fact tllat news soueees themselees refrained. from ,g~ ving inro.rmabioFi or from being critical of gove.rlil" mant per'li"ormance for fear of ]osil'\g their jobs,

This glves ~he government 0lJ leew<!iY to "mormpoli2le pll:IIblic opinion", the journalises' assoelatiOl'L .. which has ,j! memberslilp 0,5 ],,;500 ropor~rsa:nd ,~dit"Qrs [:r-om print and broadcast, said,

SUb~le SUllen'

The goverll"'!iItlent has tak,~n 3J firm. re:in on media. via <'I ~,t!!'ategy mO.re $ubtle than. eutright censor-

ship .. b1i,]l t a]s<onlO~e dangerous, TJ A said_

This wa:s demOns,lriilt:ed by the pur-chasein 2'003 of 20 per cent of the Nation Gr-oup's, shares by the family of the secretary-generai of the ruling Thai. RlIk Thai party ..

"Desp]~ their derual OF interference in the media's adrrunistranon, this move inevitably demoralized staff and affed:ed their work," the report said.

Las~ year, an editor of Fl'adllJdltlrl TImmkij, ;iI Tha~ lan~Pl!l.'I!g@ buslness d ally, was sidelined to o1IIn insctiveposieion after the p@!pt:!'r pl!.llo!Lished a series of .stories ,cri'~ca] of Thaksln.

The sihJJatioirl was much worse in. the brcadcastsector. the TJ A said. Not orlil.y did tlhe gm,i1ernment fa]] to push for briD:<Idcilst media roful"m as prescribed in Article 40 of the ConstDIWJ10l\,. it also resort:ed to the same old ltactk of wi thdra wing or ter:mIDatingprivate i!l'flterprises' operating licenses to tame critka] broadcas Hng.

Six yens have passed since the COlflstitutioflusi1.ered. [fl the ]egal process that wouJd. end. state monopoly of I~he broadcast sector, But !i!l.rnost an radio and lre~~vjsion

Atta c ksa ga i n sttlh e pres s

stations have remained under sta 00 centrol. In reversal of media reform, !} gl'Oup of lawmakers from the r~]ing party also sponsored a broadcast councilbill to a]low state control over the broadcast media.

The move showed thl'l~ the government W03~ not really interested in PU1't'ujng media reform. For tUl'!.aroly, aftecr long debates in pari]o;tnl@'nt and 5 trong 0 bjectiou from media professionals, the hill was defeated.

Thegovernment's cons til 11 1I ing use of gradual" subtle ways to tame the media are ai m ed at ensuring that the media W,QU Idl reportin its

favor; -

Mea;nwhHe, rrv, the country's first ind~pel1de1'lt cable TV station, is majority-owned by thetelecommunicaticns gial.'1t controlled by Thaksin' s famil y. Cri tics say it-has turned from being Oil news-oriented stationto a g'Ovel'nn~ent mOILll~h~ piece.

The TJA hit the nail on its head w hen it concluded thatthe gov€'r.!1I,nent' scontimung lise of grad ual, subtle ways to ta:me the m~ia are eirned at ensuzing th~t the media would recpor~ in j ts favor in t!.lIe year 2004" the last year of the acll1.tin:~str:at.ion. hoping it wou ld help ens Lire ils v.ictoryi:nth~ general election scheduled. fOr 2005.

On February 2:], 2004" asl f on cue, the management of BangkQl l?ast, one of two EngUsh·Ianguage' dail y neowspapers in Thailand, announced thetn~:.J1:srel' of its ednor, Veera frateepchaikul! to 01 non-edt torial positien whete he is W oversee editorial directjon,

IP,l'me MI!!lswrft!::1I'~~IIISlilirna,watraJ: Stab: conholi 01 fIl!l<dHa admilll~.sITaHon ilnd. business

I'M. E.4SilERiN ECONaM~C RDlIM expansfon.

jaw mEl lis mal;;; io'J_

. 5

Attac ksa ga in stthe pre 5 S

The Post Publlsl;ti!1lg Pic deru~)ed that Veer,a'5 temoval wasa fe$ult ofpoHtical pressure, but Tha_l m~i<l were qu~ck to see the government's: h.and ~I,l: the revamp !'Ind voked i ls·lI]a_:rm o'li'~r the la~st move to n'luz~l~ m.d~pendeI'lt n,(;!cl]a. The .govermllJ.ent denied any uwo]v'(tID.ent. sa.y",g: ~t was an "intemel affair".

1'Iw Bafll,gkok Post., under

Vecra's editorial guidence, had run several articles critic a ] of Ule Prime M i nis let's leadership.

Ear Bel" in February .~be editor of SianullU, Weekly. Rungruang P:re'echaku]' l\esigned in pro~.st against ms P lllb]]sher' s decision to withdraw 30,000 copies of ~he 90- page issue of the news magazine tha.t week because it was critical. of the Tha.ksin admimstr <lt~.o.n.' s luncUi.nfi; of the bird flu outbreak

A hea vi]y- revised edition was released a day late witho ut .anyone knowing what had. tri'l.ru>pirecC Rungru<lng .Iater lQtdre;porte.rs ..

That was a dear case OF seJtf~ cen5[)r~Mp, and the paper ~ PIlI blisher, Chaltch,aw.an Kor:tg~udDm, declaeed tlud there was ]1oiliing Wr-DllIg with. ilie praJ;;ti~e, ~.d.d]11ig he T'Cgul :uly censored n~'ilS ~.111. h~:s Dlo1lg11zine til!! the' deemed critical of Thaksin and his goveJ'nmf!nt

K~ v i CIto ngki Uavorn, assislan~man;;lging edltcr of ~he Natio[ll Group, said that li ... ith such a strong shi~ld held in

pla ce by a wining media, it ]s no VII' onder tha t Thaksin and hts governmen ~ are able te :!rtay

iii: beve the fray - as~hough they had. nothing '~O do VII Hh tbe

in lede~12'nre in rep orting.

"]I <'iIU media ou tlets behaved this W <IY, the gove.n"Lment would

ha ve <I fjel.d day. It would be able te operate w ithou t ff'strillim'lt in a cultuJro of in"lpunity," be said in his March ] column.

"ehB h:::hil"\\,;;Hl' s revelation sets

;1! precedent for ID!'fldi;1! redeced to the role of collaborator or cheer]eade~ •. n h~ added.

n]n busil"!;e~sr,argpn, this a~:ia_ngelUent could be called a sh"ategk partnoeil'sbip b~hv'~n U.e media and U1~ govemnl!l.~nt"~.I~\iIIiJ] no~ 1:Kl lOI'lgheiuJ'e other med la busmes.s ownersjump on Ule ~uc.ratjve bandw.agoRe'.'ltablishing 'a co~li~ion of the willing to

pm~~ ~ Thaksin," aaid Kavi, who is also chalrn1tan of the Ba ngkokbased SO:Uth~o1lSt. Asian Press AIHam:c.

Conle:mpl. 101' Ihe: pless

Prime Minister Tha hin Shlinawatra' $ unease with the p!'~s iswiddy knO'\'IIn_ JI1 roact. he is quite vocalin his contcnrpl [or th~ Thai press, describing their reports asunfair <lIIlId in~J:cu:ra~~, and b]a&l:~ lngthem for painting a [:[eg.;!tiv'(l!· picture of his: govemment;

This discomfort and displeasure with the nll'l:l!d](!l started to show just ~l;'1onlb.s· ilIlkr hlil: assumed of Ike., wh®11I staro meddling resulted in the removal O[ reshuffle of radio presenters or tha suspension of ~revision Of radio programs critical of ~he ovm·]), sensi-

ti ve president,

The fore~gnpresswilli not spared. In 2002,. two foreign eorrespondentshad lhei.r visas revoked for an arilide about th.e deteriorating li'e~at[ons behvoo:ll Thaksin and th.e King. which did 1'101 sit weU with ~he former, The ~wo jcuirna[i:sts. taler apologized i1nd were g~'i,I\en backtheir Vi..5<15.

Not tft'i1.at Thaksir, did not enjoy the pwv,erbial 'honeymoon' with the press atthe $ta.rt of his ter:tJtl in 20m. _ Media were !1ll0n~ th~n

wm i [1!g thento give the bilHoml!in~ pre'5iden~ iI chance tu usethe teildership and management skills fha~ made his .l:i1mily's business, Shl n Corp, one of Thailand's

b~~~t "Gnglon.~ra~s, in order to introduce reforms in government

After a.lt his two-year-oldThai Rat 111<1] party had Just won an ahso]u.te majority in the parliamenta:ry elec-~to:ns,~Je first i:n~he counl1'}" s hishny and Ol clear mandate fo'ra politicia n rjdillg fhe a.genda of change and new pcllrics,

But Thaksia's populist: ponde.s star~d t:o lHUIl vel and the press was quick to point out the gevemment's wea knesscs as well asexcesses, Jneluding his d lslike of criticismand disse'rnt

His troubled f\e~o1!JjoHs "",ith th e media. began sborUYilUer he

survi ved a 'knife-edge' vo te by the Consritn ~]ona] Court i n August 200] acquittin,g him of violadng arutl-graft laws in 1997 hy concealing assets worth nearly 100 million U.S. dcllarsto evade taxes,

In 2.002:" the Anti-Money laundering Office (AN.ILO) initiated an. invesUglltim'l iH~O the finances of more than /iii d oZ'en jotlfna.i:ists from the Ntllioll <lind two other media organjza tio ns in what was dea.tly an attemptto intimidate and silence his detractors.

Th:is drew str(lll1gi ndign<ltion &om a. wide section of the public, forcing the .goVe[i!lJ~Ii'l!Ent to appoint a ~pecia:1 committee to look into the m~Uer _ The commi ttee Ia terruled that AMlO had overstepped its authoFity_

ThIDU g;h a II these, the prtme mlnis~er dedaJll=d innocence. .sayillig he had 110 persnnal knowl~dg·e of Ute AM LO move and stated he would never cu rta il press freedom,

1'he press, hcwever, steeled itself for more difficldt times ahead. Ute reIal"ions between ~he ~wo h ave been downhlU since, •

Rosario Li:qf~ i~'ia i~ based i~1 B~ug~l1k, where 5h!! is Progms« C{Jonh:~mlQI' 0/ llie 5outl.1Msi A.sitl/i Press A Uifiure.

Atta c k saga in stthep res s

il~' wkas lUr'!N3I'SO

............................... ~I~ ....... ~I~ ... _I ..... _I_._ .... _._._._.- .......... _~_I_"" ..

.JO'UIRNAlJIISTS· COVERiiNG'lHE. rCOiNI AiOEH; taking risks

"The ri~k a wl!1r conespondent must endur~ m~ a battkgnmnd is tl1e risk of getting sliM Jl you don't want to take that kind of I'isk, do HO~ go fa the ba tt ielida, It

- Ryam:iz,ard Ry <lie u du, Indonesia' 8 Army Orlef Ge'Ihmll

'Covering the Aceh conflict

BULL

FOR

THE WAR ignited by the hldonesia.ngovernment to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)j in Nanggoe Aceh Darussalam, hasur:tjusHytaken the [He off SmT Ers3I. Siregar, senior R en journalist, Bu t Ersa' s death was only the worst of various violations of the rights of jmmnaH.,sts as wen as threats againstthem during the military emergency thathas been in effect in Acah since May 19, 2003,

lt was predktablethat press Two d~y:s after Ersa's murder,

freedom would be restricted and the Head of the l'N] CerUre of

vlo.la tions agains t the press would h1i{)rmatkm, Major Genera! Sjafri.e

ocorr duringthe military eme:r- Si,ams>Oedir~, confirmed tllat the

ge.ncy, bell t few OInt.ictpated that a bullets Utat killed Ersa carne from

journalist would die - from shots TN! troeps. But Sf~frl,e did not rule

f!redby the Indonesian Armed out th~ possibility that GAM

Forces erN]). Ersa's death COl'l"t-oonh'ived the siwatio:r1" Sjafde

plates the evidence of war hostility accused CPr. M of using Ersa. as a

al'td brut,dity ill Aceh, Two bullets human shield,

ended Ersil's life 01'1 December 29" Anny Chl€r G~neral Ryanli~~rd

20{l3, after he hadbeen held Ryacudualso expressed iii slllli]a;r

hostage roT: almost six months, by view. He said~haJ because EI'~~ at

GA M. li'le WnJiil he was ki]kd was with

WII'W.rnw.nl

GAM,. therefore the bullet's U~al hit him must have come from the TNI. However, the 'fNI could not be blamed, because th(;)loca tion Cif the baUl.e(ie~d was a swampy area where om exchange of fire ~ook p[ac~ inconditions of Hooted visJhilHy,

"The nsk H~,<lt a war correspondent' must endtlr,e in a bilUlegrm.wd is the risk oI getting shot, If you don'I want to takefha t kind of rlsk, do not g'O to the baUleHekt"

Ry arnizard told. journal ists,

How Ersa really d.Eed will presumably never be revealedErs.r's shooting hasbeen consldered as someth i ng na f:un,1., as a risk that hasto be endured by a JOu malist covering armed conflict The TNI didn't feel the need to invastigate, nor did. it feel guihy over the death of 01 civilian, who should not have become iI victim.

_____ ~~~_JotJn1alismJ-s[a--

7

_tTi.l n d t h ed ,i gil ta I di V_ldl e

IErs'a in hosla,g:ei

The Ersa saga. be·gt.ul when he was taken hostage on June 29, 2003. He was in a Kifm1g car complete with a "Press" sHcke:i, togeth~]" with cameraman Ferry Santoro. They were on their way to Lhekseumawe, after covering refugees <It' B.i.r,em B<'lyeun, Peureelak, Also in the car we.re StIfr.i.d<lOlnd Sorllyi'l, wives of two TN[ o.flicers, In. the mliddle of the journey the car W <IS stop-ped by GAM members, and. [heg-;roup. ltltcluding Rahmalsyah1 ,the car's drt veri were taken hostage by GAM,

AlXurdingto U]II; GAM Military Commander forthe Peureulak l"egiorJ,l~hak D:sJl,ld,lhe ambu~h ilnd hO$t,flge.tald[1s~ook plaee because TNI inteUigelll.ce agertiS and oper!iltiv:es. frequendyl,lse cars with "Press" stickers, When they rouna QU t tha~ th~' two wo:men in thecar were the wives ,of 'TNT ,o,ffi(:erS),. GAM decided to ta~e them ho.slagEL

Wh~n they .round ou~ that th~ car' s passengers were indeed jcurnalists and no~ TNl intelligetU;~ agents, GAM inttia~ Iy decided 1tO release Rrs<I and. his friend. But t:he, ]]lJte:ntiDIlitO set ~liu~'m free was not without conditions. GAM held the v]ew t~<I~ time proeess fur thereleese was not that Sh'11ple, beceuse TN[ h'oops were ah:l1os.l everyw:he:re, and GAM {~,)Ired that theywouM ,;Ir:re.s~ OJ: even kill the nos,tages. If th<lt h.:uppEned, GA M 1<vould surely be accused of 1JJ.eing their executioners (Telupo, N o",em:bE~.r ]_ 6, 2(03).

The l,de Qlf iErs<l, F:eny and th.€ women hostages was om. the balance duringthe negotiation prooo$15. In the l'loost of this um:ertainl)I'J :liou~' joumalists,.with the consent of GAM, were allowed to interview artdp~1l1otograph E;rsa and. his fe]]ow host"ges. Obviou,S]y. ,GAM intended to expose to the public U1L!I~ file hostages were in good beaUh and bad been '~J'(l!al'£d w,~]l.

Month.s after their capture, Ersa O1lnd compan y' s release was still uneerram, Several Hl'1"1e:5 GAM stated its willin gness to release ~he hCl~i;@ges., but on the condition lh.at their release be, preoeded by 11 eeaseffre. The p~opo!;:a I was rejected by TN ],which said that

G AM may t;;I·kie· ~dvarn.t~,ge of a ceasef re to consclidate its pol,y,el' and flee, Vaeieus effor~ to free the hostages, lnclu cHng the in\l'o~vementof the Jrid enesian ~Ecl Cross (PM~) and the ~CRC (ii:rti:'f'r!lilianlll C,a.!umiUee Jot" ,IJie .Reti Cross) as dia.l.og"l.u~ medrators between GAM and TN [ also .fail.ed. What happaned ]ater was: Ersa Sirugar died, H~ was the victim ofen exchang~ of f[[~ between TN [ and GAM,

IF-erIIYS faIIB!;J

Er:sa's dei'lth was the tragic result of the cOlrlfl:ict between IN.1 and GAM. En.a diedbecause of the stubbernness, ]iIIck of compassion and indifference of those who prererm UEe firearms and violence.

O LJRING 2003, the only [ournalis! wllo was put ln pris on bees u se of the m i Iii tary emerge ncy ~ n ACflh wa 5 Wi J I ia rn Arthur N essen. He wa 5. a

fn~~ I oil ncer: sevsra I of hi i S rep orts were pu blis h ed by !l n U m tier ·of foreign news media, im:1uding The Sydney Momfng Herald, The Irrdepf;m den t. a,n d Boston Gto tie, Sa nda Aceh dj s t ri ct eour t on

A.u g LJ st 02, 2003 $e'Qtence~d the reporter, a US citizen, to a 40· day i I'll pr i so n men t. The tea m of judges found hi m gu iiiy of

vic I at i nil: the cou "try's code of law: "[ N essen] f<lIHeci to repor t his resi d e nf a I move f'r'Om Jakarta and could not provide his lmrnlgraticn documents ~o lndenesian officials," 'The sen-

~r~lsmg,aS~i£:la.,- -----

tenee was liil:hter than the public prcsecutcr's request lor a threemonth pr i son term for vi 01 at i on of the I mm i Elf aho n Law.

Prior to his arrest, N essen had stayed ir! Ace h fOf a quire a long period f:or press cO\I'erage. He was known to haVe! EO'IJd ,contacts wHh GAM. W>hen~lhe emergency

mil i t<lry rule W,1)S PUit i nto fcrce,

N essen was wit h GAM members i i:i [ungle areas. "Probably he was tl'ready with in Gil M· contra II ed areas berere the military operation was staged, and now he Ii s trapped," the Em e rgency Mil i ta ry Chiief Authority in A.ceh, Major Gel1l€ra~ End a ng SUWii! ryas a id. (Kampas, June 10, 2003)" The TN I announced. i!'IPi ul.timalt.um urging

N essen to ~e@ ve Gl\~M a reas with~ n

48 hours, bsglnnlng June 12, 2003,. at 6 p.rn. local time. If he failed to do so, the 1MI could not guarantee his $afety.

It wa::> d i fficu:lt for Nessen to leave and s u rren der beca U iS€: he was "embedded" wi,ttl GAM soldiers. ~e had to frequently chane:€ posttion like the GAM trljlhte,s playing cat and mouse with TNI troops, The process or Nessen":; surrender began to gain international new attention when the New Yor.k·ba:sed Committee IQ Protect J Duma I isl (C P J) sent a

I etter to the Indonesia 11 governrnent on JUrie 10, :2003 urg~ng It to he I p Nessen I eC'l,l,Ie Aceh.

When the ultimatum expired, i~stead of surrendering h~m$elf to the authcritles, Nessen ~xt~nded

_Llandtbedigita Id L'1ide

Ersa's death was also in vain His death has not awakened the consciousness of TNI and GA M: enough for either of them to ponder, for example, the fatej

suffering of Fen)! Santoro, ReT! cameraman, who remains a hostage.

It is true that the Indonesian government exerted efforts to free

Ferry byinvolving the PMI and [eRe as di,aloguemediators with GAM., The Indonesian government agreed to form a Negotiation Team for the release of Ferry Santoro and the other civilians held hostage. The negotiation with GAM began 0111 January 6, 20M in Aceh,

However, the negotiations have once again reached a deadlock, and the PMI and JeRe who were mediating the negotia tions, decided to concl ude their i nvol vement as mediators on 1 a I1Ill1<11y 28" 20(14,2, TIle Ind onestan government and GAM still could not agree on a mechanism for the release of the hesteges. Both tnsisted on the eonditicns they had each proposed,

The deadlock wascaused by th.€' replacement of the East Aceh GAM spokesman, and GA.M'5 subsequent decision to submit a. new proposal, hl it~ new proposal. GAM asked for <I ceasefira and the withdrawal or TNI troops horn tile whole of East Aceh for three

.., """""",=~~iiiiiiiiiiiiI,"""""' __ ' ==~~iiiiiiiiiiiiI_""""". , """"",=,, __ ,= _

three conditions to TNI for him to lea lie. the GAM base. The three cend i t ions were J'J 0 sn als. no interrogation, an d no arr,est. TN I could fulfill just one out 01 the

three, namely no shots. Nessen felt he must quickly leave the GAM grou p even though the th ree

co n d it i Of! S he proposed had not been met fully, Following intensive telephone calls between Nessen and Bambafig Daryono, the rendezvous was arrang·ed .. The TNI prep a red three arm ed ca rs, two truck s loaded with SOIl die rs, and two ambulances, A representative of the US Embassy and two TNI Generals, Major General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddi nand Brig,Gel"!

Ba m ba ng Darmo n 0, took pa r tin the mtsslen, At 1 0:30 a .m. •• h.ln,e

24, 2003,. Nessen met the group of welCDmers in Pa.ya Dua vqllage, N i ssrn, N or ttl Aceh regency. Nessen then was brought to Lhokseumawe and to Banda. Aceh by airplane.

Nessen's anxiety that he

wou I d be interrogated, and detained by HJ I after he got out rrom GAM encl aile became <'II reality, He waS interrogated and became a suspect on charges of vlolatlng the country's Immigration Law with the possibil ity of five years Imprisonment He was a lso suspected of having close connect: OI1S wi th GAM leaders, Nes,sen's court trla] began on Juiy 23. 2003; he was found

gui Ity a nd had to Serve a 40.day prison term, But. as he had

a I ready been detai n ed for 39 days, he wou Id serve the rernai riing single clay in prison ward,

What Nessen experienced has been often been compared to the tragedy that befell Ersa

Si rega r, Altho u gh there is no comparison, many have mentioned that the TNI's and GAM's treatment of the matter, particularly the lNl's, was extremely unfair. GAM did not treat Nessen as <;I hosta ge and he wa s provided wi,th the tre-edom to surrender. The TN~ even dls patched a General trorn Jakarta and an escort of armed cars to welcome Nessen"s surrender. Plausibly, because Nesselil was a foreign cl tizen , -Lukas Luwiiirs,o

jQurnalism~sia

9

_Attacksa ga in sft h e pres s

consecutive days.

"H is impossible for us fro set free the hostages as long i1S the TN! mainrainsits operations," SOlid. GAM spokesman Teungku Mal1lS)ltlr. The government O'f lndonest a rejeded the mquest (Km'alt Tempo, january 29, 2004),

Ers<l was shot dead,

Rahma tsyah Safrida, and Seray a have been freed through HiI.e exchange of fire. What about Perry Santoro? His fate lies between the barrels of TNI and G AM diles, Press and journalistk communities in various regions have issued statements ilnd slaged solidarity actions, urging the governmentto set up an independent tealll to investiga~ Ersa's deOlth, ]nlerltadonal solidarity has also f1ow~ from numem us instltu lions such

as the New York-based Committee ro Protect J ournallsts. the lnreruatioual Federation of Joumalists (Australia), and olhers. They insist that Ferry San ~oro and tble other civilians sHU k1?pt hostage by GAM be freed, However, GAM has n()~ been moved to do so, while fhe TN] has remamed reluctant to provide any room for effons to free Ferry,

RuaeRs on tb:B PllJSS [n ftc oh

The imposition of Eme.gency Military rule in N anggme Aceh Darussalam. {Aceh) has resulted in numerous aM:acks on journalists and news media agencies during the past eight months (MayDecember 20(3), These incidents incl udei:nhmid.ation...c:ens.orshi p, bea ting, expulsion, restriction, arson, hostage-taking, shcoemgs and killings, The targets have been varied. The assaults have no ~ only been on the physical and m~nta] health of journalists, They have

al so been on RR! transmdssion, radio edttcrlal offices, [ournalists' cars as well <IS presf> courier vehicles.

_]00 rna lis md;;1 CI

10

lilt ils not easy to mal ntai n press

i 11 depend ence ina (,0 nfl i ct situatio n, but the press has no oth e r optic n,

The Ind onesian govemmeru has introduced tight rules for journalists, specially foreign correspondents, in. Aeeh, Pl'esidell~iill Decree Nu:m~er 43! 2003, issued in

J akarta on June 16, 2003, stipulates th,i'I~ foreign journalists and f'Ore]gn correspondents who wish to rover the Aeeh conflk t haveto submit to a screening process and obtain a permit from lhe Mi:ru.s~er of Foreign Affairs, Domestic journalists, meanw hile, require a wr:iUe'll permit (rum theEmefg~m;:y Mm· tHY Authority of Aceh Province.

AE 'par t of the implementation of the Kep'pres (Decree)" the Emergency Mihtary AuH!.mrHy m Aceh on June 26" 2003 announced a se~ of rules for foreign jOl:.lJrnalis ls aud foreign correspondents. CorresPQI1I.· dents could cover regencies and dishid townships, They could gp' flo villages .only with TNT tn'oops Q'f the polk-e. Repol'tel's. have to repor~ to' TNI jpolke offices whenever they change I ocatien.

The government did not only impose tight rulings on journalists, Severa] military offlciels have also asked j01lUl1Lalists to refrain from .reporting GAM sl:atCl1lents,

The' attach against the press reached a, climax with the death of repo~te~Ersa Siregll:r. Ersa's death was, the acc[lID.uJa t.ion of a ran~ of violence experienced by Journalists in Aceh.

Co:nfLi,ct areas ilre alwaysthe most dangerous places for the

journalistic profession, Appeals to ~he groups in conflict to trea l journalists 00 duty fairly are rarely hwd!2d, It is Impossible to expec ~ people engaged in 11 war to pw~ct journalists ~ H is more likely that they would be targets of attacks. These gt'O'11 ps are incH ned to force ~he med i a to b([KQH1,G a p"op.;Igand8J ~ooI; if journalists refuse to comply UHlY are treatedas the enemy.

It is not 'elBJS:Y to 111ai ntain pre.56 ]ndep~ndenC'e' in a conflict sitcatk:m., but the p~ess hasno other option. J currralists have ~o maintain in tegrity an d imparttality, de.~pHe threats and actual v]olem:e.

There were efforts to create the impression that the death of Ersa

\ ... ras a trivial incident- 11 "norma]" risk that journalists have to bear in coverl nf!; a conflict, Ersa's death demonstrated how cheap the Ute of a journalist can be, i~ also showed how low a priori ty the protec don of journalists is in the Aosh conflict

N a pcleon Bonaparte may hO'!. ve 5a~d that <I pen. is sharper than a sword, but in Aceh, <I bullet has pl;{lved to be much sharper thana pen.

Lrikas Lr.,warsa is rOj~mh'Y Directo« of trw :5(m U:It'l<1sf. Asia Press AUimn:¥ (SEAPA) - fakarlll ami E:1;et:~diI!g Direeior of Hr,e flldOJw'Sf~ Press Council.

1 Ril h ma ~S,yil h by mid Decem ber. 2003 -atter th r~e m ontbs a ~ a hostagewas removed to a seca rate location from Er~(I and Ferry a nc was S 1311Jed by TNI Marines durinE: alii ambush in Pilinte B~y(lm Simp.!Ing Ulim village, E,lISt Aceh.

~ While PMI and leRG ceased their role <I,S rned i ator; the rn iii ta ry operat i on $!.Icceed,~d i n fr~ei ng $afri da a ned Sorllya who had been sep [lfated from Ers 11 an,j I'er.ry 5 i nee July 2003. The rei ea se took pi ace cit..! ri ng an en CO!.l n· ter between TN 1 troopan d GAM g,!.!erfllllls in Da ru I AmOl n a rea, Lhokseumawe, Janua~y 29.2004.

_ Attacksegal usrtheoress

Despite democratization in Cambodia

JO,URNALISTS

511 LL VU LN ERABLE

Given t[l,ehighly politicized environment Cambodian ,jour.n.d~sl:s have had IT~'Ub"~ organizing for Ul~ir own prot.eCtiotL There are S1X different and compenng press associaticns. which are se]dom. able to work together fur a (O]]'1IDOf'l goal,

Without an effective pn.·..ss fn~edorn. group, Cambodian ;ol]rnai ists are ... ulner able to legal haressment. .1 n September, Hun 'Sen intervenedto release two jOl.]:ma~ ists frum the, daily progovernment newspa pe:. ChakrllltJl'r \II' no had been arrested and

ch ,I]"ged fm ;:IUegedJy defam_]ng two senior police of:ficials. 1 n May, Darn Sith .• editor of the opposition newspaper KIlmer Gmsdence, was convicted of libel and defamation

fro,," crilicizi~g Cambodia's rll'il!1~~ Noredom Ranariddh and th~

National Assembly, which the pdnc€ leads. R.mariddh.. a former government foe, is now Hun Sen's chtef mail tjon parmer.

"His our impression that this shows the judge is more Intent on doing politics than finchng [usDee," 511:id Pen Sa:m:ithy, the president of the Club of Cambo,Utln 1 o U mali!l ts.

In April, another opposition

K'HMIEIFI MEIDlAA1' WDRK: IrresponsHlJel but Importmt In pf\esel'ifi ngand enh8iflldnglllle free

press

WE£KU'(NE'I\I rn.!u'lo,(ooy K1URK.rtt:j

neWSp<lpeir was ordered to pOly a businessman and. two mil i til ry officers; nearl y US$20.000 in defamatior, suits, though the parties la ter se trled the case w.Hnolil t damages bei.ng a W lIrdt:'d.. In 2001. Foreign Minister H or Nfl.mhong sued theA me ncan-

ow ned; English-lenguagc CmullOdiu Daily fo. defamanon after it printed two stories alleging lh<ll he had once ru n a Khmer Roy ge prison can'lp. The case was under appeal at year's end.

2002 marked the 10th anniversary of Cine of the rnos ~ inl:€resting and independent nE\'I'Spllpers in Asia, the Phrmm Pelih Post. Star~d by an American cCH..Ipfe after the Uni ted Nations res tared a measure of peace to the country in 1992, the

Journalism ~

11

Atta c ksaga j n stthe pre 55

biweekly P,os! has been an important source of in-depth stories and. anal yS]S since its inception and has also served as a tr,ajnmg ground fur Cambodian Journalists.

Despite these encou:ta,gi~g signs, the, office of the Cou-ieil of Ministers, neilded by Salk An, who is known as the chief of oockli,gnt afficionados to the cabinet. and a dose aide to. Prime Minister Hun SeI.'1" recently published. a journal. ism booklet instructing the "crocodiles to swim" in his lake.

Sok An loveschairing Hle cockfighti:l)I.g tournament in Takeo, his, hometown province, 78-km

sou thwest of Phnom Penh. All journalists, observers; <lind rights W,oups see his caU to joumallists as a form of i:ntinudation and interference by the Minister of the Council of Ministers.

ICOll\lIUlPUble

When the govemmen! organizes conferences, s'elTlinars and workshops, It invites journalists, staff members working for the papers, TV and radio personnel, affiliated with the ruling pw--ty to register for accredHation_ lEadt reporter is given RIO, 000 for each seminar. which is practically every day. Before the start of the meeting. lh~ ergardzer comesto see the j:munalis'ts MId gives them all "cash-envelope-s" directly. ~ndependent journalists and reporters working fur the independent newspapers, reporters war king for FUNC[NPEC and oppasltion (Sam Rainsy) p:Bl"1:y papers are not invited tncover such gatherings.

A reporter from the R_eiUiwny Karltpuchea (The Lig}!! ,of Kam1l1uchea}, the leading daily newspaper affiliated with the ruling party, said his edjfDorand the newspaper's. reporters had beenbribed by officials fromthe Council of M]ni~tenl in ccnrtecfion

_jpm:oalis masia

12

wH:h <I. recent scandal, The offtcials, he' said, had ad vised journal. isis not to wdte the story a,bou~&e purchase 'Of state land worth millions .of dOUiU'5, by the fo:reign~ owned oil c'Ompany, Ca]tex. The land belonged to the Council of Ministers. However, the journalists sHU wrote and. published Ule

stories despite being bribed. The offidals later reprimanded the, joumalisl's for accepting {he money but pub]i1>hing U1ie seorlesanyway,

Although widely regarded as a more r,eUabFe paper wi'tIl more than 20, 000 copies :in daily circulation, Reasmey Knmpru;hea' has stopped publlshmg such corruption stories" which affect government leaders from the Cambod]an's People Party (CPP). It mai:n]y cover'S govemment. offtdals, and. go,v,emm~nt leaders' gathering, It runs stories and. columns critical of the o'PlPos"· tien Altiaru:e 'Of Democrats,

MOif>e significantly, the ruling party controls most of electronic media, Eight TV and 18 Radio stetions are operating inthe country. Two 111 statio:f1lS are worldn,g actively tor the Cambcdian Peop]e Party. One works very closely for Mr. Prime MiiIl!isrer Hun Sen, ealled Bayon TV _ It runs mostly stories an. Prime' Minister Hun Sen and his cronies' activities. Another station, caned A psara, which belongs to the Prime Mirnister's party, 's,pedfica]]y covers the party leaders=activities,

AmOl1'g5~ 18 radio statio,ns, most Me in support of the ['uhng party and Hun Sen's government. The others, axe in support of the' opposition and royalist parties, There are also, <I few ]ndepe:[iI}d~nt stafions.

bu t they are not strong enough,

[n one instance, while independent journalists were Investigatlng a eorruption case, the provincia] governors involved organized a con_fere:nce and ]!n!vired r'eport,ETI;

i:1JffiHa1ted with them to sit and listen to their bogusexplanations • Afte.r [he. conference, 'l[-W reporeers were given Rl00, 000 ($2.5 USD) in exchange for dropping their critical columns ...

M'edi31 imimidaUon

ill October JIlt Chou Chetharith, a deputy editor of fhe r.oyalist FUNCINPEC v'arty's Ta Prum radio station was shot to, death in front of his of6ce. A gum::nan on a motorcycle shot him while he wa-s on his way to work in the capital, Phnom Penh.

According to witnesses interviewed by Agence Fr anos-Presse, Chetharilh, 37, wa-s shot ]n the head at point-blank range in broad daryli;ght. T a Prum is known for its erittcal reporting of Cambodian Prime Minis ter Hun Sen, and that the station's dteector, N oranarith Anandayath, is an adviser to fUNONPEC party chief Prince Noredem Ranari.dhh_

On Friday, the day before tile shooting, according to the CaJl"1 ~ dia Daily, the Prime Minist,er had strongly criticized the station, accusing it of insulting his leadership,

Chetharith's murder came ahead of scheduled three-way talks between Uw fUNClNPEC party, the oppcsirion Sam Ramsy Party (SRP), and the: ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPPi. The-talks were canceled alter-the journalist's killing. Theyhad Oil!eI1L aimed at endmg a three-menth political. stalemate foUo'w:i:ng th~ July 2'7 elections, when Hun Sen and his CPP failed to get a two-third DlI,aj'ority of ~he vote. By law,. the cpp was required to form a coalition with opposttion parties,

but refused to do so. _

No arrests have been made in the case, Sau Phan a cleputy genera] of the National PoUce and

a mJ~mltef of iFUNCINPEC., wId AgerTI~e F:;al;l;c~P!re5JSe th~r~ an rnvl$tigative QOll1J;1!liUee has been formed with FUNONIPEC and CPP party ItIeIT1ibers ropursue ~he case,

"Wh:ile the motives £0:[ ChetarHh's murder are unclear,.

this brazen :shoot-ing sends a chilling: messllgeoo journalists who darete criticlze Cambodia's government" said Co.m!mii:tree to PfO~t ]oumaJi5tts (CPJ} Executive Dk,ecwr Ann Cooper.

"WecaU on Prime Minster Hun S~i!.l to fu~Uy inv'estigatilv,e Chou Chetaritl!'s mu_rd~r, andtowcrk 'W bring his W]IerJ;l. to Fn.s,t];oe", said the CF[ Exe:clllJ.ti:ve: D:iFecmr i]1 her release,

Although Cambodian journalisti;;· are stilil young in fe1illlS of skills @Jl.CI pmiessicmaHsm, t'heyusuaLly ra(le ~h.e big risks .. when Utey eX!3"rci.sEt their jobs, The authorities al W'<lys abuse . Me'm, especially mVeSt:igative reporters who cover fOlllllP<'U),t COrfU P'tion,. scandels among high-ranklng officials mUw g'FVefJU11~:nt Sometimes,un.k.Il(Jwn ca:~~er.\i send death th~eab to jtil!lma]]st"s viacell p.hones.

There were death threets from unidantiffed cOIUeTs to M:r. Bar Socneat, warning bun. to be vigilant or he would be kiLLed.,

"I usually receive severaldead ~t messages from unknown CilIUers threatening to kill me" s<lid 5ar Socheat,

"I have lodge a complaint with tne Minish'y of U1l;!ll lllwdoil' and th~ Instiwtioru Lnvo]v,ed on the inc]menits., bu t no action Do:!!J: been taken aga:itl!j.t the perpetuat:ors", said SRr Socheat,Edib'JF off Mid· Di'ly, last SeptembeT. "] am. wortied about my safety" e he wmp]ained,

On September 2, 2c.O02, the authonties detained two ed:iIors or two pub]leaHoDs, while they were returning from the Karnpang Chhnall,g provincial headquarters,

Atta C ksaga jl nsttbe tp ress

9] -krn norflleast of" Phnam PerilLo There, the two editors had .met with p.roviooal oiffidal:5to investi,gahla sca:m::l.a1 inrvohdng $3 1l.timQIt. The corrupt scandals were all~ged]y connected willi. Hle provmc:ia] 8PlVeflilOf,,;;m allegati.on he later admitted;

Mr,. SOU lPifu:irrn. tlhe prevlncial governor, crdersd his security jo~to stop Ule car of Sar .Sochea.t and his colleague Sok Kim Sre.an.g. He ordered his men. to detain. the journalists when they were 0111 t-heir way back b) Phnom. Penh <lind accused them of ,ca.n:ymg iJ[e<gal weapcru!l, 'fhi:!; a]leganontlul! hlro editors .caregorlca]]y denied.

" Af"k--.r they checked our vemde J,Ol" illegal we,OI.poM, nothing was found, excep~ tape-recorders, pens, and cameras", Mr, Sal" Soeheat said, "He arrested us because :we knew about his cerruptton,"

"Before om d:e~enltion,. the governor wamed me not to reveal Ule infonnation. we bad uucoveI'oo""he ,added.

ORlylh~o1i1ghthe iI::I.ierveIlJi....oo of [ruf:Om:l~tion Mi:n!i.~tler LuLay Sreng were the editers re~enc[;:ed the same day ",her timey were detained. fur 45 minutes a~ the Kampong Tr<'l1.<'1ch. disttiet ponce headquarters,

AU:h.otlg~ widely reg:arded as the freest amo:ng Ulie three younge.sl members .of the ASEAN {A5soda~ ti.on of Sou:the~sl Asim Na.tions), the dr!l.matic~xPaJ[liSjjon o:fUw Khmer presswas due ndon]y~o political liS!l:!ra]ization but from a greater teleeanee of lLmreg;u.la~:OO private behavior evenwhen it ruas had pubHc consequences, Cambo· dia still 15, ]t has been. 5<'1:i0:, a country of very jew formal ]ilbedie.s bu.ta great de<'.l] oE arllZlrchk freedam. AtttZlcks ag;a~nst fepor~e1lS R<'I.V1e occurred. in recent yea.s, and many suspect government h1LVQ]V~ment, FOf Ut~rnI!Oijl partJhcniv,ev'~r,

th.epl\ess in Cambodia has exerdsed its freedoms willi.oul conS~1"a]rlit and regrettllb~y, with little respon&ibUHy.

FUlure oharlengies

Witi[e Cambodian jcnrnaltsts are enjoying t:h.e .fNj~dGms ,of de:mocfatiz;a:tii:o[l, they nevertheless race discrimi!natioll. frompowerl:UI offidals. They afe not happyw!i.[h the jouTlMIJists who come to see tl!e.rn,

Theyus-u<1I]]Y accuse jQu:!"nalisti'i and. Fe[po]"terlii of s.landedng them, SomEmnes, these o.ffid.<l]s~o5e their jobs because their COrfU pt acts are leaked to the publie via the media, Wh!ll"nre.por~!ll"lI'shylo follow up the stories, some of them are chased out with Insults.

Furthermore, althoughd:esk~op pub1ishfng ,equipment andnewly dev,e]oped 'Khmer langJ!l.ag'e Fonts have proliferated, themarket ffo.r Khmer newspapers remains smafl. D02ieJls of Khmecr-]anguage papers compete for sales and revenue frem Umited adve-.rtising, Most newspapen; have thus become dependent for survival on poJitied patrons.

TIle gavernme:l.1I:t, gevenunent officials, powerful basiness eslab:lisbD1!.enbs haveused their power to politicize the pr-eSIS in Cambcdia, Without ooa.ncial selfsuffkiency, substandard p~of:es~ &iona~ ~ki!]]s, and lewethtcal awareness, the journalists <Ina theirnews orgamZf'ltions, very often become mere propaganda tools for the politicians and powerful businessmen. Although. the Camloodian press is free from gover.nrment -C€rls<orship, i'~ is r!illlvert.less eontrolled by ot!h!llr .roJ!o!lls, among them the ownses ()if nll!lldia organizaticns, I.

Hfilli Hak i~ ,~dit{}r .(md pu.bJisll£'Tof the Ne:rv E:ra $mlniuJ ,oeekt~" Plmom Penh, Cr.'l:mhodi,t,1

Alta c k sa ga in st± b e pre 5 S

Culture of Impunity in the Philippines

SILENCING JOIU RNAiLISTS

Ely SweellM ~lry.J. Cawi'~,Hm a n d H eotor Bryallt l. M acals

PH';;;';~E;;"'-"'''''''''''''' """""""" "",." " .. , _ --_ _ _

rs The 1UH rde» of a jaurJ1l1lis I creates or dhJ'rale of fem· fwd; J1 fi '~Jidati(m. If j[Jm"lJ'(1lis~s are i1"Jlimidalelt 1111d rw OJ11!' speaks oul I:lgal1lst mr~'!Jrt;ml fmd th~ ah![~~ .of power. conumuutics become powedess agl.lilfst sndJ ,Hbn5I?S. CornnmJ'iiti(?s sriff(tl' loug after 11 jrmnwflsl; is sfJlhr.·'

- StayfNg AlirJt, Freedom fund for Fmphll,o journalists

THE Philippine press is by law among the freest in South east Asia. A Cons ti tutional provision and a body of legal precedents guarallltee the protection of the press, which by near universal agreement hasan important role to play in a developmg democracy.

lrorucally I however, the P'hilipp ines, A mosl d!anger,o'llS IImfessio n is a~SQ alllO!lg those countries where OJ large number of a tmcks, aga.i ns t Journahsts, incl udingsssasstnations, have taken place and. are 5 till taking place. W orse, si nee 1. 98.6 riO ca~ L~wo!vil~g the klll i n g of ;n jo urnalist hOls been solved m uch less resu I ted in the prosecu tion, (OnV ic l·~m',. und i rn prisonmen t of those responsible. The Mar(;(ls d~(l:a'lcol'$hip WOlS overthrown and democratic .~nsti.'· tutionsrestered In 1986, resulting in, at mO~lg others, ~he proliferation of newspapers and broadcesting companies as l hc new gcw('n'lll'l (,l'It of Ccrazcn Aq u inc lifted restric tions O.L'I the media , Paradoxically" !"Hl\>V[!V~]', om:! of Hw V"'0r!:~ Ye;'I:rs of the media wasjn 1967. the yeM following the restoratlon of democratic inslill,l~ions. In ~hat yea. SlX jou itna ~js~ WeH~ killed in the line of du l1'. }re1l1'was [he wo rsl ever I'('CO rd ed j I' l:h c

The impunity with whi.chjmlnll1~r.sIs· ktllera have gotten away with the dayings threa tens, pres.s freedom and the viability of PhHippinrz democracy. regardlessof the feg,ill protection the p ress enjoys. Indeed, the nu mber of li ttacks Cm and the ~Hliflg of juur~.l.l ~.bts since ., 981' has made jo~ r)1;.'1liSHl one of ~he most dangerous professions .in the PhiUppinil"'_~ today" arid l:he Phrltppines 011e of ~he most dangerous places for [ou rnalists,

Forty-four journalists have been k L] led in the line of duty since Presiden t Ferdi nand Ma rcos :fen r rom power in 19t16 1,.1 P to the present, accord ing to the Phi lip-pines' Cen ter for Media Freedom and Rcspon,sibilily's (CMt;:N) database.

The iii umber of assassins lions last

_!o.urn alismas,a.

14

Philippi.!'I.es, wHh seven journillisl'O killed, That number was dou ble the avera p~ oHhreejournaUsts blled per year since 1986, The 2003 fig;Ul:e and that of 1937' s are th~ htgh)@SL: nmnb()l' ever reco rdad in the Fhi.i]lppines. The 1987 killings, however, W~J'e I'cgarded as Oil painful, but inevitable part of the transltion pe· nod from dictatorship to democratic ruler during which unreformed remnants of a uthoritaria n rule who could riot ablde ~ncdjfl !>r.t~Lh~~y and c~Ll.i{'iSin ret,diOll'€(i by physically~linlii"'hl"lgjournalists, In con tras t, the 2003 Id 1Hntis and those of the l .. st ten yeO) rs occu rred w hen the restoration to democ racy had supposed ly bean cOinp re h .. ",I.

In 11 January 7, 2003 forum 0iL't the Idllinzs, Lin Neumann of the Committee to Protect J ournalists (Cf"~) thus described the country as it "d angerous asstgnment' and "one of the mos t dangcrous places in ~he wodd ii1 which ro be fI journalist,"

The CMFR darn.base, s ta rted i.n1991, I'('CO rds C.LSes ofjo Ui·;~.1 h~ts k i Hed in the line of duty since 1961. Of the 6'r cases from that yeal' [0 lhe p1:e~en l, 0 I'lly ~wo cases ha ve rssu ~tedLJl the p rosecu tion, convic ti on, and im p rison rncnt of th Po perpc In'! W!'S, These two cases inv ol ved P rovincia ljcu rna hs ts Auto uio Aba d

Tormis and Ermtn Garcia, Sf.

1 armis, who was an editor ana columnist For Republic News in the central Pi1llippjne cay of Cebu, was killed on July 3, 1961, He was shot because of his exposes oJ the anomalies in the city gov· emmeru, The then city treasurer was convicted as the 1l'L<:ls.termi.nd, along wm~ the actual kHleJ'5, but was Ia f:e:r parcloned because of ill health,

Garda Sr.Wl'IS the edi'i:o:r of Sunday Punch and was kflled on May 20, 1966 in the northern Philippine city of Dagupan, Pangesman, The case resulted in rhe convtcnon andimprisonment of the- kitie:r. He was Ja t:e-r released through an executive pardon.

The s,U11e database shows that more than ha If, or 2::t ef tile journalists killed were fnnn rad 10, Most of them were commu n1ly - based broadcasters. Proyil1dal broadcasters, who use the local laaguage in their commentaries, 0lJl"e often erne ~j(ln<ll in ail'j:ng their views,

_.L-.Attac ksaga i nsttne p ress..

Some observers believe that they becomemore prone to attacks by riw of·, fended parues because they not only critieize but even insult th£i,r subjects.

. ~dio 23
~rint t_j
Plr!n.tJ Radjo, 2
Print/IV I
~adlo!~V 1
TV 1,
Wire 1
Total 4,4, Capital Region (NCR), The NCI~ statistics are naturally low <is journalists are more protected by their being better known flt'ltionally. The killings in tlms region wer-e related to reporting on t<he mega 1 drug trade .

Mindanao a.o

Lumn 17

Visaya's 4

~a~lolilial qapital bgron 3

Total 44

All th~~ other kiUing.s took place outside M."IDiLa, Accord ing to Stilying AJi ve, a pamphlet issued by the Frscdcm Fund for Hlipioo Journalists (IFFFJ) composed of various media ol'ganizations and ind:ividuais addressingtha a ttacks on and the killing of journalists, the killings hap. pen most often in the countryside, be,.au..,e it is there " where theru le of 101 w is weak and th~ government ]5 unable

CARL:OS H. CONDE

IIlIUngs, in Ihe OO't1D.1ry$lde

Of the 44 slain journalists killed in the line of duty since 1980, almost hRIf were from. M~nd,flruw, ]ndk-a.tilflg how dsngerous it is to be a joumalist in the communitp press, but that it is doubly so in M~lldalfiao.

Only three were from the N a.ti.on.al

_______ ---Jjo~urnajism.r.ia_

15

Attacksaga i nstthepress

Th e weakn ess of the ru I e of Ilaw an d the inability of the government to protect its dti ze ns are among th e factors why most of the journalists killed in the Philippines were worki ng il n the ru rail areas.

'to protect citizens, .,

'Unlikoe in the provinces, t]1oe FFFJ said, Manila-based journalists" are t~ted like ling~,. and polibcilllns and businesspeople kowtow to them jn the hope of favorable coverage .. "

As eal'ly as 1991, CMiFR had noted the higher risks of doing ,~olul'laH5m: work in the provinces compared to the national capital, \ ...... dting in the CMFR pu.i:lIication Phjlippina Journalism Review (PJR,) in September 1'991, Bob Deogtnpeinted out th<lJ "the exposure of the journalist is gre .. tarin the smaller setting th~t charac terlzes the provincial mllleu." ("JolJ.rn<lUstsil~msk"}

N urnerous cases then and smce valldare his claim, Nesino Toling, who """as shot dead by unidentified gunmen in his office on Apr:il 14, 1991, was the owner, publisher, editor, and chief repm ter aU-in-one of the Pa nguil nay MQntl"m', an Ozamiz City·basedpubUcation ]t'l Minda nao, southern Phllip. pines, Unlike his Manila counterparts, he had no computer, car, orphone. Instead, he used an and!!:!nt typewriter in his tiny, two-desk oEfi.re, His wife w01Llld take ii three-hour boat and bus ride: to have the newspaper printed. M,ter three days, she carried. 3,.500 copies @f the' newspllper back home.

In the Pangun Bay Monitor, Toling exposed anomalies as well as the wmn,gdoing of politicians and gov,emment officials. In hi5las~ editorial, titled "Graft and Corruption," he wrote on n law men working hand-in·hand wi~h vice Iords and crhninal syndicatas, N

Unlike in the big Manila-based newspapers, Toli!;1!;g's pa.per was a. one-ma;n, O]'1J~·woman affair. He did a]1 the edito· rial work himselr - getting tb.e n~ws,

_jQU!Dali~surn~a~silliaa __

16

writil"lg the sto.ry, editing it. doing the layout - while his wife took care of printing and distributing it.

A Itholll gh someone is in jail for the joun:nd.ist's murder, 'IOI'illg'S f<lmily and colleagues believe he is not the real kiHe;.

The February 12, 1996 kilHng of Dipo:IQg.based journadist Ferdinand Reyes again E;)l;nphasizes the perils ti"Le relattvely unprotected provincial plless faces.

Ferdinand Reyes was the crusad lng editor of Press, Freedom, <l weekly in Dipelog City in Northern Mindanao. He wrote on anomalies by ~OCll~ officials and milita't"y o(}mce~.'s, among others, He was omy 33 years old when he was killed tn his horne .. Eight years later, his family and colleagues are sWl wai.ting for justke.

A dear majorily "of slain journalists come from the provinces, a refleolion of the gl'ea ter risks media persons in the countryside face, n t:he Phflippine J ournaltsm Review said in its Ap!'i I-june 1996 issue, "(while) journalists from nafional media enjoy a gre·a.tel' sense of SEicUl1ity."

"There would b qukker action {or justice, llI.t I€as~ more 5uSt<'lmoo 0l_tl:er!110n, fm' a journalist with. ~ h:igh profile and (l big name when he or she is killed," the PJRnoted.

As:id,e fmn'llthe ro], s observation lliaUh~ weakness of the rule of law and the ]nabi]ity ef ih go,vemment to protect its citizens are among Ule factors why il'lO.$tor tlle:jou~na.Hsts killed in dle Phmppi:rt€s work in. the rural areas, the conservative power structures in ,the provinces ,0:1'1. 'the one hand, and the pmmi:n~f1ceo;f lldanila-ll<lsed ffoumal~sts on the othe'r are 'the other reasons why

more journahsts are bUed '~n the provinces, SOlid. former [ouma Iism professor Carolina Malayin an inl rview in the same issue of the PJK Mala}' was then chair ofthe J ournahsm Department (I~ the College of Mass Cornmunica lion of the University of the Philippines,

The PIR added another fac tor, I LI'Ilh!! provinces. "people !r1 pm'Tl'er are more sensitive to crtticisms OWRl"!,g kl' the familiarity that characterizes small communities where f21 m H y honor Is i 1\valved,"

The l':l"FJ concurred last year, "Then'! is less tolerance for critica I reporh ng in ~;:h~ p,'ovinces,p<lrticuLOIl'ly in erees where political bosses or claus have ruled for decades. lournahsts 'can be killed for re'Portir~e on corruption ... illegal acti vities, and human r~.ghts and environmsn t.."11 a buse, ~

Such was the case of Pa gadian journa I ist Ed ga r Da malerio, Pagad'lan Ci ly is in Zamboanga del Sur. Western Mindanao.

Damalerto, managing editor of the Zam beanga Scribe, a rad io commentetor of DXKP':Pagadi<ln, ;lod host of the cable TV prognun "Enkwentro' (El1- counter) was killed 01'1 !Illay H, 20012. near the f'<tgadiat1 City hal! ami police headquarters. He W<l5·,01 mulu-awarded journalist andwas well-knowe for his reports exposing the corruption of gevernmen t officials,

The suspect in the killing, !OmlE!1" policeman Guillermc Wapil lc, hoi .... 'ever, W<lS, ., Llowed eo escape by the police before a. warrant for his. a rrest could be issued, l,Vapille, who escaped on Ianua'Y 28, 2.003 .r had [lwnplaced under the custody of then Provincial Police Director Ped ri to Reyes, precfsely becOl use of suspicions that he had cal'l'i.ed! out the killmg of Damalerio

On j'uJ.y 31, 20((1, Provincial Poltce Direc'i;or Reyes was able to g@t his full banefits amol.lt'lting to P899 ... 000 (almost $16,000) despite the fad that a alae 11..15 been filed against him in the Office of the Mihtary Ombudsman, Reyes is facing a charge of "Infideli~' in 'tlw Cuswdy of .Pri5,oner, EV,aJ~ion through Negligence." The case W'aS f.il.edin the Oi.llce

Attacksaga j nstthep ress__

oJ the MiJita:rv Onlb1Lld.sman on MarCh 3, 2OC!3 by I:he ~idow of Da:ll;uderio. The FFFJ wrote a ]e'tter to the Ombudsman alxlu'~ the iSSUE. [n us reply, the Offic-e of the Ombudsman said t!lUlt Reyeti' appJica lion for clearance was :issued on Febmary 27, 2003. It added th<'lt I.Iffjdavit-complaint of Mrs, Damal,e:r.io al~hough da led Fehru<lJ}' 26, 21003, wa.s "medalii.d duly.received by (our) records de:padtu(mt on Marth 3 O~ aft@'! .. the issuanceof the said clearanee."

Daraalerio's case would heve been it lilndma rk, became it was one of the rare ][15t1inces in which at least two wi tnesses had come forwa rd to ~deTliti£y the kil.ler soon alwl' !:he murder. The wUnesses were emphatic In identifying W.apilleas Dlunal.eTio's assailant.

Aecordtng to ShellOl. Comn!\'!], executive director of the Philappfne

Center for lnvesugattve Jour'DflJ]sm (PCIJ)r a member-tnstitution of the FllF,J lfke CMFR, "That ~s why 1,'Ye' are so interested ttl the (Damalerio] case because this, is a very ra re 0 pportunit)' for us to finaHy get the kiUei' of a journa.list This is a nne case ... where witnesses risked their Iives andsasd they .5awthe ktller and p05D.hvely ide-ntaH~d them.

"This ]s a chance to bre .. k the cycle of impunity which has allowed journalisIS to be kill~d:' Coronel said,

DuJlure: of inmunftv

Uruortunatsly, the ]dI]ing of joun'!.ilIl~ !stir ,especially .in tile countryside, :is both <l sym"p'tom and. it consequence o.~ !lI.e prevalence of a culture of impunilty. in which <I wea~ justice $yslem, by failing to prosecute those responsible, encour-

ages more attacks on journalists.

In a September ut 2003 press statement 001'1 the ki] ling of Davao Ci ty radio brcadcaster Juan "J""I1I" Pala jr, (killed on Septel'llhel' 6, 2003), ~he FFFJ said: 'The kiLbng of a nif one for IUs 0[' hel' media practlce-eno matter how imperfect thRt practice !Ila}, be - affects the W hole medla comm un i tyand. :i~, serjawol}' dan1agil'g to Philippme democracy."

Even the United Nations Educetional, Scientific, and Cultural Ol'ganizatioi'l (Unesco) was alarmed at the killjltg ofjrO'umOlIi$l;silll 2~OBr espocii\llly with th'e consecutive murders of Noel Vi.I.larante:in Laguna, Soujherr; uzon, 01'1 Au gust 19, Rico Ram urezin Agu san del Sur,. Northern l'vli:n.danao, on A ugust 20, and of Pa!.l ill, 'September. in a Septeomber 1[0 statement, Unesco DirectorGener,a] Korchiro Mil tsuura said "The JdUings undermine the Pfulippmes' proven commttmenttc freedom of the press S.i:I1Le the retu rn of democracy in 1986,,"

"As 'Iong as the gun is used to muzzle [eurnallsts," Matsuura satd, "there can be nc real freedom of expression."

During the FFFJ launch 011 Janu<i.l'Y 7, :2003,. NeU[I1LR11U stlid: ,', vVhen you siIence Rjo·uroaUSl, you silence an. entire com:m.unity. Wh~n you scere a press in <I place like Pa gadian (where Damalerio WiI5 based and kil.led)r you mil ke it PO'5- sible for-corruption ~o [lourlsh for other misdeeds 'to go unpunished, f(II' murders to go unreported, N

In a .fault 29 interview, jose Toreros, Senior' News Editor of on!! ne news si te abscbnNE\'VS.com echoed N ·umalln's observafion,

"Press freedom is indeed. being threatened by the killings," Torres satd ..

"But the murder of [ou millis ts Is not only lite killing of individual media PI'<I"'. titloners: it IS a lso the stlencing of press freedom." .,

Sweet Mary f. CawiL:r1/ltl mId Hector Bynmt t. Milcille an? stilif me;rubers of l/-ie Center for Media Fl'eedom ami Rc:>ptJlisibilily (CMFR). TIr£Y ~re tile Cc"ler'~ PI'e'ss Ale~'ls Project Officers.

joumalismasia_

17

M ed i aa n d elections _

CAMBODIAh@]d

I general elections to

choose a democrattc gov,enlment for the first time on May 23, 1993, nearly two y@ars after the Pads Peace Accord was sig»ed on October 23,1991,

The United N atiOTh5 Transitional Au thorny in Cambodla, popular Iycalled UN]' AC sponsored the ele<:tions, w hieh cost $2Jbi]Uon, Cambodia has since then had a free press" or far mare' than. 1] years since the country was freed from the regime installed by Vietnam in January 7, 19'79.

The free press of Cambodia has helped the oounITy~o establish <'I democratic: society. Under the successive cnmmurust reg]mes of the KInner Rouge and Ule Vietnamese who ousted them, thepress

W,lS the state':5 propaganda apparatus. J eurnellsts could not exercise their profession freely, The communist government 8ITictly contrQUed the ulI,edi01l! ins-titu lions.

j ournalists newsmen, <Ina cernmentators were not able to wtUe Or o.iticize grrvernment efficials and all thorrties.

T oday the Cambodian press is

q uite different from the press of the communist era. I eurnalisls can cr:itidz~ government officials and thecountry' s leaders, even to fu~

ex ~~nt of using th,ti! harshest language, Journalist'S alse participate acn vely in making Cambodia a more respected democracy. Although they are widelyregarded to be unrelia ble and. irresponsible, and. as .~ec5s professlenal than many of their colleagues in the Southeast Asian region, Khmer media

pracf tioners never therless sHU

play an impertan! role Inpreserv- Voters, in ti1ie M!iI)' 2101U general eilet:tiD.IillS

~jQLlmalisma sja

18

ing lind enhancing the free press in Cambodia.

lhe DIIOSS allier the e!IBmlo:ns

The media have an important role to' play not only as a watchdog of government, but also In educarlng ~h®pu blic about democratic elections, As. long 015 the people understand that concept th y can exercise their :right responsibl y and freely. AI though the media have

not done a perfect [ob in ed ucating the public, they have been doing their work t~re']essly,

"I don't expeL t a totally free and fair election in Cambodia, because it is a long wily~o go to a tctally

free affair. We ate trying to have an election in w bien the results are acceptable to both Cambodians a~ well as to the .i.nlenrntionaJ cornmuni ty", explained Mr. Sek Barisoth_ former Director of ,the Cambodian Communication Institute (eG).

"In Cambodian culture people tend to vote for individual person· alities, those they like. This is most important", he said,

The Cambodlan people had been living with COllUl'lunism since 19'75. People have been living wUh fear and inthnidaJion. This, feeling of fear sHU exists., though there has been no more oppl'ess.ion, officially at least. The people do not have, enough of unbiased information, The Cambodian press is deeply, politicized, and generally does not provide theirreaders with fair coverage,

A lot of people do not reaUy understand very well. what democracy is, and what a democratic election is, People are very poor at the same time. There have been some acti vi ti@ by political parties tha t have been described as vote buying. "They do not necessartly dispense cash, but other things to buy people' s vo res", said Sak

BElrj_ s oth.

__ _JMU.!L.IIIlJ...,eL!l.d.LLi aa n del ectlons.,

Amongst 232 bothregu ler and intermittent publica tiorts in Cambodia, 164 are affiliated with. or the mling par~. They have played a major role in the last commune of February 3. 2002 and general election campaigns of July 27,200(3, "espectiv,e]y, for the Cambodian's People Party of PI'] me IvtID~ster Hun Sen. During the campEI]gns, the papers received specia.l g#ts for their favors hie election coverage,

Sources dose to the three main poli tical parties say that the Cambodlan' s People Party spent at least $:10 minion dollars:

FUNCINPEC spent $3 milllon OOU,;ll'·S, and. the Sam Rainsy Parties $15 million dollars. for the July 27, 2003 elections, respeo~tvely. Parts of their planned budgets were spent on political advertisements in the media,

The media in Cambodia are dlvrded jnto those supportive of the' opposition and those support. tve of the government The progoverrmtent media mainly COVel' goverrune~t offida]s' activi ties. They are. not concerned with

ed ucaring the people on what the elections in a democratic SOCiety are supposed ~i) be. On the other hand, whil~ the opposition media always blindly eel tictze the government, they don't educatethe people edi ther, There is, EI media segment that may be de-scribed as independent bill t this segment is rela Hvely weak,

In common with other sectors of Cambodia's enlergi:ng civil society, the press has Itsel f not been immune to the country's culture of personality politics and patronage, During and after the UN intervention in Cambodia. a virulent opposition press emerged. Some 232 papers have been in operation a~ one ti me or another s]nc,e 1993, When pu blication ra tes peaked,

just before the Ju1y 1997 crisis, six dames were po blishing. ] n contrasl, before the UN arrived, there were only seven government publications and no daily priva te, opposition. or independent press,

Khmer newspaper publishers <Ire most a.ttentlve to the market created by the competi ti on between political parties, and personalities. Newspapers have published articles su ppoding opp (lsi tion politicians, one or the other of the ruling parties, personalities within various partie-s, or the king. With the excep lion of the' minorlty royalist or republican papers, these newspapers are not ideological. Their focus is not primarily on the making of policy, but rather on the possession of power and who should 01' should no t ha ve it-

In this ccntext, Khmer newspapel'S have been criticized - and to some extent rightly - for being poIiticaUybiased, cavalier wHh the facts, and failing: to disfinguish between iactual reportmg and opinion, That does not mean, however, that these newspapers cannot and do not also address serious issues, even as they help to fu t ther the political aims or their patrons by promotingpolitical dlvislon even as they despair over the violence such divisions might produce.

Publishing peaked during each of three political crises, which preceded the July 1997 even ts. Newspapers, attacked their polttical opponents, often slandering them through unsubstantia t,ed and unfair accusations or f, a brtcations. Across the political spectrum, editors worded about <I breakou t in fi,ghljDlg even as they predicted H and, at times, th rea tened j t. B u l as they wondered how political difficulties could be settled peacefu Uy it was dear - wh a tever the settlement - that their pa tron or

________ jcurnallsma -·1;1

19

MI,ed i a and election

party hadto come out on top.

A paIt from ~hei:J: political relationships, however', editors also wOn1'ed about leaders who could act without constralnt, about political competition tha.t WaS not channeled into peaceful confrontation, and ab(;n:d the build-up of armed bcdyguard u.nrits bound by loya.lty totheir political patronbut outside th~ law, They wondered whether there wa_s somel:hing wrong with a Ca_nlbodia that was soon1ing~y contiJ:'1uaJliy faced with crisis. Though th€Si:' newspOllp~rs had Dot developeda shared eonssnsus on what constitutes professionaI joul'J1alisUlo1 t!I;tey dJd share a concern :fo:r pe:ace in Cambodie,

WhUs'~ intbe W es'~1 th~ press, Is an Important part of the forn1al. organization of democracy, ~xerdsiJlg vigilance on behalf of an of ron inattenfive and &ome:tin\l~s uncaring public. in Cambodia the press has been critieized for i:t.s fallureto dothat job properly, The important fact is that ashared conception of what the press is, whati t might be, and what ]t should be, does exist in the' West,. des,pite frequent debateover these

jou [!DB I isma sia

20

issues. It LS, in ng~t of sometimes contradictory concepts that Us [(de i$ debated, criticized and shaped ill mature democracies

Not surprisingly, such a press has matertahzed in Cambodia. The remarkable post-UN proliferation of newspapers was made possible by demorracy-like condHiolilS ;(01 polittcal environment that was free .. though intermittently-; but never sys:tematicalty -oppress:i.ve). but also by a Khmer poHtical culture oJ personality pohtl,cs and patronage, Urntiil Cambodia's paHtka} ,mmpetition ill, channeled into democracy confrontations, ,a consensus of opinion on the role of Ute press and how it should be regulated will be slow to ,eme<rge,

The I'mpa,et on tho Itrea DIns

While Cambodia's many boisterous newspapers are generaUy free from onida] .sanct:i!o[l, ~he broadcast media remain captive to the political interests of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his allies, BecauS€ Cambodia has a low Lile:.r,acy rate and poor newsp.a.per di.s,tr~bu lion 0'1.1 tslde the capita]" Pbnom Penh, the press will not be

"completely free until restrietions on radio and television are I] fled.

The ,govemment, the military, and the two parties in the ru ling coalition, the Cambodia People's Parity (CPP) and the National United front for a Neutral, Peaceful, Cooperative, and lndepeudent Cam bcdia, d aminate the broadcast media. The opposition Sam Rainsy P'a!:ty has been trying m vain for several years to obtain a broadcast license, but their demand was

alw <lys denied,

"I f we give the Sam Rains), Party a license to open the radio station, the others need to do ::;0", said Khieu KanhaTU'h, Secreta:ry of Sta te for th,(il' [nfo:rn1alion Ministry. "The Millistry' does not ha ve enough airwave freq uencies fOT that purpose.

During local elec ttons OIl F~b['u@ry 3, the opposition pafties ran full slates of candida tet>, but the broadcast media virtually shut out opposinon cancl.idates. A European U nion (EU) mission reported. that state TV devoted mnst of its c'{)ve~o;Ige to the government and the CPP, leaving opposition parties with almost no coverage.

"Coverage by private CasnbedJa.:n TV showed a simil ar bias," acoo~d]:Ilg tothe BU.I n additien, the National Election Commission canceled a series of broadcast rcundtables, which were to give equal time to eight perttes in the 1~]ectiOns before the pou.

Cambodia has some 2.32 Khmer-language newspapers, most of them aligned with

poll tical parties and publis hed in Phnom Penh, A press la ''If H!" quires nawspa pen to be Iicensed and allows the govenunent to suspend or' cancel licenses, •

Ham Hak lS edi tar 111'1 d P~! {Jl i511i!1' of O!i! NfiV E.r~ J,r;mn1(1{ Wcdd!i'~ PlmO'm Pe.uh, Cambodia

•

By SOlilla Ralildhawa

;;.-;;;:.;:;~ - - - - __ _-_ __ _ .

5T ANDFIRST': Election coverage m Malaysia focuses on propaganda" ignores issues and is consistently biased towards the ruling coalition. It deprives the voters ,of information on the' real issues behind political party competition.

The Gene~ai Election last

March 21 was unus:uaUy

important for Malaysia. It was the first one in two decades WmlOU~ Dr Mahath]t Mohamed Ieading fhe nding Barman N asionel (B N) cealltion into the f-ray.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, caretaker Prime Minist'Er, appears to have a very different style from l1.is predecessor. He has been emphas,izing a more inclusive ferm of govenmllen~ and has begun a

mueh-pubhcized battle against corruption, Not all his critics are convinced by either raove, however. Some say th.at these dmnge.s have ]itt1e' su pport w~thin the party.

This emphasizes the

importance of this election for the BN in general and Abdullah in particular. That they would win was a foregone conclusion. What is lLOW dear is that they also won by a wide margin, strengthening

Mediaandelections__

Abd ullah within the party. Had the B N emerged a 5 only margine 11y stttmger, it would havere'1'lected badly on his mandate.

Unfortunately, this does not mean that the issues that Abdullah has brought up, corruption for example, were the focus of the campaign. The elec tion followed the usual formula of discrediting 'the Opposition, playing the race and harmony cards, and pointing to the alleged need for stability, security and unity above all else.

Gi vert the medie Iandscape in Malaysia! the internal battlelines determined the fairness and

accur acy 'of media coverage of the el,ections.

Mediial inl Mallavsia

Before looking at election coverage in Malaysia, it is vi tal to understand the perv 1};5]'IIeneSs of

government control of the media. This. it does through various

ins tmmeni.'s,. primarily through ownership and legislanon, Th'E two 'complement each ot-neT_

Print

In order to run a newspaper. a license is needed. This licentS€ has to be renewed. !lIilnua]]y. It can be revoked <litany time, and at any time the gove'.rnment can add new conditions to the license. These condlrions include Iimitatinns on langu"age. circula Han and ll'equ·ency of publication.

AU daily newspapers are owned either by the parties that make up-the EN, Or by those cl osely ~:med with (he ruling ccali tion, However, newspapers do not only

jQumalismasia

21

Med,iaa ndelections

belong to tbem]]ng parties, but also to U:le domlnant faetioru; within the ruling partiesl" Among Dr MahOlMi:ir':5 first acts when he sacked former Deputy Prime Minis~er Anwar lbrahim, was the removal of newspil.per editors closely lmked with Anwar. Likewise, since A bel utIah came to power, both the Nw 5 twalts Timesand the Star have seen new editors appointed.

Each opposition parly has its own party organ, but when the Islamist patty FAS' organ became overly popular, the frequency of publicadon allowed infhe Uceme was cut from. hvk:€, a week to once fortnightly, In theory, party orgms can om)f be scM. to party members"

Broadcolst

Contrel over the brosdcast media is largely exercised through owneTSnip. There are two fuee channels owned by the Government. However, the private stations ate owned. by members of the nLd:ing c;oilIi tion or those close rn them.

Jnaddihon,~he Cevemment retains the rignt~o change condiholI'llS in hroadcas.tin:g H~em:e5 at any time, Alth.ough broadcasters have, a right tesppeal, tihis has not as yel~ been exercised,

The main control thuseosnes from the broadcasters' desire to p[CJtect~hei[ own interests, which are bound up with the FIlling party. For example, in September 2<003, Smr Wodd aireda program caned 'Indian Underclass', which W!l5 not shown in Malaysia. The decision was made by

111 anagellll,ent of satellite network Astre.

The Internet

ThE Internet is the one medium over which the Government exercises no direct c()intw~,. with

IE!~EC1I1I0" SCEUIES: sirel8.me:rs aCl\i)css <li~lty ShEtet; wtersgather hu II Ir<l~lIy ,t b~ttom photo). rn~dom fron~. ,o~n!iQrs<Mp guaranteed by the ]o1!w.

The Government has tried intimidalu"Ig ~he online media ({O~ example, itraid~d the promine:ll~ news sHte Malayslak:in],oom in J aDJ;lary 2003}, bl!.l~~h.em.Aifi ronstrainl's~hey f~.ce remain fUlLandal hd~mel access is not widespread, and '~hefeade~ship of news sites is comparetively low, 'The discussion bekniV ~Q[lIoentrates

Olher r:estr~cHoID1Js

There ]S <I list of'sens.iHve iSllues'frh,at cannot be discussed openly, such asr ace,telligion and the special pri vilege5i1l(wrcted~o Malays,

Elec~ffic!!ns and.lllle .Media:

InsHm:t~final ls>sue5

There are <I. n.um ber of Ei'I.dors working against fair media coverage,

Fi[~1t,. tbere ]50 the general structure of the-media as outlined sbove, During the 2m).::! pre-e1ect:iol[J ~.l'iocl'nelws' pi&:es of politicians exllOftiJi'lg tile pUlblic to vOI~e for the ruling coalition were run on bolli. radiio and in the newspapers.

Spaoo aHocated. to the Oppostflon during the years behveenruect]On5 has and remains minimal. This generates an atmospheretn which only the Government is believed upaible of ru ling.

[n the past" the meW<1I have 'd!scove[\~d' slorie!S, .~!:erproven 1IJ1tru:E:!. a't I~h~ last .rn.inute.FOii f)(iilrnpLei in Urn last gene~aJ. ,eloction, H was aJill.eged ti"Lat MW<ilf bad .p@id NOOs and indiv:idU<l~$ b:ilHon~, from .ma5lliv,e i slush funds", The mrn.ng 'Of I:liIis did not aLlo,w any replybefcre vows wen~ tothe polls.

Second, wh[le more space is gi.ven to the Oppo-sttion dudmg the campaign period than 21.t other times, this tir.ne allotment has been steadiI y shnnking, The .21004 ,elections had the shortest ever campaign period - seven days.

Trurd, ill the last ge;nera] e~edion.. newspapers. radio and television sl'aitiom refused ~o accept ad vertis.lng from Opposition

parties. Theruling p~rry could,

and did, t~ke out adverti5emernt.~. Theile was one ~d vertis.ementin The St""I~, 9 M.mch 2003, trlJm Se]lIngor S'1:a~ BN Ctt~ir to the (caretaker) Prime Minister,

thanking him. fa. ]a1lllncning the state's, election machinery.

F ourtlr, <l. climate of feal[ is often created, which works in. favor of the ruling coalltian, This was

ev ident on numerous fronts. The adverjisements taken m.d by the ruling coalition ofteIII depicted scenes of violence and mayhem. The elocb:m~!Je were urged ·eo vote BN to sa f~gu ard tl1L~ir fuhlfe.

This ploy played lIl.po.n not just on concerns ever fhe

demoru;traD(J(1tS of [he Reforma~i period, It <115.0 tapped intoeonceens aboutracial riot'S. The Ias~ time the BN ]ost its two-thirds maJo.fity ]0 Paili."IJ:lnent was in 196,9, and race riots with an unspecified death kin l"eSuUed1•

The newspapers helped creal\'! this fea_r. A couple of days b~Jore the 1999' election, the Ni!'w Stroll's Times ran a two-page f>p'r~ad on the ] 969 riots, The spread consisted of ](]:l$ 0:£ pk:1tul'e$, but no o1Ina.ly.$;i5_

Pi fth, issues ]'eI,ating diT~Ctly to 'the elecnonsssueh as geITym!lnde~g o1If1d the role 'of t~e EJectti,OJ'lJ Coro_Il1t~iol1., are not diSCU.S$ed in detadl ]n the' media, if <It all Since the last General E1edlco, rules governing the electoral roll (\'1ot:erst lists) have been chM'\g~<t malking it d:iffii:cult,. it no'~ ilmpo.ss~bJe, toehallenge the roll .run ,mutt. The amountreqalred for deposits has increased, maki:I.1I,g Malaysia one oi~he most 005Uy ccimtrles in nUl world to Iosean election depGs.it.ConstituenG~es have ab;o ken re--cm'tfigunoct\<!o itllill J:iHle debate or d]s,cussion.

An election wakhd.og (Marne:]) ~!l~ claimed tha t in one wn-stilmency, over 7'0 % OF those [egis;~e'ted ]n the electoral ro]T for the ]a.s~ elect.ion. we.re phantom voter~.l, This, cQl1IStituency was ()ine of the rno5t hotly contested inthe la:st ,g,eneral e]ectioFl"

None o:l theseissues has been niticaUy acamined by the media. While the Opposition won o'ller

4,0 % of Ute voh'! in the Ias'~ ~roctiO['lS, they received less than ,a third of the ooah •. This was ba.l'~ly mentioned in the Dl.edia. Neither w,e:re dlserepandesrecorded by the independent elee lion waJ:tl;:h NGO (pemantau). It is unlikely lha~ these will be discussed after (he electron.

5ix.th,. there is am absence of critical debatein the mediaat any time. Key issues in M1LY M~la"ysia_n

Med ia a nd e lecfions.,

e]ection 1I1'E race- with religion playing <lFI i:nc:reas]ng~y importam role, Howevernei ther issue' cat! be discussed openly ]]'1 the media, due 00 their 'sensitivity', They are specifically pr®mbHed hy the Sedition. Act.

Other issues ranging fron\ envircamenfto ~he widening gap between rich and POO[ am given Up sendee, if d]scus,sedl at all On env:i:l'o]lJ[!l1en1t, fo]' ex,amp]e, broocl~ b~sed lopics :!j;l!].;h 11$. the need to protec~"""iki~ife can be discussed. Sut a ,criitk;jl~ ]ooic.!lt development isu[llJikdylo~ea£hpr:int

Voters ;lI~ ulged to vote, and hJJd tha~ it is theiT time to choose the ,country's path, However, they are no<t told where ,eillier path takes, eXClept in crude slogans. Ratlteiillhtm oo.noe:ntrat-mg on the personalities of indlvld 1I,:Ia] peliticlans, the media ~ends to .focus on the pell'sonalities of political parties, and what th~y daim~o represent The issues are still .~eJt uudiscussed,

Th.e 2'01011 ell£lIoDI SOl faJl

Evenbefore the c~paig;n peried had offid.dl y begun, diserspancles rn~he standard o:f reporting w~ a lT~.:Idy evident

The Oppositien parties d D receive some ccverage, SQIl'!!e'nmes ~n relatively unbiased repOlits., Howe'V~r, the ruumbeil" of aFtides om the OpPOSiDQIl was dwarfed. by those on the ruhfl,g parties, If news about the Oppo.aiticm makes ~:he second page, .it is a sign of pmgreses"

Over .radio,~l1I.e week that

Par ]jame.nt dlssol ved heard h·eadJ]imE';S H"Iat included 'PM (}()rtrf~denl of two-thirds majority', 'PM pledg~ to brlI1IZ continuing success', 'l[jmmo win accept all Keadllan members wHhou~ conditions' and i Dr M S<lys PM to decide election dates", And that

____ - __ ---;JOL]nJ)alismasfa

23

_Medi a a nde~ eet i 0 []S

was in j ust one news broadcast

The English-language daily

The Sttl:t cond1l.:l.ded surveys on the popul.arHy O'f slate ass,emhlype:rsolt5, oon~roverl>ia] projecBand the gelJileral public's

01 wareness of l!he~r elected representatives, The pmihlem i~ that the figu:r,es in. the SUFVeyS never seem. to add. up,. Fo:re';\{OI!mple, more [h.an. half eould.and could not idenl1fY~he parties of" ~he:ir assem]ymen~ "

On U1Le SatllrdaiY befolf\e

Par liament dlssclved, the police staged riots in U'IE! state of Penang', purportedly for training purposes, and they have since engaged in fioHr.a.inmg in Sabah, The pu blic was Informed that riet police would be on stand-by during the e]octim:'ls. The possibiUty th.a1 this could Intimidate voters was not discussed in any of the media.

As yet the only serious discussion of election issues has been ~h,@ pcsst bilHy the Or.;lng AsH (indigenous people) n~!ly field an lndependent candidate, @s they are d ismusioned with ",]1 U1!e poHtka] parnes stamciins" This story WEIS

rQurni3l~islIlil.SJu.~ _

24

[Un on]y in a regiO'n~r ve:r:srO]l of The Sfar"

PosiHvE d.e'i.l':e]opments include the Alkan. MatorysianEIecHon Med:~a. MQnUoring weibsite and the oove~a,g¢ gi vel:l!~O the"e~!lU$ of 1l~8~liI!tch by Mah~L 01! Jargtll!y independent 'il!lec~jol1t walx:'lld.og:. Oirl~ of the daily newspapers, newcomer Orie,ltal Daily Ne.ws, has, :Stated that it will cooperate with Altran'steam of m.onltors.7"

IDo:DC~usl~o,D

In Malaysia, elections au~ no~ an opportu:rIlity flJli the peopleto choose a l~W govefrn:me'nt They are only given the cption o/! relrerating, sb:ongly Oir weakly, fhelr support :l1o~ th~ existing administration. The media reinf:on:e thfs through their lack of cover.age of is-sues. Opposition pelideians, or Imbalances inthe elecflon process,

SeriQl,Ill problems that have surfaced since the 1999 Gelller;:l[ Elecltio:rn, such as the roleot

M al,aysiaFl:;: minternattonal terrorism., the d&:reas~ng spaee fm freedom of eXpre.551.0n Or

Iaformadion or the increaslng n.umhet of people in. pove'rt}', are 1!'l:I:'i1ikely to feature in. medi.a (Q(ve.rag:e. Instead, the EI.ecti()i.ri Ccmmission threetenedto have candidates arrested if they make "persona] aHegations' B.

Despite Abdullah's public commitment to tlw eredicatien of corru plti:on and his focus on accountahility, the media were not wdling to take any chenoes ]0 their reporlti:llI.g ofthe elections. To 5ameguRrd their Own posi Hom., they need a Barisen N asional vi!c:lory, atl1ldlthey got it I.

SO'11 ia RarlJhtiiwa is a Jh~dDr with the Qm ire for blaep6'l1denf lounu,I{rsw. The cell tre 5 m'tliu project is RruJ.iq .fu1.Uo, tUl ilittepet!tllm t, cmm'J'.rmlilyMsed rIJaio 5t1i~ioJt. She IM!S experienre in both pn/l i a,tamd:io.

Endnotes

1 See IEdmund Terence Gomez, i)ec'liine ol tihe Matay,sia n press, PIJI::lI~h ed by Mallaysfa kin ~ .. com, Apri I 2, 2003"

2 iii'! e af(jk:lialrigu re O'~ 196: is considered! by commentators to, d oIWl'lpliaytM .F,eal num ber ki~I.eOl.

:3 Tihe constnuency was Lembal1 Pa.lI1w i, see Ma laysiaki n LCQm, Mareh 8, 2004, "EI~ion watchd og: IElecW rai r,ClJI tainted, postpone poll/s'.

4 Oredit must begiv,en to ttie Alir.an Med ts Marllito ri ng website hltp:/! 'MNW,'i[J I i Fa rlLDD mjCM rler/mOJ'lltor5/

in d ex.htm~for fTfI!;Ite rial iin th is .se~tlllIL 5, Reported Ol"lAlir!iln Me<~ial Mcmilmi ng, slte, Ma rch 6.

6 Re'pmled The Sta r 25 February 2004,. to be staged 0 n rebruary 28 in lPenan~

7 UnrortlUil18ite I'll. this dOeS not seem to Ihave' tr~ nsl;;lte-d i nto 1l"1ir co .... erage or a II pomi~ I j;l~1ir1i~.

8 Ttnsa ppea rs to be d lrected at the Op position's aJl~®g~tions thO'll som e

ca binet m i n lsters ,<'I re mvo Iwd in masslve corruptlo n. Reported on Light n IEasy Ra d lo, Ma rch 9, 2004

lAKART A ~ "first day of

c<I.m. p. !lign . .r.ecoe .. i v,es.... lackluster reception," The J~kat't,rJl .Posf

ported Malch 12, 2004. The hesdline il, its Man;h 13 edition reinforced the prevj(lill.S<; '" Day two campaigners find deserted fields."

The 2.2.-day campaign period that kick-started March 11 sees Indonesia's 24 politlcal parties scrambling for support from lndonesie's ]47 million. eligible voters who weld to the polls April .3. They elected a new national

pa~ l:i<lment or DrR. a provincial and district-level legislature OF [lPRD. and a new body, the Re"gion,d Repr~eD~atives: .A~mbly or DPD_

The DPD is sim.ilario the House of Representatives in file

Philipplnes and the U.S, in w hkn ~he ele<:toopersGrl l'ep[">ese:nts his or her region in Ule nation's capi1tal A~ a !:'ep"l'es~ntative of aregion,a. DP'D n.~ernber propeses and p,artidpatesiIll drafti.ng l<1ws

related to :r~giorna] concerns,

Further down the road Om [ur~t 5 Indonesians again go to fhe pons

to eleoct <I presjdent, the fus~ ever direct election. of a head of slate by the people" Since-independence ill 1945, a president has been e~eded. by the People's Consultative Assembly, MPR wh~ch functions as an electoral co]]ege.

A Utird elccfion is scheduled .mr Scr~· 20. if needed, ThiswiU be <I Hln-ofi contest between the two presidential candidates who garnered Ute most votes bl!J!.t f<lHeiI. ~ secure more' U"lIan 50 % in the first baUo~.

How am the media" 'cl[lv,ecrlng

Hili onoa in every five Y'e@ffi event? The dailies give 'copious space every day. Some of their reporting serves to make Iegislatlve ;;l_]'ld presidientiall can did Oil tes

M ed ~ a and el e ct i 0 [] s.,

Indonesia:

TV STATIONS CASH IN OIN

CAMPAIGN COMMERCIALS

jnuma:lismasia

.25

Mad iaandelections

accountable for what campatgn promises they hot ve made.

For instence, the laktuta- based daily KOriJplIs in its Marrh 1. 9 2004 issue, tabled the pledges politicians have made on the canlp~ign trail. Presidential hopcfu 1 AnlknlRais dec,la.ted. in Parnekasan, Mad ura, M~u',h 1.6 that in his eurrent fiv~yeaT term as speaker of th~ MPR, he has never commi tted any act of em rupti on, If elected president, he claims he will remain uucorrupt.

M~anwhi]e Akbar l'al1jung, general chair of Golkarand front running presidential candidate of his party.pledged in Kola Pehnbaru March :n that hi8 party wHI make 12 years of schooling mandatory and that 20 % of th~ state hl]dge~ will he allocated for ad ucabon during his watch,

In it gam.e of one-upmanship, Mahtub Effendi, alegislative candrdate of a smaller party t vowed. in Be1'l;gkullll March 11. his par~y wm strive to secure 40 % of thenatlonel budge·~ for education.

For <I magnified look at what the press has. reported arnot reported on the election, five media NOOs are cooperating to monitor coverage, The Press and Devel(:JFmelJj~ Stlildies Institute, l5PP, and four media-watch organizations in Med~I1I, 5emarang. SurabaY~t and Makassar. have published Media Mon i ~Qr, a newsletter to track print media reporting 01'1 the 21004 election.

Itatmsto I1l cmltor to what ex~nt t:heprjnt media provides belanced coverage on all election participants, bo thl~rge and $ITIaU parties, lrrespec ti ve 0 tr ideological orlentation, and without fa vor ttl

a nyparti.cu tar gl'{)UP in the election.

Its firsl1Z·page issue March 2004 U1.~ Morlifoy carried <I lead

_jllur.nalisr.n<'iS~",,--_~ _

26

buy airtime on TV using their big name candidates <IS point Megilwah SOEhmopuh·~, rndonesia's incumbent president, is spoke~person of her party, the PD~·[P, w hiLh has. a black bull with a whlte snout as the symbol. Her TV message to voters: punch the while snou t.

Indonesiens enter polhng booths and p~:mch the picture of the party of their choice along w ith the name of thie candidate on the ballot paper with a pel1ci l-shaped pierdng device.

Megawati's three-word line. "contos Jtlo'nco'ng pUhf-l/' is nnw .regisl1ering with people. OnE lndicadon is the creative play on words of the s.logal1tl:M'I~ is now sprouting as a verbal sport.

Not to he ou tdcneand outdistanced is Sitl HardjY<l~HH Indra Rukmana, bet~r known as T utut, She isthe eldest cia ughter of Soeharto, Indonesia's longest

serv il1lg pres~dent who was OU&tOO 1.111. May 1998 by people's action that inchided the occupation of ~he Parliament building by students.

Tutut's TV spot ·caUs on viewers to vote for her party. She appears on screen head and shou ldors with the image of her father P['ojoct~ct in the background,

The'lpO'wer of TV is not lost on the politictans, a power confirmed in a J uly 2003 Indonesia Public Opirucn Survey rand ucted by IFES,

MecHa Monitor alms to monitor to what extent til e p ri nt med i a provi d es balan ced cove rage on aJ I e lecti on parti c il pants, both let rge an d srnal ~ parti es~ i rres pective of ideo I ogical orientation, and without favor to any pa rti c u lar gro u pin th e e lecti 011.

article on what the media" have reported about the candidates. .A favorite focus is on w ho are thetop presidential contenders based on survey results. One independent poll the media has pu blished is carried out by Sug'eng ~ryadj Syndkaled (SSS). That poll placed MegawaU Soekamopu tri and

COl binet rnember-businessman

J USU[ Kalla as the favcri res for president and vice president arru:mg 45. Q6 % of 5,000 respondents. The pair of poHtical· sdell tist turned politician Amien Rais andretjred Army general SusHo Bambang Yudhoyono g~t 44,3.8 %.

On cover <Ige content. the a.rti(Je's main crUl.dsm was that the media are less. 1ikely 10 report on the programs the parties are o'Uermg to address the e(on.o.my, and specific issues like what: policy should b® taken on h~nking assets af~r the dlssolution of the Indonesian Bank Restruetu dng Agency, ]BRA.

Coverage has been more concerned on the "herserare" analogy on the ~oppresjch~nt~a! candidates jOl1ltling fur the frO!I]~ position, the report says. Indeed much of theuewspeper reporting 1S on Ute campaign activities of~he big parties that mesh in with the.ir ad vertis±ng drlve.

To get their message across to ~he widest public, themajor parties

the h'lte.rnatjemar Foundation ful[ Elertien Syste'IIls_

hl a. m!!ll]tist,['JJge random s1"lmpllng of 3,m:W Indertesians in all of the country's 32: provinces, the survey reported that TV is the primary source of information of 8.2% ofthe responderus. Radio ]S the first choice of 8% .md newspapers 4. %. NEl'wS pwgmms are the most populartype of program on TVRJ, the state-run ~,~ati{)n fo!' 49% cf TV viewer'S"

TVRI is the' OI,1J~,y St~tiOl,1J with natilJO]lIW'ide reach ODV€TiIllg: <In ilr~hipelago f;betching 5,OOOkm. fmm West tn Eas-t Use of 'TV.R.~ ]S especially high in Aceh, Maluku, and Papu a, three provmces where armed. conflict is rife. Some 94.% of ""i~W>Ers, in these three provinces repo.rt watching TVR I. at ]east once a month. In Aceh 85% or the respondents the'l"e watch TVRl dilHy.

According to campaign rules, ~;lch political party is allowed ten 3(I-S-e(;ond spots daily in any one TV sta !:ion f:o:rthe2.2-day durerion of ~he campaign However, wellheeled candida tcs haveviolated the duration rule by a~ring 2-]/2 minute m]ni-fj.tory messages" Both the pa:rty and TV stations concerned have been given written warnings from. the KP'U,

lndonesia' s m.ectiorts, Commission,

Although on.ly nine of the 2:4 eligiihle political parties air TV eemrnercials. the TV stations are m-aping a bonsnza revenue-wise, As the campa ign perio d materializes as a sellers' market £~lions sell air time tl.at requires pof tkalpa~ ties t.opay before broadcast Parties pa j' 20 minion rupiah (US$ 2,5(0) for a 30-second ~-po~ on prime Hme, 6·7 pm and. 9- 10 pm_

A TV station. can earn as much as 1. billion mpiah {US$ 125,000) <1J r;lo1l"Y for airing campaign ads, Budi

_ ___._M..LL •• edia and e I e ct i ons.

Darmawarn. the public reiations m,1'l:nager of the prtvarely-owned SCTV, to1d the BEe Indonesian service.

]I a eandidata owns III PI stanon, he or she can. take advantage of H. Surya Pa]oh,ll. presidential candidate of the Golkm p<'lltty, .~5 owner and CEO of the J akarta-based Media lndmtesifl daily and the 24-1Hn:lJ: news channel Metro TV_ n gOES without 5aytl'lg that: Pa IDh' s campaign 5pet=~hES and aetivities get promirn.ent play- in niB news ou tlets,

M<lFlI}' of the TV commercials are :!;ll]per§l.ci.al Their centFa] messa.ge is an exhortation to '!I~ewe,[.s~o vote rotra. perticuler party. As if to comperuate for this lack of voter ,edllJlcatio1fl,. TVRI has daily aired an hour-long public issue pmg:l"am. during the campaign.

Every ['light from 8- to 9 pm foul" candidates Ii!;(lll;t Oil pom;icaip~r ty ar-e grilled by a panel of urdversity lecturers on their party pl.<ltfOrni'L As l f tha ~ was no~ enough, students on the floor follow~up with.rnrther tough 'ql,l~tion[ng oncurrent issues.

]n one g1 ve and take, legis~ati ve ,candidates from. the Po.l- P, Megawah's party, we:ie tll.kien 10. task with q uestions on corruption and the conduct of ~!egisllllors who. habitually do not attend parliamentary sessions, The candidates were justas quick in damage control.

Q: "~y is Me,g,awO!li's Odhinet so sj(~,w In de\~n~g with OOIIiU.ptiOR?

A: Megawarl's Cabinet i!; a

rain bow cabinet of mjnn.ermlS p~rtje~_ The PD I~f COIIt' ~ be blamed solely for the cab:inet" s shortcomings,

'0: How do you deal wiU •.

ill hsentee legis],aliI'!o~ in your piU'ty?

A: Olir party has the highest number of party members of any p<l!iI ~ th a ~ have boon dismissed for

ffi]SCOl'flduct,

Meanwhile SCTV, the Ja~arlabased private station, runs a phone-in poll inviru'\g viewers to send a short- message via their mohile phones to. indicate th~r party preference,

In radio, the popular 24-ho.ur Jakarta staHo.n HI. Shinta has a daily n'L~et your party program. A functlonary of a political party is invited on airto speak a bou ~ his o.r her paI~' S progr1'l:ms and am wer listeners' questions. Although the broadcast is between. 1-2: <In,\, i.t has a 5,rrong foUowing.

One party to watch is [.he Muslim- based Partai Keadtlan Sejahtera or PKS, the Prosperous Justice Party. Although it has only seven .MPs in the current 4:50-s(l'ol't House of RepresentaJi yes or DPR, '~be parity has tou ud iii niche in the public mlndset. Its appeal is i ts widely reported and :pmven honesty,

PKS ~egi;s~a torsat the national and provincial levels have consistently balked at graft in a n:!l.tiOin where 'COITU ptlon and. money politics are aculmre, Po r its TV ads the PKS fuah..lTes prorninen t people, a well-known comedtau and a fill'll actress. for instance, who testify that ~he party's members can not be- bou ght.

Ano ther entity on peep leI s watch lls ~ is not a. par ty bu t U~le man who. founded it We-ll-,liked Susilo Boll1"1bang Yudhoyono, l<Ilh!O goes by th~in] tia]s; SBYleH his core position ~s pclitical and security affairs mindster in Mcgawati'r; Cabinet early March to campaign. He is using .his Democratic Party and nightly TV ads as hss vehicle to replace his former boos for the

1 uly 5 presidential [Un. •

W~rlef Djl~fJ,j!fo BIIJsorie is ,II jounwUsw inetructo« al the Dr, Soelomo Press Iusm~rl,e.

JQlJIma~j sm~ . sla,

27

_M_adLaand e I eet i D n s

t,

SOllia Gli:titlIul \~ffilins to a crlMd durin:ga publi~ meeUng of 'th~, 1!Im;~rprMleg.edl OlaTlt cast-e in De'[~Jl. . - PiHOT'OS !l'I' ANITA IUlMAR

From left, Indian 'l1Ill1'1e rl!I'~lItlistcr Alai Blhari va.lpayeew!lth the preside:nt: G,f hlsl;l.arb'T BharaNl)lOi Janata Pa riy, M .. \l'enka~alh Na1t1u" and leputy IPrume rlMnli1lsrer n Adlrani (J:UJr· ing ~he lEU ]ii's fir.st majmr P~l?pc:il' rally In IfIle," DeillitJl

By Radhika Mukerji

"A ,'' 't f, I) ~.., "

, ,me.m lVaJ ,S JOt J'\MJ1V 5 SOil

- Hindustan Times "Big Test: Vi/ho will be the Sulttm of

MnUan?" - The Times of India

"Stop M~ca$l of s/.andr:rmlS adrllZrli~e-

men is: ElectioN COJn r'll issiou" - The Hindu

ASTHE world's largest ~emocr,acy prepares to elect its fourteenth government within a month/what do the headlines, which appeared in three of New Delhi's most widely read dailies.tell the reader? Barring the one in, lIThe Hindu" - still considered a COl1seJ'V'" rive paper - the others say little or nothing about an event which impinges on the destinies of millions of Indians.

lronlcally, however, the other rwo lead stories area 180 fda ted to the elections. "Arnethi waits fu'T Rajiv's son" is. about India's first' political family spanning five generations. The .5aga of this farnil y started in the pre- Independence

period when an affluent hnvye.r, practising in a town in North lndia, involved himself in the periphery of the Freedom movement to throw the British out. He was Iotilal Nehru, father of }awalmr1a.1 Nehru, who became the first Prime Minis ~er of! ndependent India ..

The Raji v of the headline was

J awaharla I.' s gTands on frorn his daugh lier Indira who acquired the Gandhi surname

Ms. M!a'l'.;lII't,a,'U, Ipresident ,of the Bahujan S.aiilill.iIIPartr. ciffll.ich r,e;ii1Ji'esentsalrnost e_:t~!~s!lY~l¥tho rig~ts and ~i!IIte'rests of tlilQ l!!ndlerlpri!lili&,gl~>dI (lOiSleS

after !:D:larryll'!g poH.tkal activlst Fmow Gandhi. who was no~ a

rela tivc of Moh and as, Karamchand Gandhi, better known <I~ the ~Father of the Nafion".

Amethd, a dusty Hnle town in the north Indjan state of Uttar Pradeshywasthe constituency which elected Raji v Ga:l1,dM to the Lower House of the Indian Parhamen~,

It isback inthe news because Rajiv's son, RahuJ. analumnus of: earn bridg\'l University, is abou t to !Hab his political debut from the place tha t nurmred his ]ate father_

If a headline encapsulates a SW!')', wh a ~ does one nta ke of the Times of iwtilis? Irs about the TllagrUJictim.~ Indian obsession called" cricket, Wh~!i1 India plays Pakistan... ~heramlfkations a:r~ dead.~y. How is cricket linked to palitics? lf the ruling party. the right-willg Bharatiya Ianata Party (IJ.JP) is tv be believed. a cricket vidmy for lndia on Paklstan soil is enough to ensure tts returnto pOWel'.

The I3JP ]s serious in ~ihli5 belief

Last week U: relessedan ad film which shows the Indian Prime Minister Atili ]:Uhari Vajpayee saylng that if 11.] players can make l.1J~eam win w fiJy cannot OHe billion people pled,ge~o vote his party bil.Cl: to power? Vajpayee's message was teh:::cast aga~mt thebackdmp of jubiIa;nt scenes from the c ]incber res,t match played'in Lahore" The '

M ed i a a. nd e I.ectilo []S

visuals conveyedthe sense of mecho triumph and jingoism which defines the BJP's version of N Indian nationalism".

Let' s no'~ forget that when the British rl?-drew the map of India and carved Pakistan out of it Lahore was orlginally meant to 00 part of India Either by deliberate sleight of hand or a careless stroke, the city was parceled off to' Pakistan ~I1S read . But the move Jed to one of the b:~oodje5t Hindu-Muslim clashes inthe subcontinent. £xpec[ecUYr after India won the LanCJr€ m"'1tChr~be BW sent <10 S[v1S tt'l.essage wbi.ch claimed, It Kashmir ill ways belongedto US; J" oday we conquered Lahore."

Vajpayee staked IUs personal convktion in the criclic~ rna kh because early this ye~rf when his, government decidedto makeup with Pakistana ftera long race-off hy offeting ,a package Qf "confidence- buiiding measures" I 11. key componellltw asthe resumption of ~pm'ti:ng lies. Nei ther In.di.<l nor PaUs[.an have played each other on their respective soil inthe last 17 years. Afte.r the attack on the Indian PadlamenI on December 13,

In{lilliOi Prli m.e Mi r1is,1!er \l'ajll!ayee gH~eti:i1lg the captain of~he ,lndia'mJ '~rlcke~ ~:eaJm. SQl!~<!!v 'G,mfiui:~, bofQroth(t te<il1H depart:el!lto play IPa[.!jlstanf,o:l' ilhe first time ilil 111 years.

_________ jou.m@lisnntCl:;.i;;L_

. .29

1M ed ia a ndal ect ions

2001, India and Pakistanrefused to p]ay each other even Oil! neutral ground,

Although games like hockey and soccer are popular in bot-h countries, cricket has an appeal that is emotional. Its overtones are po]iticat WOl'se,frhe sporthas

spa wned and su s-l'.a&ned perutcious myths about Indian Muslims, the ~a['ge;tl'digioU.5 minority group,

The most comrnonis when India plays Pakistan. The eountry's Muslims" ~ay~ this, myth, invariably cheer for the "enemy" country and go into "mourndng" when Pakistan loses, Theedifice of Viljp<lyee's par~ was erected on ebjs n1yt.h among several othif.':rs about M usdras,

But havID~ opted to piay the peacenik, Vajpayee wentagainst his ideclogjcal grain. Varra_yoo's Deputy Prime Minister LK Advan:i- perceived as 111Qre ofa committed ideologue than the

pu bli.dy affa.b]e PM -raised concerns about the h:IJ:Uan team.' s securi ty ill Pakistan. a week before its depanu:r,e. For a while it looked itS though the match would be called. off, Vajpayee stood his ground. His belief was India must win jn Pakistan 0 buttress the ~h:rU:5t of Ius pol:ilkill campaign whose catchword IS "India Shining!" Indian industry is booming, its i.nformati.on~chnology expertise is the ertvy of the US, its granark:s. are (wel'f1owing, Hs foreig;ne:xchan,gel'ese:rves are al1J]p]e, tbere are less Jobless persons, more school-going chi1d1"e~" and a hove all, India and Pakistan have become mends. This is the vision of paradise the HlP' 5 ad campll]gn has conjured,

However, the campeign has its vicious underbelly and this was taken no ee of by the Election Co:rn.missl.c;m, a statJutnry body whi.ch irs independent of the

_j_ou mall i sm a <::ia

30

government;

The headlines I quoted have sd out the broad contours o,{ elections ~004. They indicate the followmg trendsthat have emerged so far:

~ The dominance of personalities over issues;

• 11'1Je' media' s willingness ito .swallow the B]P's c~aim that a. "feel.-g:ood" sentin'lent per·, vades the' counbyi

• The trfvlalizafion of an event: whoserelevanceis being undermined by <I. COiba] of inlerests, including the media. the corporate sector, a disi:l1I:~er~ ested mlddle-class which is wming~o pontificate on

morali ty and ethics, but hesitant to actually partidpa.l!2 in the exercise of its francbise, and the po.liMdans themselves;

• Theincreasing use of smut in. the campaign,

Indian polity has been. <In interplay of personahties and

issues, In the yeaffi fu.l!oWII1Ig the CQuntry'·s.independence, it seemed as though Its political history was jnsepilra Me from the pe<.rSOll.'1 of

J awahar lal N ehru, But that was not th~ reelity, Nehru's greamess lay ln fhe fad that he steered rhe national agenda. away from the i.mages' and memeeles CJ,f Partition to the task of nafion- building foundedon thetwin pri.nd ples of secularism and 50c]<!,]ism,

Hi-s daughh~'r, Indira, ruled for several years not just on the s~reTigth of her personahty but also on the nOV1erty of the slogans she coined before elections - the catchiest ooiJ."lg "Ba nish Poverty"popullst measures Uke the nationa.Hzation of banks, and ending the special privileges and pusitior. accorded to Former ki:mg.-5 and queens, and w:in:ning a war aga.inst Pakistan,

Indira's son. Rajiv became Prime M~nis~ef at 40 and was seen asthe hope of the youth ,. But his cherubic demeanor, easy manner and a penchant for-com pu rers were not enough to see him through his fiveyeer term comfortably, A c-QITUp"

WP 1J:re~ld!l'M M \I4;lnka'li;]h Haldu w~lilmlJles DP :li'1iI0tiy into his par'l)'. Ylldill!, fifliilti Ihtdilals most plI~mcaUy cr'i.t~ialstate,. Utta.r IPr,a,d'esh, has 38 pending ,~rlml!!al cases ra!'QgI!!g~m k~d'n",pplng and ~xt!l:rIilon m m~li'liI~f,. The IElJIP 9.poelled ht[lillwtl (Jkl(l'S litter because o·f I!i'l,edi:a preSSIUre

ANNA I':!U.MAR

tion scandal, emanating from it defence dca L, saw Raji v' s exit in the e'Jecl::ions ~hat followed fiiis first

term i11 office. for the next few

years, polity and the media were preoccupied wilh issues rather

than personalities.

The post-Rajiv €'la saw two major strands weaving their way into the polity, religion and casteism, The ownership of a 600· i'ear oM mosque in a tiny pilgrim town called Ayodhya was transforme-d into 11 major campaign

issue by the BlP, H provoked <'I

series of violent Hindu-Muslim dashes and polari.zed the polity along religious lines, The second was, the emerg,ence of socio-

political consciousness among the "backward" castes and Dalits who constitute the 85 percent underprivileged classes of India,

So acute were the manifeststions of these two phenomena that it was impossible for even the elitist media in English to ignore them.

The BIP':5 asclt'lnciancy to powe.r for ~he first time in 1998 saw an uneasy cahn descend on the Hindu-Muslim front in that BIP's leaders decided that if they were to be taken seriously as rulers not just domestically but by the global communlty, there wes no way they cou ld stoke ethnic conflicts for electoral dividends,

Governance was serious business and more :50 when I ndla Jettisoned whatever pretence it had to being 1\ socialist economy and adopted the line of econcmie liberalization, A "global" player con} scarcely r:isk spming blood in its backyard all the time"

As for the caste "menace" r as the English media dubbed the phenomenon, the B J P's skiU in realpolitik was put to good use to either coopt the smaller parties, representing sectional in terests,

IMediaandelections

Sonia Ga.~dhl relellsil:llg lie manifesto, o~ 'the 1!!Idi'MI N !ltiona'il Cc:ngr,e>ss. 'Te, her left: S-€:IlIm Congres.slea.d'er Plrat'l!ab Mukherjee, her' ,adWiSor on e~onom'l!c: policies", milA KllMAR

ioumansmasla..

31

into Hs network of patrcHl<'!,ge, or n1a[ginaliz'e~hLi;)m byaseimila tiug "friendly" caste l!ll.aders into i!;s . Met

PIn'SODllIli ty politics w as back. A leader, on. lil,e wrong side of .seve,l1i:o/, with no proven intellectual abilities barnng writing poetry with lines like "One flame in eve:ry heart, one s.ong on. every lip, one aim in every mind, and one dream in every eye" and no pronounced, vision was deified 1IS the c'f man lndia awaited".

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had ,IHHe other than his oraterical skills 10 recommend ,him" He w as sC<lrrcely knownand reccgnized in large parts of India, especially theeast and seuth, Yet the media assid uously built' him up as [awaharlal Nehn:t's only "worthy" .successor' by putting a gloss on certadn facts staring H in the face: how as iIJ student acti vist, he squealed on his comrades tothe British police i]'l 11.942 when Ih,ey were arrested for participahng in ~ protest demonsh-8Jtion,~ha~ he dr~w hls ideological sustenance from the Ra~htriya Sow ayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an organi,Ultion founded on the phHruoJ'hy that India is a nation of t1le Hind us only with other relig~ou6 minorities Ii v jn:g off their "goorlwi.I1" I and that w hen ]~ suited. h]ffi polihcaJly I V <ujpayee was prera:red~o junk his "liberal" image to a bu S€ a:nd v]lify M uslims,

He was projected as some son of an iconoclast who was read y to take On. his id.eological fmJlIlI~a:i:n-· head. to preseEve ]:nil:iil'.s secular undespinning, The realHy W <Is that when thousends of Mm;]ims, were butchered in the' western province of Gujaf<tt in Febru.ll'), 2002 with the activecormivance of the provincia] government, wh:iccn was ruled by Vajpayee'::; party, he looked the other way, refused to ask the ch~f nunister to step down,

and. eventangentially Justified the viole'.nce in. his public speeches,

CQ[lJtJtas~lh.e Vajpayee nype with the somewhat. raw deelthe leader of ]ndia's biggest Oppositkm po;lrty, the Indian National COllLgl'~SS (INC}, Sonia Gandhi. has got in UlLe press. The Italian-born Soni,jjJ, who was married to Riliiv G~ndhi, bp~ ou~ ofpolifles for eight yeaesafter her husband's assassination, But U1!J~ peculiar dynamks of~.~er party's working, wllich is inspired by the profound b~Jid that the Nehtu-Gandhi family alone is anoin ted 1:.0 rule lndia, forcedher out of seclusion into the hurly-burly of politics. Irs arole Sentia still seems ]]I ate<1lS€ with.

The ElW wentto town on ]Wf "wl'!l!ign" ongin, Desptte UHl fact nta~ t.hll!' Indian Constitution allows a naturalized citizen ~ irrespecti ve of w here he or she Was born ~ to occupy a high constltutlonal post, including ~hat of President and. Prima Minister, the party wove its cam paign arou nd the supposed need to prevent "foreigners" from ruling India again. The theme struck a chord in the middleclasses, which shape opinions through mooia and oth!l!f wrunw, In tIle rural areas, Sonia's ll:aIian at'Lt~edent meant nothing because she won the 1'999 elections from two places wit~h record victory margins,

The m®dia,induaing a. section of th~ El,glisn press, hastoed the BlP's Line on Sonia Gandhi. WhUe ~he English-language media by to underplay the "foreigner"

aspect :50 as to sound politica.lly correct, one suspects that tbe Congress Par~ is fTIirever geUi.I1L;g the short end of the stick. Soruais inept, clueless about India., only promoting her chHdren in politics (something most poll tical leaders in India do, anyw~y)~mcl a "pels-

oner" of a coterie of aneged pcn .. ver·, brokers, This is the message one tends t:o get ffOll'1 the media,

[f~he media are to be believed, the outcome O'f~he ba me between Atal Bihari Vajpa yee and Sonia G.mdhi .15 a~[e~dy known. A letter which appeared on it media watch portal in IndjiIJ called Thehoot.crg refLects orne slgn:incaul perception of the media's treatment of the elections.

Written by K S Sudeep of Mumbai, it begins by asking n Why ts the 'n"mes .of fndill (the largest English daily) promoting file I3JP over Congress?" Sudeep cites a number of reports from the special election pages of t'ne March 17 paper:

BJP kicking, Congress lis Uess:

"For sheer aU'itude, you have to hand it to the BjP,"

New-look web.sHe, age-old jdelil:

"Porget a bout the issues, the Congress seems bel be losing out to the BW even on tll€' campaign front WhHe the B JP announced file .Iatl:n.cn of a high-tech

bli tzkneg last month, a me-too Congress upgraded its we bsi te with a new look and fuel."

B JP selects candida t'eS after sUl'vey

ron forum:

"TheBJP is riding the Atal wave, ls there nobody in fhe Oppositlon whocan counter Vajpayee's popularity?"

His commene was: "If ~'hey are g'eUin,g money from a particular party fo], pub]kity, can't ~hey at least try not to l1l<1ke it it ppear so obvlous?" •

Rr:u:1hilm Mukerji ie o~~e of Ih!! Stm ior political mwlysis of India wha has ~m)e-fed elections, nalir:mal and pfcmincial, for 2G years, She is the ell rrent Politir:al Edito'!' of The

T ~]egrapb,a dai{y rmbli'sfwd fnmJ Ctlkl~H(l-

IMed iaa ndellections

By Luis. \1'. 'lieQdo rQl

PIIU'f1'~"""""""""""'-"""-'-"""""'- _ , , __ __ __ -

SEVERAL thousand e]€clive POS]tiotll.s·~hom president ,vice p~~id,~nti sena mrs and congl'ess~lf~nfur the bicam _ eral Philippine Congress, governors, vice gov€mo,ys, provincial board members, to\'!lJl mayors.vice mayoes.and municipal couneilors-> areat stake in. ~.e May 10, 2004 PhIDppine elec tions,

The results. wm decide the kind oJ gO\l€[[lanCe Fmpinos "",HI have l-o live w:ifrh for the ned threetosi» yea.r:s, They are a1:so expected to' LmmBd:iateIYll·ffect :[he .state of the

stock ma~ kd end the value of the lPhilipprnep~o. In addjtjol1l .r by UUl for"Oe its lexOID[Ulpie, U"leprGcess t~]f" will help d,ecide whether Philip"pine poi tics ",Jill..[ rem_am Ol_S

focused onpersonellriea since IlliIny n¥~d]<I personali ties· are cunning fQf office from P:res:idcnt ~o town aounLi~.or, ils~hey havelbeen in the last decad.e" Like the resu Its, the same precessis a.lso likely to affect tlte economy p1l!r1ticula-rly-. and most immediately For cifi-

zens - comatmer prices.

Because they entail the ex penditure of vast amounts of money, Philippine elec tiOIU: are Inflauon<1!~Yr and U1IJEt May 1 (I elections <Ire no excepticn, AIUwugh[h.e number 0'£ ~lecti;ve pOSits M1:d Ulen:!fom the

ELECTIONS 2004:

MORE OFTHE SAM'E

jQurnal.is!"lli1S.L.iL_

. ,33

Med i a a nd elect iD_05. _

number of candidates have it bearing on Uris effect, the amount of campaign spending for national offices is equally, if not more contrlbutory to the increase in cnnsu mel' prices every time there are national dec tions.

Th~ cempalgn costs ,spea.k fur theJ:n5e1V(1!S.Esnm.aoo~ of the amount needed for athree-month presidential campaign to be

,. credible," for example, have ranged from P1.5 billion to P5 billion, and even as high as P10 billion. Candidates for senatorelected 0'11 a national. rather than distri'ct level- spend hundreds of millions, while candidates for Congress who are elected at the district level need war chests running into thetens of millions, These add u pta massive' boosts in the money supply and a cheapened peso.

The huge costs include the price of placements over radio. television and print. as 'well as the printing of lea flets and posters, the purchase and distributi . on of .caps, T-shirts, vests and, other campaign pa:r,a~ phernalte, as well as for hiring poll watchers to 5€e to the fidelity of the count at !the individual precinct Level. Although offk:iaU}' unack.nowledged, it is an open secret that campaign war chests may also incl ude moOney for buying votes and for hiring thugs to intnnidate vote~,especiaUy in. but not limited to, remote communities.

The astronomical cos hs of Phllippine elec tions end up-being recovered by candidates once they're in office/and are at the same time indicative of the opportanities for corruption. By putting so high a price in being elected, corruption is practically guaIi'lnteed to continue in an unending cycle.

The high costs of campaigns for political o:ffke"howeveJ:, are also

_jnLJ rna lis masi a

34

among the consequences of a "mnltiparty" political system in which there is. no. ideological difference between the' contending parties, and no demand that they presentcredfble platforms to. attract voters.

These :result in a focus on personalities rather than issues, which in hun makes name-reca U and popularity the most important - some say ,the r.;;nly - crlterion for being elected. Media expos,D.re tlIus becomes critical, hence' the

need for placements in print ["IS well as over :radio and television, not to mention the printing of millions of ]posters, leaflets, flyers, and sample ba Ilots.

Meanwhile, because the electorate does not =r=v and usually does not get, any discussion of the: particular candidate's position on education, po p ulation ... and employment generation among other critical issues -of governance, Impoverished voters end up selling their votes to the highest bidder

rath~r than voting for those with w hose position on the issues tlbtey agree.

G]ve~~ the importance of: media. ezposure, it isinevltable lna"t the medfa end up playing a crltical role itll.PhU:ippinee]ections,

w ne<t:hecr at thensnonal or the local level

]n mal!lY eases their involvement in support of certsincandidatesis decided not so. lIlu.cn by indivi.dua.~ practinoners' honest pl'eFerences,

btl ~ by seIf~.i.tlI:~ere5l. ELect-~ons are

_____ ,Medilaandelec±ions

major occasions for media eormption in the Philippines, the forms of whlch range from pu blishlng the occasional press release for a .fee to being paid retainers d uring(:he ~n~ire campaign. and even . serving as caudidajes' links to other corrupt journalists.

in print practitioners have the practice down pat. In a 200::1. artiele for the May issue of the PJ~;Urp!lW lou:malism Ret"!i.ew ("The-P.oliticianMedia Conspiracy"), former beat reporter Amtie Ruth Sahangan intel'vjew~d a numoor of journalists whoadmi:U~d t:h~ir involveITl.fl'nt in til.e campaign for the:

Senate tllat year as paid, secret puhlicists for poli ticlans, Sabangan dlseoveredan elaborate. hiera:rchi~ cal sysl!:Jm comple"re with oocre~ codes to fi1!JdHta!:e U1Le operations. OF w hal amol:lnu;~o" 011 crime syndi-

cate," .

"While al;ceptilllg bribes is a year-round vice among [corrupt journaHsts]," said Sabang,an, during an eleetlon season "tIDu~ corru ption among m.'my 0.[ the supposed purveyors OF truth and fairness in the media IT<lrtSFom1S much OF the prcfessien into a virtual crime syndicate."

It1Ldkativ,e of ~he pr<lctHioners'

awareness that Wh'lt they're· doing is unethical and COliltrl'l.ry to the values of the profession is the elaborate care with which they mask what is going on with a secret code.

The politician cand]dilt!il, for exam 1'1e, is referred to as "the Lord," because he Is the sOllrce of all the ]i1tgesse that ev~ntuOllly ge~s into the pockets of C'!:lIT[!P ~ media practi tioners, The Lord hires a

ba ttalion of media "soldiers" to win the elections by high]~ghting not only his su pposed achievements but also by undemlining the credibility of h is opponents through sensational charges and a]legations of wrongdoing sure to make the headlines and the six.

0" dock news.

To. exercise command over these soldiers. the Lord hires an "archangel" who is usually a senior or retiredjournahst, or a seasoned PH practitioner w ho knows the media. particularly how~oget practitioners on his patron's sfde, thol"" Qugh]y. As eleetion tiH'LC ap" proocnes, said S\8Jb~mgal1, lhll! Nardl<1nge~" hires "shepherds" !Tom among his ful ~ ow journalists or [ournal lst friends,

The tasks of the "sbepherds"

jaum8Jlisma<:i3

, 35

rather than. voting for those w:ith whosE position on the iSSUES they a:g;r€€.

Given the importance of media exposure, it is inevitable thaI the lne~Ha end up playing a critical role in Philippine elections, whether at the nationaf 0[' [he local level

]0 many C<l~S: their Involvement in support of certain candidates is, dec-ided not 50 much by individual prac ptioners' honest preferences, but by self-interest, Electionsare

diaandelections

______________ ~uw~~

Call1didate for presIdent IEdllla~do Villanueva makes tile ¥iC1!D'iYslgn

major occasions for media ,oo~r!lpnon in the Philippines, the forms of which range from publ.ishing the occasional press release for a fee to being paid. retainers during the' entire campaign, and even serving as candidates' Links to other

corru p t journa]:ists ..

In print, pI actitioners have ~he practice down pat In a 2001 article for 'the May issue of the Pllilippim~ J~mrna!i6.~j Rem:etu ("'The PoliticianMedia Conspiracy"), former beat repm"ter Annie Ruth Sa bangan In[e-,rview,ed a nurnher of jOUI.na]~ ists who- admitted their ]]"I\I'lQl vement in the cempaign for the Senate tha.t yeer as paid, secret publicists for poHtid,a.ns. Sabangan discovered an ela borate, hierarehlcal system complete with secret eodesto farilitate the operations of what arnounts to "a. crime syndicate."

"While accepting bribes ]5 a year-round vice among rror['upt journalists]," s aid Sa bangan, during an election. season "the corruption <llmong many of the supposed purveyors of truth and fairness In the media transfmms rnuch of the pmiliession into a virtual crime syndi'cate .. "

Indicative of the practitioners'

awarenessthat what they're doing is unethical and contrary to the values, of the profession is the elaborate care with which they 11lagl\::: wh.<lt is going on with a secret code.

The politician candidate, for example" is referredto as "the Lord," because he is the SOUTC€ of all the largessethat eventually gets into the pocke'is of corrupt media practitioners" 111e Lord hires a battalion of media "soldiers" to win the elections by highlighting not Oldy his supposed achieve.!ltents but also by undsnnintng the ceedibih ty of hls opponents through sensational chargesand allegatio.ns of wrongdoing sure to make the headlines and the six o'clock news.

To ,exercise command over these soldiers. the Lord hires an "archangel" w no is USI111]]y a senior or retired journalist, 0[' a seasoned PR practitkmer who knows the media, particularly how to get prac ti rioners on his patron's side, thoroughly, As election time ap~ preaches, said Sa bangan, the

.~ archangel" hires "shepherds" from among his f:erIow journalists or journali.st friends,

The tasks of the "shepherds"

_____________ .... j.aumalismasia

35

Mediaandelecrlcns

are twofoM. Tlhey tdefilli.fy and ,gu~de'''poin~ men" in the newsrooms who see to the publli:c<lJi:on oil the, candjda~e! s preS5, releases and who OIled line shepherd about

unfa ... orable stories on Ius candidate. Theyalse "takecare' of reporters c:ov,e'Jing cO'lmpai~

sorties bywa:-y of asstuing their tr'UIISPQrtation, accommedattons and n aUow ances" from the Lord,

In c:ompilFisoFi to their salaries; the ,~mounU shepherds receive from their po~iticia(ll P<iltJ'ons can be SUbS.l!UI tiai, a~ time'S !lmouruhng 'k! half a mlllionpe$os {about

510,0(0) tOT the tbI\ee-nrtonith duration of c;;!J:mp;:Iigml"

The "flock" the stl..epherdlake; care of are edi:to~s i!il the newsrooms and reporters m the fieict Sabangllfll :said tha~ one repo:rtecr d,e-5~r]bes what editorstecelve for publishing a press relcl1!Sie-

P5 )O()O - as "a plttanee," but that some edl tors fron. the l.1igge.sl dames receive antOUnhi as high as P2,OO,OOO ($4,5QO) a montll. On the other lhand,fEtporhll's ooV'e~~g; campaigners in. ~he fid.i are

Electlons are major oceaslens few media cor .. ruption ~In the Phi II~pp~neiSt the forms of which r,ange from publish j1rl,g the occasional pre'ss release for at fee to being paid retainers dur~ng the entire campaign" and even serving as candidates' ~ j iii ks to other corrupt jou rnalists,

Philippme dec lO!rilJi campa]gl:il;S, conslderlng that thezeare ,elev,em broadsheets ;lIna numerous

tabloid s Jn Manila alone, plus sevetal dozen radio stations, ana nine free TV ch(ll'llnels. ] n addition th~ro are huru:beds of fOiJdio and TV stati.ons. and smalinewspiCIpel:s outside the National Capil:aI Region of metropolit.an Mani~a .. Even more crucially, however, media co.r.ruption puts ~ n aol,]! bt the i.ntegrity and even accuracy oftfhe i.nformafton o.n e]ection-re!ated e'II\erI.t.!i and developments lhL~~ make H wthe neW'S colurrms of newspapers and into the evening TV Il.eWS prcgrams.

One of the c.h,j!r~cte~islks of the m.ed~a ,~o'V1e'ra.ge .of 'the currem campa~gn is ~he p1!oife1'!l1fi.oflof reports of scandals against some of the leading candidates. These includethe revelation, seen'Li:ngly indd~ntar to the story abeu t a petition ql1e~tiorl!it'\gthe cit.i:ze:nship of actor <lnd opposition pr"€!sidenlti,al candidate Fernando Poe, J~" that he is i1~egilim..lte, and tbat he hitrI.SeJf hasa son outside wedlock.

A d~ini.strl'l1tioFi vice pre.s±dential candidaie <und TV I'IleWS reader Noli de Cash-o', on the ot~eF hand, has boon Ute subj'ect ·of stories allliegi.ngthat be has extn:rted morney from u'ldivjdua]~ in exclharn,ge furkillU1;g, stories ClVer his erstwhile TV piI'Q~'@m.... and. tll\uU Fte has f10tbeen supporting ... daugft'n... tel" he had sired ,out of wedlock, President Gloria Macapaga.l Arroyo has so far been immune 10 PHOTOS Sl( IIJIIO Ot:AMPO' such - stories. fOf the m.ost part,lfrte

"nourfshed" wili1. food" money, tromsporl'a!tion alkrw~m;:es and (l.Qoo1l:1lmodatku;lIsrn the best hotels, The ro'la] expense per repot~r can com~ to P15.,OOCI for a two-day COV1e!"rage of the candid .. te' scampaign swing.

The system does [1Qt end there.

There are abo" a!t@r boys/' u~uaUy assistants and derks in governmant infor.mati.on offices, w no a"~ charged with photocopyifll,g press rd'.\<lses, I'il..mnit'\g errands., and t€lCeiving and releasing .fax mes:sages for reporters, These .ecei ve a, few hundred pesos In a.u,gn"!.~nt their meager gcvemment salarles.

Sllbali'\gan's findings reveal a sy:!'i~m of eorrupuan sOil!~a;boifa~ly crce.ative H can only 00 wid.~spN!ad. They also show that lhe media oonrr:i!bll]te heavily to the costs of

,C'aOftf,[JM!!iI, PaDlfihJ' Latson gives a,wayg~d]l$s joumalismasI"

36

_M_edi,aandel,ectioos

ulltfa.'II'orab!.,e reports on he. have been Iimited to aC'CIJI sa nons by the opposition that she has been using guvernment hmds and resources flJE her campaign.

Equll]]Y characteristic - and th~ oHter side of the two-faced com of the focu-s OIl personaltties ~ is iii distitu:t lack of focus on Ithe issues that in impoverished Philippines, demand goverl"lm~n t attention, bu l whic.h. ]lCJ.os.t of u~ eandldates have either add!ros:s.ed only tangen Hany or !lot at all. The necessary consequence has been to concentrate on the candidate who's best known. In the (UIT€l1t campeign, tha't rnndidate is Poe, who has appealed in hundreds of films. by virtue of which his name and fa.ce are known to practically every Filipino,

In the :fiI:st two w,eeks of the start of the canlpaign laliit Febmary 10,

Poe took the lion's share ofmedia coverage in both print and TV, said the first report of the Center ro,r Media freedom and Responsibility's Citizen's Media Moni.tor:ing: Project which CM.FR is undertaklng with the support of several NCOs and abou t 40' student vchmteers. Poe was followed by President Arroyo, and the three' other candid,ldes running for p'cesident Whi~"e Uw focus on Poe 'was unders'tanda ble bl!!cause of 11 petition seeking his disquahflcation on the grounds that he is not a natural-born Filipino, this focus, continued even. after that s,lol"Y had receded as a result of <I Supreme Court decisiQn dedal'ing fhat Ulere was nobasis ~O!:' his. dlsqualification.

While ttue second CI'vlfR report noted some aUention being. pa1d by tne Manna newspaper Philippine

Daily Illqldrer to such issues <IS

em ployment, poru.la ticn, proposed amendments to the Consti tu tion and poverty, television news remained focused on covering the candtdates 0 n the campaign trail as wen as ·~be slew of accusafions and counter-aecusetions among the candidates for the presidenq and vice pl'e5~dency that hil-S, characterized the main bulk of the campaign so, far,

Although the findings of the CMFR project so far show no radical departure from media coverage of the past - this h <IS ronded. towards a focus On pe:rso,n.alities, on sensationalized reports of charges and counter charges and (o,ve.rage of the campaign trai] plus ;;ICC011.m ts of w ilia t the surveys .say On the "horse race" aspect of the campaign-the unique character of the May elections requires an

Jouroa I i smas ja

37

IFilipinD VOTERS (t~l!IlInd IbMiltom): MOfe of fliliesame

equally l!UII]q ue way oif covering fhe'm_

The uniqueness proceeds from a number of fsctors, One 15 the fact that Mrs. Arroyo is <'1:0. iru::umbe1!'lt president running for afull terma possibility the 1987' Censtitu tion, which bars. a S€con.d. term Fora. Philippine president, apparently

did not anticipate, That Constitution simply limits the rerm ofa president to one six- yeal' term. MIlt Arroyo, however, was not elected president, bu~ as. vice president in. 1998. She succeeded tothe presidency in 20m when

J oseph Estrada W OLc5, removed fn:1(I11. .office v](:[ a popular upriaing,

~a1.~iI5~rnil,·aa~s!~aL_ ..... __ .......... _

Mrs. Arroyo is thus q uallfled .(:0- run, but beingthe incumbent, has been accused oE using: government rnnds and other resources to furthe.r her C1unpaign. By itselJ this charge should have merited some investigatjon by the press, nor to mention. someanalysis, perhaps based on expert evaluation., of ]ts imphcanonses well as bearing on proposals. to amend the Constitulion.

Of even more urgent concern is the rampant disaffection with the electorel process as <I means for iFilipi nos to chang€ ~heir le-aders, This d ~saffec'lion is the basis of a ~e'Jldency towards extra-legal mea:llS to solve problems associ<'Ited with Pilipinos' olld. choice of ]eaders <15 a resu It of the demonstration effect of People Power 1, which removed Ferdinand M.m:o\S from o.ffic:e and. replaced him. with Corazon Aq uino ]n 19B6, and of People Power 2, which. ()Ulsted Joseph Estrada and replaced him with Gloria Mac'<'!ipagal A rroyo in 2001.

WhUe H could be argued that Marcos wasan usurper barred fronl am) t her h!I"IH by th e 1937 Constitution which Iirrdted the number of four-year of Philippine presidents to two, his pa.rt~s<lns sa y~ha t [oseph Estrada was democratically e]eaed,thus making his removalextra-

cons titufion al,

These developments constitute part ofthe conteXt in which the campaigr. for the May ]0 e]ectiio.t1S are beirng .herd. And yet only in. the rarest or ]nstattces has this context made it to the Philippine media, which so far have continued to 'b',eaj~ the May :I. o elections as business es usual, •

b1!S V. Teodoro i':s editQroj Ou:. Philippine JOll:rna.l:ism Rev.~ew an d tf!adl,f!5 ju.tim.aUsm at Ow Universiiy of are .f'ltaippim$.

_Med iaandalactions.

Elections:

CITIZENS' MEDIA MONITOR

(For the first time in the Philippines, the Center for Media Freedom and ,Responsibility [CMFR] is doing a monnorot print and TV coverage of the PhWppine elections. What follow are a desctiption ottn« scope and public value' of the project. and the first three of its pranned six bi-weekly reoorts.)

BACKG ROUND & RATIONALE F1L1iJINOS HAVE looked to th,e ballot as an lrIstrum I}nt tor cha nge and reform, With jts ffiCO\I1l1)' of indepeMenoe (rom the US in 1946, PllIjlpPlne electrons have served as a \'oay to lnrow out the incumbent president and the perty in power. Sinoe 1986. when Peap e Po'.ver topplell the Marcos. regime. Flllpl1l05 have pa,rticipBtedi in elections with Ilig.h voter turn-outs,

But disencha ntme nt h <IS darkened the PSOSPi?cts of el sotions In the call ntry, A.o'ter !9%, WlU1 reform measures reversed bytJle traditional politi cia ns 0 r trapo.s (rags).. belief In the J)(l.SlllVe fo rce of electoral pollitics h as been shaken. Polibica,l ta mil ies whOSle' n~ mas cfaim publ ic recall havo qu ic!( I)" ta kel'! o~e r turf. MDreand more. party lead~rs have cnosen candidates on the Ilasis of popularity, net much cMferent from the "popularity" gained from the celeb rit}' Of notoriety of pe - formers in show business. Th is axpla i ns why the strongest conteneers tor publiC office have come, not from among those in govelm, menl and public service. but from tnefiel<! etemertalnrneot and orosccsst media. The JatLill assure the kiM ot exnosure required for !'lame rees II and publ i c awa reness, M edial have ern erged as k.ey tn the victory and defeat of a pol itician,

Burt ca nd idates seEiITI to h~ .... e tu FFlad off m1iFlj' concerned Fi lipinos who have felt tihat electio ns no 10 n~er p rc v llje a meaos 'for choosing the national lea,dershop they de~erve.

The national elections of May 10" 2004 pose an unusual chall enge to th e med ta.

1) n is the fi rst Ei me 5.i nee the Marcos period that an incu m bent presiden t is S8a kmg elee ion. The cOl1stntutionallimit of a six year presidential tsrm has ruled out are' ele>eMn 1St president. in GU rrent po liti ca~ re,alit)!, But since President Gloria Macap.agal Arroyo di d [lot get elected to a prssl dential term ha'o'lngsucceedootha resign.ed Joseph Es~radOi in 2001. the rule does not apply to r.~ r. The dyna rntc of elect~ons cha nges when li'!ere is a m ncu m ben t seeki ng election: and Filipinos need to understand this.

2) The deep polarities d ividin~ U1@ !WI iti, Dalfactions a Iso heigt1ten lhe tension of eleo, Mal pol' ncs, with partisan porities immersed ill an unprecedented revel of h06~ility.

3) Concern atso Focuses 011 \hB fact that yet another popular movie actor with no ex, ~eriel1oe in pouucs an o pu bllc service is tM rront ru nne-r in til e po Ils,

4) There a re four major co ntende'rs in tho presid!mtia! contest. Hlere is general lIgreoe-menl that ored I ble e lec·tjor'lS Will lead togreat.ef pol itic;3 I st;atdllty, provi(1 i ng a c lea r mandate' to ..... hO(l .... er wins. 8\Jt such miJl'tjpl~ contests otten raise more ClueStlOns

about. who actus Ily won 111 e e tectton. Mlo,de~s for Citizen Engag€ment DESPITE th.a ma~ prob,lems nocn ding the electoral e~perrence in the Phirippines, Filipmos nave produced some very important electoral models. Hlilise lncluce the' citizens' role a,swawhdog otthe' ballot count io the National MO~'ement far Frea Elee, lions (Namfrel) and the-voter education pro' gra m conducted by the ch urch (Pol rish Pas, tcra! Council for Responsible Voting or PPCRV),

B I.It one crl u cal p recess t'h at. has esc<l'ped broad PiJlbl ic scrutiny IS tne rolo ot the media and tile press and the wa.y coverage and reporti FIg h.gh I ig:trl se nous prObterns in the conduct of the- press, Despi te the proliferation m the media In this COUntry anc the demonstrated power of the press in the Philippines, there h~l<!> been 1110 public involvement in media watch programs,

CMFR nas coMLlotedi content analySIS aM reviews of reportage including the coverage of elections. The reviews. of Hie coverage of elections of 1992. 1995. 1998, 200,1 have been IJmlted to print media, These content analysrs reports ~~ere pUOI;lshed lfl tM ,~mlrp'prne JomllBI· ism Re\i'i'ew afl:.er the end! of the campa ig1'l and elections,

For the 'fi rstt time, th is project i fllVol,'es citizen ,gro lipS in a broaosr me(li-a ""011.01'1 o~ press coverage, to i riel ud e coverage of tel a'>,jsion, Th is project is a fil'St In Pli i I ippine e lectora I expenence. For th e first. ti me atSD. CMFR will release reports of thefindings during tna campaign penM; 50 that news organizations can review their par(Ormance.

Med,i!;l tssues un the Elections

These IsStJ es i i1oll{)lve' weaknesses of ~ press SYS.tt;lrfl and the lack of vigilance oyer t:he t,aJlings of tl1 e press.

1) Fi rst, des.pite the proliferation of new<; oT@ln.imtiOrisiri'thecol.inty"thereremall"lsa tack of a tru lv inf:o rrnativs press system I n

the Ph iiippi nes, .

2} The pu blic has not a ctsd a s a vigiJa fit and critical consumer ofthe news ..

3} Media follow a political agenoa, foiI owi ng the spi n doctors and ca m pa ign managers rather thalli setting thei r strategies for informing the pu blic about what they need to knOw.

4) Coverill§~ ISll'Iu5 perSonarily-lxlsed and

Ice lebfll)'. QnentM,.

5) Me<1la Co rn,lilti an

6) Low I evel of' Dom p~t~fl~ in the press, If PI1 Hi ppin e democracy is ai'l i ng, then

olearty tl1 e press i5 part 0If the synd rome

and propos,ad soluttons m ust involve cha nge in 'the press a nd its pracuce.

I n '~his current situa tion. the rot e of the media tekes on Imge-r si~n~ricaU'lc-e. Media exposu Fe and coverage ar~ cnuca I to sue, eEls-Mul campaigns. The performance of the press, the acceracv, fairness and ba.iance of reporting and commel1tal)' are significant ISSUes In the projection ofa candidate. Med iOJ, reportlllg that covers ttl e e loc,ti ens as a, Circus or just another "horse race" will not help veiers weigh their options and their chOtOO'S SenO!.lJSly. Med[a reporting that is based OIl wln and sta nt ..... i II add to the c~cle of disirformation inherent In prQPa~anCla, Journalists in politteal pockets, wi iJderlnltely rob conten ders of thei r fa ir share oHh ~ P ublIe rcrurn,

VJh ere camp.aigns and etectronsare conducw-d on lheforce or persona!lt'! and popularily, Ule media can take ~M ,easo,' way and follow Ule lead OHhe,. political playerS, 2004

may ell mean Just more 0 the same of

what e have seen or worse. But perhaps

there is an opportunity to help the media take stock and setouts Plan for more rational and balanced cov~ra~e. tor dfawit'g ol.ll the candidate views an d pIa ns on Crltreal ISSues, and tinal~ far promoting mor~ dialogue and exchange betweefl candidates and the voters.

PARTNERS: CIVIL SOC! ETY COLLABORATION

To aoco,ml)'llsh 'the monitor of televiSion.

CMFR has engaged.a's partn. erstne Caucus of Development NGO Networks ~OODE-NQO) and Pagbabago@PilipmasaM selected tao- 1.IIt~' membe,rs of the UnNersdy of the Philip, piries Collage of Mass Cornmumcanon (UP (Mel who Mil oonve ne a COrpS 01 students to q I,lan:tlty TV coverage, i.t)ese are P.rof.1.U!5 V, Teodoro and Prof, Danite Ar<ilO. The)' \0/111 b)e assisted by sel eeted students ..

Volu meers have come nom the ranks at:

'(\'s50ciation of Major Religious Su-

periors In the' Phflipp~nes {AMRSP} .

. • ca~t"!JS of Development NGO (Code-

NGO) Secretariat

C-'OIncewe-;j Women of tJ\e Philippi I'les (CiNP)

• Edl.dca~i onal Research and Develop, ment Asslsta nee (E R DlI) F oundauofl

,. Metlfo West Netwof1k/Sun For All Children

Philippine Business for Social progress (PB5P)

~ Ph.ilippine Partners.ni p tor Deve 10 p, merit of Human Resources and Rural Areas (PhIIDHRRA)

.' Union of Jou rna,1 ist:. of the 'Ph i lip.. pin es-ti po (UJP)

• University of the Phi lip,pi flies .1oumalrSfr'l Ci lJO (U P JC)

JQumali.sm~~"d,

39

_M_e:.d i aand e I eet ~ 0 n s

Hrst report on CMIIFR's Elect~ons: Cit~zens!' Mled~a Monitor

POE WAS MOST COVERED CANDIDATE

Februa ry 1.6 to February 29

THE NEWSPAPERS monitored for thLs. proJect w~~ the tll ree TIh)I"t widely-circulated MatroMattila -based broadsheets -Ijhe Manna BunetiI1:, the Phil ipph"Le Daily I rw~dn:t, and the Philippine S tar. The television news progr<l_m~ monitored were "Prontpage" (GMA 'I); "TV Patroln (ABS-CBN 2); "News Certtral" (Studio 23); "Insider" (ABS.CBN 2); "Saksi" (GMA 7);, and "'['he Wodd T'onight" (ABS-CBN News Charme1). In addition, Il'he pLIMic affairs peogra In "Dong Puno Live" (ABs",CBN 2} was a.isomon:itomd_

The researchers tou nd the ftrst three weeks 0,( election coverage ~o be suJHdent during Me first two weeks. During the thkd week (FebrLlary 2(l to 29), however, they noted dU1t re.levlsio.ll coverage of the erections W1H'Ied, Th@l'l1) was (H,e day when no election-related stories were aired! in one of the news progra n'l$. The Center for .M.ed:ill. Freedomend Responsibfllty (eM fR} beHeves t1'!at the: p"'t~n of media coverage bears wa telling"

UlEV,IISIION {OVERAGE

D1isilow r1e an~~ii~

AU six television news pmgran1s

covered all the s]x candidates for presldent.w h:i~.e the lone public ~ffair5 progrol m mO['iljt:ored,~ Dong Puuo Live," covered tJiVD of them during the period_ CMFR noted hew the two networks did not ignore the lesser known candidilJ~es, Eddie Villanueva and Eddie Gi.l; and seemed to m,aLeljlweffor~ to giv~ them their f~ir share Qfn"l.ecl~.a time.

Because of the disqualfficaticn p~li· lion H~e:d <l,gainst him before the Commissionon Elections (Comelec) and lab~~'i the Supronw Court, the major.it)' off the re ports were on Koali~y Ol1i n,g Nagk-"lk.1Isang Pilipino (KNP/CO<llinon of the United FiHpunos) candidate Fernando Poe, Jr. CMF.R noted more stories .01"1 Poe' $ ca~npa:~gfl~even before fhe disqu,difkation story got into the

news"

'if'.he<5e reports included not only stodes Cl:n Poe's citizenship andthe d~q!.l!al i· ficatiol'!l case against him, but: <'lIc50 SOLlie on his "love child" by a I.l1DV1(! actress snd the question of whether he or ::enator Panfilo Lacson wou ldbe the .opposinon s~ndard bearer,

The fcllowi ng graph s,how tl~e <11- Joca tion of TV <I ~ rtinw to Uw six candida ees for president. The Koalisyon ng

Ka:ral1Ja~1n1!d Katapatal'1. para S~ Kina.btlka5.U!i.'s, (K4/Co~llition of Experience and Trust for the Future) (;~m'la Macapagal Arroyo was second in the Dum ber of repmts on it The third most reported oncandidats was Lacson, Notably, Villauneva has been geUingabon~ as m ueh tj me if not more tha n the rJ.10[\e prominent Raul Roce. hang Hansa, Isang Diwa's (One Nation, One Spirit) Eddie Gil was theleast covered,

The stories about Poe [ron, February 16 to 20 in GMA 7'5 "Frontpage" totaled 22 out of 27 alec ~ion related secries, or 81.48 pel\ce.nt

TWe"1"Ity-seven out of <! to'ta~ 29 reports, or 93"11. pe.rcent, oyer AB5~CBN Chi'lrtne] 2,'50 "TV Patrcl' from February 16 to ~m wel'e personallty- rather t-h.?U1 Iss u e-onented, mearung they were mostly about the person - fm' CXll111pl@' Of), the tel]'l~,ef of Poe, and Eddie Gil's aUegerl failure ~o pay his, hotel bi.~Is"

AU six news programs featured oonfIk t-orten ted stories, among the1l'1 the rivalry between Vtllanueva and GLL iM.'1.d between Lacson and Poe over wh(J will be th~ opposition standard-bearer. WhHe these wen=~eg;itimater lle.wswm', thy stories, ~.'Le programs ~nd.ecl ~!U /.0-

-------

TOTA!LAIRTIME PER CANDIDATE (in minutes), , ' ,

--- - - -- - -

Poe, Fernando J:r.

...;R;.;.;l o",,'~;;;_,O,:.:.:Rc;:.d;I!I;::;;;1 1 . 5:2_~~_~_~'!O~_~~~ ..2.:~'6

VillamJeva r E.d:die 5.:43 9:53 5:29

241:56 32:~:2 22:4525:06 143:13·

~~--~~~----~~~-~~~~

..--.J::51..__..;;;3.o.;;:5,;:;.'o_ • ...__4,;;.;:, ::;;;,;58;;,... _, .. ........;;:32:55

6:14 4:00' 4:38 3.5:57

...__-----

16:30 :2il:M

iouma,!ismasb

40.

Med iaaodelections

11 ME FOR ELECl1ION-REILATED sres I ES VS TlQ1rAL AI RIm M E HUI m.img,tes)

.staUon

Pmgram

A!BS-CBN,2

ABS<CBN2

Dong PlimO Live

Time for eiectio n-related stories Tbtal airtim€!

cus on their "he-said, she-said" aspects to the detriment of hel ping viewers undl\l!'Sl:.andehe context and meanilng of ~he e'ile:n~ beuJ'lg reported.

klUe-l OOil!eilld

As. the official C1.'I!mpafgn pe-rjod be.· ,g<ln. ~:he stories genera1iy focused on the eandldetss' C('Impaign sorties as eveu'[:sj Jimi~ed to brief sound bytes of [he candklates" Poe' s, cHi2ie!~sb]p and plans to hoM a presidenti~] debate" theresu.lts oJ dil'Ferent sUi'veys-, :remainoo the staple of news programs. Ollwr s;ign:ifican~ stories such as ejection hotspots or violatjoru of the Fa][ Eiertio'll, Act or Comelec gu:ide:]ines,were few and f('lrttelww.rl_

Some of the reports sounded as if tRey ~l'a.d. t.eenIHh:rlfJ\!JIIH the candidates' schedules for lh.€: day, WMle kr!ow:irI,g the candidetes' scheduled stops for the day may be ofinteeest to some o.r the cleceorate, the stories d:id not go beyond reporting where Ute candidate werd and when.

Some of the monitored programs als 0 tended t D r~port on~.y 0 ns

- - - - ----- I

Feb. U)~ 13. Ui,·20 s 23·2 7 ~

,

TOtal alrtlms

candklate's vre~vs against .anoth.e~r in one episode withcut geUing the s:udC! of the o~_e.r, If the other skle WOiS interviewed at all, the pmgl"a:m. would report it only the next day rather' tItan in tll@!l'1Ilneepisode. such as the treatnwnt {)if rivalry of Lacson and Poe for recogninon as opposition s:rendari! and the compJaints of Villanueva against Gil

TIle reports, g~il:erftny did. n:o~ ]n~ quim !.nlo amdid.ale$' platfo,ms, Of even tl1.eirp05il:ilol]l® on various ]5SUeS, such as the econ'Ol'l.lY, the environment, ter-· rorism, o,r 1l1e conflict Jn ,cer!a in areas of Min&na.o. JfM all, the· candidares' positions on an issue w.e~re USI1i111y lUerIti:o;ll~d only in passing, and in very gene1l'al renDS.

MQlliton;. cl.acss:iHed a report accord" Lng'~ itl;·them<ltl<: focus, So a report thOit W.fIS, personaldty oriented could also be a mpol:t on lh~ Ulnpa ig;n. The theDJe "contest" Of "horse-race" presents candidates <IS bee om! ng s honger 0 r w€,1Iker, as ml.€ reporting on a candidate in his or her ktiliw:kk MOfl!iw\!'S separa~d the pdls..,tury,from "(;01"I!~t,"

'% share

25,13%

83.43%

Elecfion issues such as ~ht;) disquaiific.ation and candidate rivalrtes were separated from de'Ve:lopment issues" such as envlronmenj and. eccmm:ny"

Ii 1111 fill Q t mil,e II t ilJllal ys is

(Indlldn hbrllili'ry I 0- ~ J periold)

Election-redated stories figured pl1Ominen~ly in the six l'l'1oniwredn,ew$ programs and one rate-.n:ight ~,alk show in terms 'Of sequencing du~'~:ng the first two weeks of the e]ection campaign. But the following {third) week saw a. decline, andtherewere even da!yg,\ .... hen elecuon-vela ted_ stodesoonl.prlsed zero to less tJhtllll one percent of One news programs'l'otal airlime,

Overall, the first three weeks of the ejection campaign saw such stories COIn· prising rG!s$~han half of the t"I!l'!WS pt~grams' total airtime, Contrary topopu]81.[, perception, news. prog;rams ha ve continued to cover othel' even~ a nd developments.

From Febw<i:ry 10 to 13, 1600 W and 2:3 to .2'7,. tile share of elec tkm-re-

- ou rna lis IDC)'" in

41

~ections

Tflted stories ~D total airtime was, from lowest to highest 2() percent for '"TV fa tl'or {ABS.CBN 2); 22. petlcent fOI:

"Frontpage" (GMA 7); 25 perceut For "News Central" (Srnciio L3); 34 perceJ.1!t for "SaksiN (GMA 7); 4!O percent for "Insider" (AI3&CI3N 2); and 42. per-cenrt for 'Thll! World Tonighf' (ANq,

Among time days mordtoeed during the first tw'o w!i)@h of the c"':mp<'l!ign~ Fron Iprl:ge (GMA 7) had tlhe lowest time all,otm.e.nt in. ;;IJ single d,a,y for electionrelated stories, with 0,)00 mlnutes out of [he 52,OO-tom] airtime last february '17 (i .. e., (I perx;rznO. This news prcgramelso hlld the second lowest time allotment of OAJ rn]l.llul£s QlIt of~he ·4S.00·mjm.tte oota.1 airtime ]lIst Fehm:uy .25 (Le ... 11. per~ cen~).."N~w~ C~n~l' .. l" (StJUdio 23) was thkd,pwviding oniy 1l.3Q minutes out of the 33.00I.m]llule lo·ffil airtime also ~asl' FebtlHl:r}, 2.7 (i.e., 4, pereent).

"The Wor~d Ton:ight'" {ANq a]]o~ted the most time for elaction-related 5;~o;.ri.es in a single day I devoting 1'7_28 minutes (Le_, 66%) ou~ of i!s lrotal program airtime of 26,OOmirillres 101s~ Febl'Ual)' U. _ It a I~o h!ld the second highest time aLl[)trn.ent with 19.1Sm:irmtes out

I THEMES '

all
11
Ul
W' ~i~
Cii
t
Ill,
.....
e'
~,
~. ~!~ O'.f Us total a.i:r~me of 29J]O minutes.Iast February 10. '~Saksi'" (C.MA 7) came i.n third, with 17.15 m~rlJu tes of electton-related stories out of its tosal ~:iFtime of .27,,00 minu res also las~ February 10,

"DQ:r1g Puno Uvet" a~]k show ~ired every Thursday ]l!igJl~ 011 A~5-CBN, dev(l~ed 49. 9(l m:lrUJtes out of its 77JJOminu~ p.ro'gram. airtime 11ls;~ Fe bruary 12 and its entim 84.00' m!m.lfres lastPebruery 19wel.ecti.o.n-relat;ed issues and concerns ]1Is February 26 episode SlIW 58.00' mirU;ltes out of t~kltilI airtime of 69,00 :m:u:mte.s devoted to election-related sterles [Few the finl·~ t!wae weeks of the campaign, the show allotted. 83pel:1Jentof !lil'linH~ to th® discussion ofllie sleetions

NlEWSPAPE.R. COVERAGE

With t[1.e omcia.1 start of the campaign per~,od, election-rela ted stories andphotos dornrna:tecI the front pages of the' Manila Bull~hn, the Philippine D~Jly IflqJ~irer, and.lhe f'hHtppme Star,

These th"oo newspapers pu blished a total of ]f2e~~tioll~~lalied stones and photos from February 16 to 29, 200,'l!, This figure accounts fm 54 perQf'nt .o.r th.e fro·nt pages' news bole (En 8t1rtides) .~'a.r the period covered,

The InquireI' was secorrdin terms of the number o.f elecli,o.n-relal:eil! skiI"i~s and photos OIn~h~ fmn~ pag'e {53), but first ]n term.s of the prominence H gay,e electlen-related storles, It had. the highest: nU!lub~r of election-relatedbanner stories (10) duri:n.g the period ceve:!'\Jd" and had tlK- most s~rj;es and phctos above the wId at 2:9.

The Bu 1,leUn, on the other hand, printed the most election-related stories and photos <'It 71. bu t most of tt'Lese appeared below the fold. B~d[etin election sr:.ori~$ a oove the fold ~"Qta r~d only 1-5.

The StuI' had <I rot.i!.1 of 48 stories and photos. N il1[etren ofl:h,ese appeared a hove the .fold.,

Subj'ed

As in the TV news programs! actor Fernando Poe )'1'- was the most covered (~:n.clidatein all three newspapers, Reports with Poe as subject ~ota~ed 63 In the Iltr]ui ref, the Stllr;. and ~he Efli l/e Un , Sixteen stories were .on his citizensh:ip and the disq ualification petit~on fled aglIillst him.

[n sec ond place wa s President GI.O'.ria MacapllgiSl.I~Al'l'Clyo, 11 bout whom there We!'~ a ~otal of 44 steries, The figure d:id not include other fwnt page reports on Army(l'~ activities as p~siclell'li such as visHs of f'Oreig:n d~gnit"r'ies,ulLd the presentation O'f drug andkkinappMlg suspects,

The three rn,ewsp1'! pers pu blished 23 stories abou t former Sena tor and EchlclIHon Secretary Rau] Roco: 21 about Sen~to~' PanfnQ Leeson: 16 about evangelist Eddie Villanuava, <lnd two on bl!.ls~n~s~m.an Eddie Gil. The rnq~drer had no froiH j?;7Ige r~p(l1"l

about Gil during themcmtor period.

Only the IruTJlirer published I'epm'tB allou l ~hs jI1l'lr~c-~ of the polHl(.al uncerltairtty brought about by the elections on the economy/ market,

u ~ e 0] I~h ot(l.~. cari eatu res

Amoug the six: ClIIJl,did.a.res for presidenr, LaC&OTI ,and Poe I~d ~he pack with the most number o.f phQOO5 p'llJ blished (1J, each). Roeo foH(lwed with 11 total of 12 photos, Arroyo and V illanueva had seven each, w hile no. photo of Gi.I was pubhshed on the front pages during the period monitored,

There were-more caricatures o.f Poe (fo~,tr), followed by Arroyo a rid Laeson at " .... 0 each, Gil, noco, Mod Villanueva had one each"

'ITheme~

The three m~'Wsp\Rf1e:rs fadled to report to tne]r readers tlt€ positions of the G1I'Idid<!lte.s on various issues, even as the camp.a ig:fI r@achied its trur.;l week. One Mt::ide mentioned inpasshtg Lecson's stand on corruption. There was one repod ~ad~ Or!! culture, ili.e deaJh pen.altyj education, fhe plunder case filed against fllr-H~cr Pr~!Jide'rit Joseph E.s~T",da, th~ pe<ICe- talks, [poverty, and population as lssues for voters tooon.s~de'.r.

Li ke ~1:le]r television counterparts, the new 5 papers meniroredfecused mostly on tile campstgn schedules and stral'egi~s of ~he candida,te's, Bepons wdh this theme tot!ded 71, the highest among six identified C<I!~egOI'ieslthemes (lhecam paign, wl'lte5tj"hoI'se race", persuna]Hy, surveys, issues, and others indlld:~ng bustness, dltm;:h, Po rf) , S dH~nship, etc).

A focus on persml!lIli.ty was also evident. There we're] 7 stories on the candjd::ltes'~omguO!ge pl"oJicie.n6es, tempers, and otherpersonal background,

The three newsp-apers empl~_si2:ed tIle tmportance of tbe results of surveys released by [polling groups Pulse Asia and So<ciaI Weather StaJio'n,s, F()ul:r~J"I s~ries w~re On the subject.

Ute JI'JljHirer and the SIal' pu blished skiru~ on the survey results by' printing them either as banner stories (leO'lcl

Sources from the KNP were the most quoted in the I'epmts,with a. total oJ 9'0 artides cWng ~h~ KNP, Local

peliticians, iUt}I;t1y C"Ol1,greSSmen supportfve of Prestde..r!t Arroyo, wen- also extens:ive]y q noted. These re-

ports were n,o.~ clear, hewever; On whether they were based on s.~"lt~lnend][l sent 00' the media organiza tjonsj 0]" on entel·p.r.be interviews,

Compared to his tele~ vision ~xPO"'U re, Roco has done better in prmt and was the most d ted in newsP1l~

per repo r ts, He w a s~he ~The count IncJLN;i~~1i s!ones ..... lth a slant f(li" or~8l'lln~~nyo:ft~ c:anG'da_~~, Ins1lltUtlcns., source for 25 front-page ,ar- or Q'it'tf:;r per~!iMs

Hel!::!>, Poe W,lIS the main

source for 23 articles: Ar·

myol21; Leeson, 2!O~ V]1IlITIuev.a, 1J; and. ,0]1.. one.

P·ersollil]ities from. K-4 were the S01!lr'1Jes far 36 articles, whiJeMa.]acafiang sources, which include spokespeesor, ~gMcio Bunye and depuJy spokesperson Rkardo SaJiUdo, were cited :in. 34 articles.

fro.n,t page i.lrticles). A.s in the pas,t, the new s papers reported survey results as ind~ca Uve of thE! .stal'e of ~he "hcrse race" among the eandidates-c i.e., who ·W~;S ah~ad of whom.

eM F R noted that re-por~ on the candidates' rosltien on issues were rele;Wtted ~o Inside pages"

CMFR elessitled stories on thepolls separately from stortes that reported on the campe i.gn OO'i'l~"iSst, S uch as reports on crowds drawn by the candidates m.' su pport ex pressed by d iH@l"enl: groups J'o.r candidates.

,Med ,La a nd electi on 5

'!.!'Io ,m

,;

:e s~,

,m;

o ,~ ~

ClNo::ull ... 1 !i;::!t'lUIt«! -'

N EIiJTRAL IR E PO;RTS

11

~ I~O

- '"

- -_. -

I:IN~...:1'lII &!I1·.,.,:~I.:t...a.:.n ...... I.ni'!d~r.lld~ e : .J

4

iotll

scrjbed.as slanted (pos!tiv@ or I~egative)_ There were mow positive arucles on Arroyo and Larsen at 12. each, But .2:8 stones were neg<'lltive on Armyo. The .negi'l.tive remarks about Arroyo, noliWever, we!'€: mostly reporting critical quotes fmm other candidates.

Among ri'fte newspapers, tile BtlUe-lin hadthe most ruanber of pesitivereP0r:i;S en Laesonat n]~~~ and the rnos t number of negah:v'e reports on Apw)"o at 14.

Sln~

The three news.pllpen> pu blished 76 reports out of 172 (or !l.ea:J.I'!y SO psrcent) on ~he cendtdates that m~y be de-

_____ -------:,jo.LJrtlalu:&01:lS.!iL_

43

IMediaandellec±ions

on Lacson while there were 54 on Rom.

There were 43 stories on Edd J~ Vmanuev8J, tlndOirl~.y 29 storles on Eddte GU, who w<lsthell sti.ll a q tIJ,di.fied. randidate,

Alarge number of the reportswere abeu ~ fhe ca mpaign t raiL As in the CMFR media m.onHor of the n rst three weeks of campaign clQivel:age,m.oslrepo;rts did n{l'~ Vee!' ~oo .far a way from merely reporting events Oil. the candidates' d1!dly schedu les, Any mention of the candidate's pia tferm was brief 01" Ii mi t~d to short sou nd by ~e~- There we're 78 reports about the various campajgn sorties of ~he candidates, or 28,78 peroent.

Other ssortes w hkn .gained !~e'Ws anile mdtllded Poe's disqualification case, ]!lld.uding t~~e dismissal by the Commis-

seco nd re pn rt

ISSUES CATCH PRIN"TATTENTIO:N'

March 1 to March 14

DURING'fHE period. oo¥~red by this _seJ;~~ld I'epo~tt the C~I1.~el: _ _ for Media Freedom and Responsllrillty (CMFR) noted an increase 11\ newspaper attention to development igsUeS,pal.'ticlll.~ady ~tlose rellilHng ~o popu la tion, ch a r~r .chil:nge, business, etc., with the added diff~renoo th~ ~ one of the broadsheets Fllonitored, the PhH~ ippine Daily Inqr,~iroJ'", published in-depth articles which ide'ntiHed candidates' positiens onissues, An article on the s:rudy of the Popula lion Co;m_!nj~s.jon, for example, cited th.e ~~nd on bh'thmnti'ol of several candidates. Whi~.e dlE' stJudy focusedi ts ana Iysis,m U1Le front pa~ coverage, ClvliFf{ noted that the Inquirer ,..elegafi@d camp~ign sl'01"i~s to l~~e inside pages,

Theemphesis ofth(l! lV n~s programs rl1onito[\ed, howev'ei', remained .ffo[used en poHtical controveraiesrelased to the e.1.ectio.1lS <lnd. on the campaugn trail, particularly the candidates' scheduled stops.

The {J verall number of election-rela l'OO reports in new spapers and 0.1'1 'IV declined <IS both media reported exrensiv\aTy on events such <IS the d~saster of Super Ferry 14, and the C'OiIltI:OVel'sy over the al]eged changes Inthe condtnons oJ detention of former President Joseph Est.r<ldOi,

nUEVISllONI COVERAGiE ~hwlln,~ :llnallyi$i~

The nunlloor of election-relsesd news in the seven TV pwgn:lms monitored decreased from Ma:ochl to 12. Events such lIS. the Super Ferry 14 disaster, iJw special lflei'ltme:nt o.f J{l~~ph Estr'Olda aad the on-and-off negouahom between the government .Elnd the striking [eepney and bus 0perBJ' tors took eh~ hmeHgh~ away frorn~

_jQU rna I i ~mllS ia

44

el.eeho.iHeIOIted news. However. the programs reportedas top stones the .Madh 3 Supreme Cou:r~ ruling OIl Fernando Poe's disquaHHca_tjonc:a_5e <lnd President Macapagal Arroyo's aliege'C1 \lol:€~b'uyiflg acti lIily.

As In the prev~{Jus. fi:ndJng,s, Poe: was s.till th.e most covered amo:rl,g the pn~5]d.entlllr tana:i.dates. Out of .271reports, there were 105 stones. on Poe or 58.75 percent,

A~though Poe was sti]l the raos ~ eovered candida 00 ror the period lhe nu mber of ICe POI't,:;; on Arroyo ca nN~ close to Poe' 5, There wen,: 101 rep 0 rts on A!TOyO, or 36- 9 p'~I'ce:nJ-

Trailing behind Poe and Arroyo wert' P('Il;1!filo Leeson and Ra1!l.~ Roco, just lik.e-il'L the previcus C1I.1FR media monitQ~: ~JIOI't There w~]'@ only 62 l'@po·rts

S LANJ.EO REPORTS 0 N AR ROVO

-_. .. --_. -. __ ._. .. ... "_ . __ ..... _.. -- ....

S LANTE D REPO RTS O.N PO E

-. . . . -...-

4

5

SilMl

~irt~~~

.r~O!ll:lvc .NI.:,P:-1I:IV'_. ~~. __ ~~ ~_~_~~ __ __'

SLANTED REPORTS ON ROCO

1

1

sion on Elections (Comelee) of the case and the subsequent decision of the Suprem,e COI!lIl"t (Sq- Aecusadons agaLns,t Arroyo on her alleged Ulse of public ful1ds to finance her campaign and the vo~e-buym.g issue Well' also consistently r€!ported. There were 36 reports 01"1 these acccsations, or 13_28 percent

The results of surveysshowlng who was leading <llllong the candidates were also reported. 'There were][7 stones on these surveys, Or 6.27 percent. There were also 17 stories on governnu~nr s special rr-ea"ti:m.en"t of' detained former President Joseph Estrada.

There were five stories on the alleged destabilizatica plot a gairLS't Arroyo .and its, impact on I!h.e I:t pconl'it~g elections, The start of absentee '!luting among. overseas Piliplnos received minima] reportlng. There were only' four reports (l.47perr.ent) on theissuc_

As in the first three weeks HlOnitered, stories on the cal"np~]gn tra.U~ed o iller subjects and were consisten tly reported, Horse-race storles were sHU the news staple. Compared to th.e first three weeks of coverage, th~f\e were fewer pen;offilhty-otiented stories a l mitly49.

Mediaa nd e Ilecti 0 OS

Stor.ies on the candidates' stand on various development: issues l ... ·~re sfill ig,nored by the programs. Out of 271 stories, there wer-e only 14 stories (5.17 percent) th.n reported on how the candidates will address the economy. corruption, food. youth, peace and order, he,dri:1l,. trade, and women. exactly the same number as found in the first eM iFR report, Ordy one story in TV Patrol stood out with a. substanuve treatment of the Issue of peace and Orderin certain areas of JvHndanao.

Among: the candidates, Roco had the most sou no bytes at 36, although he ranked only fourth <IS the main subject of news stories. Both Larsen and Arroyo had soundbytes in 17 reports, while Foe's sound byte.s were in 15 repm:ts .. VHLan1!1e"!.'"a had 14, and Gil. three.

There were 56 reports tbat relied On live fuotaJge as the- basts of their stories_ .RQm was the next most quoted source (26 stories), Iollowed by Ule Koalisyon ng Nagkab]&ilng P:i]i pino (KNP/CQil.Ution of the United Filipinos ) camp, wit!l. 21 s~ries_

IBias

Out of l71 stories. 240 S borie.s or &8_56 peroen~ were neutra I. Only l'l relatively smallnumber {31 11" ports D1:" 13.65 percent) were slanted for or against a candidate or an instilution.

There were 16 posjtivelj' slanted stories wh:Ue there were 15 negativelysla n ted ones, Excep t Ior one report against the Comelec, all of the 30 repOil'lS were biased agalnst or for <I candid·aile_

Poe had the highest number of positively s!.<Inted stories with 13. Arroyo had four elassffied aspositive, w h:ile there were Mo stories slanted for Roco.

Arroyo got the most negatively slanted stories (eight stortes). Three were against Poe, while Larsen received ~W~ .neg'Hively slanted reports. Gil had one negatively slanted report,

Tim,e alllQltitili'mr 31l:udys;is I(H3!lth 1 ~'II 12)

Compared 'to ~h@ first two weeks, the percentage share of eltJ)c;tion-l:elilted

________________ ~J~'O~uRrun~a~lisn1~SWL-

45

____&AadLa a n dell ect ion s

--- - - - ----- ---- ------- ---- -

TOTAL AI RTI M E PER nAN mDATE (in m~nu te.s} .

------ ---- - -

S.76 2.25 23 .. 84· 26.65 14.27 84.27

0 .. 15,2 [1.27 4..48 9.17

l.acoon, Panrn~o :::1 .18 2:"54 VEil. 8.40 25.,33

--""""'"'"'~~ ........ - .......... - ............. ---"~-._-..;:..----;;;.;..;.;;;.... .. --.....;;;;..;...;"---~-.....;;;.;;.;;..;;..-"' -..;;..;.;;:.;;;....--___;~;;;..;;...-

Poe,.l'emall,doJr. _;;c!1.;;.6.;;;.3,;;;.2---.._~_"'='__ ... ;",. ..... __ 3_·5_._58_· _~~~_~_ ~~__...:,,~_1_03_._1_3_

...;.,;ROC.;;;,; •. ·;;.;;4l;L.'1 R;.;.;·a;;;;u;.;.II __ ~"""".......J.,J88 __...._~_ Uill_~ ....... ~;;:;.;.._ "' _ __;;.;;.;;;.;;;..__,,__....;;.;=_ .... __ ..;;;;.;.;;;..;...__.,__.....;;;.i9.;;;,;.""'4.;;;.1 ......

lIillildinu.ffiI'lI, &ldl~e (1.79 1.8.501.. 76 6.35

............ -----....-~---~------ .........

, Arroyo, Glo:ria lMaco.J!gal __ 8.50

Gvl. Ed'die 0.23

il5.·41l

sf:or.i€:s. tofrQ·ffil ail'timt:! decreaood. "In" sid er" (A BS-CBN 2} providedjhe highest <IirtillJ.l€' with 30.00 percent on the ave~'8Jge, followed by "N s W5 CenJl"al" {Sw"" dto 23, 22..77 percent} find MT~.1!e Wor.ld Tonight" {A.NC, 22.54 percent). Other programs allotted 2.(1.76 percent rSalsi". GMA 7}, 16.94 percent CTV POii'm!". ABS-CBN 2} and 16.42 pe~'(enl ("FmT'!.tr~,ge", GM A 7).

The uews pro gr.mls monitored

nevertheless made an effortto report on the activities of am six pl\esidentia] candida'l:e-5. Thera wa s. however, no equal prominenee prov ided fhe (011- ~end,ers ..

The researchers were not abIe to m.orutol.r certam episodes of the fo.~~ow~ Eng prClgranl.~: "f·fQrI!.pag'e" ,''TV ralro~", "Insider", NSak5(" "The Wodd Ton:ight" ,

and "Dong Puno Live". -

B'I.l t frotn Ute episodes ~hat were

mondtored, it can be concluded! that, as in the firs~ two w~ls, Poe had the hig;h.est time rtJ]Ohlll.ent amol!ig the presidentia.1 candidates. Arroyo got the second. 11ighe-s ~ time aHo ~meil ~i f()Uowed by L<lC50¥l. Rcco, V ilkmueva, and Gil.

~IEwsrAPIE R [OVElAGE

The Super Ferry ]4 disaster caused a remarkable decline in l~~e number of: ,election-rel,,~d articles V]S~-Vi~5 the to-

-- ------- -------------- --

II M E ·FOR ElECTI ON "RELATED STOR I ES VS TOTAL Am RTI M E [im mlnlll,t,es) .

----- - --- - - - --- -

Station'O

Pr·ogiram

Insider

GMIA.7

Stllldi:Q 2:3

News-Central

.A!BS-CBN 2

Time for electio n-related stories Total airtime

l~mefor e~®ctt~Oin -!related stones lotal airtime

limero r €1®ctio!1-related stories lotal airtime

Ti me '(0 r el ectl on-rei at'ed stones Total airtime

iouma Usma sia

46

Average

20.76%

16.42%

2.2.77%

22.54%

33 .. 34%

la1 frmltpage news h,Q~~e iJ~ the f'hihpp.ine Dally Jwp~jrer' (43 reports) and me Philippine SI1rr (41 reports) for the period Mal1Ch]' to 14" 2.004.

The ~'I.<l1l1Li1a BuUeH,1.. OFlJ t:he 0 the.r hand, had more -e]ecUon~I'e~,a ted 11 rUdes duri[1Lg tile period, with 76 (as ()pro~ed to H1e 71 repor~ published in february 11.6 to 29). However, IllClst of the front page erectio n-rela ~ed arlid es in the three p,Ol pers wsre 5ti]l a bout ri~e: carapaigntrail and l1t'.lated activities.

O • .fFR m@i'I[~ors also ~,otted I:ha'~ lhe !'~qmrel"p<lid m.o~<lttention to the issues, among them the candidates' posi~iQi'lS on Ch .. _r~r change' and populatiO'fi, A total ot nine d.eve.hpment .15' sues appe!l~d on ~he frQn t page5 of~h~ !tiqr,dn:::rdurlng the pe:doci morutored _. amarked chang'e fl:om. ils cov'el:age du riRg ~he first th.ee week~ (If tone Calml.paign"

P'laume!l~

The three newspape:fS gave pri.ol~ Hy to other pressing events aud issues ely ring the period covered, Among h~e wer!2 ~h~ .fiIT':iI board Sl!1 pel" Ferl:y 14.. and the s!J"ppooodpriv]lege given to ousted and JOIned former Plresidelflt Joseph Estrada,

The total bOJilt page: news hole FQr Ih£ th:rree ru?'~'\:5paf!erS w<15 332. Of these, cmly 160 we're electiou-eeleted articles and ph(l'~gr", ,,1'1.::;, 0.1" 48 per<:en~ of ~'he fr,on:t page news hole.

The B.uUc1h1 and S ~(jr publush!2d the Inostl'lumber of elec t]Oll stories ,<IS OOln,ner <mel lesdrepcrts with scix [ero,·t5 each, ""hn~ ~':n,eftlq~in':r contlinuoo b) toop thell'l, ill[ aboee- the- ro~d eLec~-~onrd.] ted articles andphetcs (.20).

~Llbjl~O

]nll'te first CM.J'R report, the dis~ q ~,mhf~(ation case a,g<!.i 1l;5~ acto~Poe, made hilu the naest covered c:allirli.dare ill both the ne\.\I'spapers a nd TV 'Jlro· grams monJwred.. B~t even :if ~:he 1!iUfilber of news stories on this 5111 bject dropped because the SC 11<"1d disnalssed the case onMa rch 3, Poe continued to 'be Ole mast covered candldate wHl"l front

page arltides ,and phows wtalimg 58.

During this period', the defeetion of Vice Pres ident T ~Dnsb) Gu ingon~ to the KNPa ltd the r OS5 i ble merging of Poe and Li'lcson'sbeams made L1prnos,t oJ the f:rlont page eO'll!!'rage an Poe and hi.scandi.dacy.

Arroyo was Olg<ll.n second with 34 Jfr(llnltfilge articles arnd photos. As inlli>e Hl"St med~iI mo:niltQr repOI:t, this fig~re does not inclu de reperts ~h" t were HiI.itinly about Arroyo's official <lctiv~.~ Hes as, ]Ilcu:mlbe:nl Flfesident

lOllcst)n was the- it'l,ain subJoct oj 29 front-page articles and phows .in me Uhl'ee .D.eWs,papers, l!,Vru~eRoc:o had .21, V1nOl!n~eVa seven, and (;]1., lwo,

Oruythe .Blll1di/l published. reports on Gil, Aft the ~hu(! of the period mornrolled, the Comelec had no~ r,et disqualitied Gil

ihemel

M~~ of the mparuw@I'e !>~n tocused on ca:mf'lJigti_ ~eti¥i'ties,. ' ... ·itll :repOJ'1S tot<ll:ing 68 ]n a[llhe Ihree newsp<lpers (Bu~~ lelil1, 49; IHqr,l.irer, 1'; ann Sttlr, 1.2l

Du.ring the period monttored, at least MO sll!rveys were released, which thet.i"lr,ee lIt!tlssp@pe:rs reporlied on li1Leir respective front pages. A ~Cll<I~ of .22 storil!S Oloout lhe PQUS 1/Ve'ffe pu ]b:k5~~ed_

The COil'f~l o,rhorsf!' mel! a rn,ol'lg. the candidates, especl<JUy between A~myo and Poe, was stil] the (OCM,S oJ at~~nHon, The I:ep'o'r~ on thl2 canclhjat"l2S' stand.iFlg vis-a-vis each oWe'! totaled 15 fm' am three new.spapel's"

The lnqu i rcrpu blishcd the I:HQsl munbee of stories on 1?he r<IJ[iI)dida~e-.5' posWo:ns on dcv'~lopment issues like popu]a~]on a rid the t1I1l1liil"lna~ debt The (O¥e'Fa,ge also gave re~.deJrs the ca.Jtuidates' V!.eW5 on other i5SU'~,5 Wke the proposal to shif~ to the perltamentary fOl"1'r1 0 ~ govermnent The Jru;ruire r's tr·eO'lrnllenit: W('<nt b~yo!ld just mentio:q,uJig the issue, [t U51i.u!!~yprovi.ded backgrollnd information on the issue l;vH:h the c.H'u;ijdaws' position_

The Iml~1 i r;e:r pu blished a tot;) I 0,1 nine issue-focused artlcles - the high~ est nu mber among the three. The B;r,~UcfirJ ptublished slx, and the Sttlr, two,

Un~ib lh~ IrJ:q'ulrl.1r, 'th.e latter two newspapers did not r'€'nUy elabora Ite on ~he candida tes' po!;.Hlon on issues, but ~Ierred to their bei ng mennoned in the ea;ndid.;'!!'l-es' press statements or campa:i~1L speeches,

Ollie!: topics made up the gn~il ter bulk ofarticles, These included the Come.lec':s decfsion cm seleeuve 'HI~ mafien, bus uness' response to Poe's eCOnomic Olgenda and posltlou on debt restructurhrg, the il I-!ll~l"te--I.~n,erg,'{'i' t,dks between Poe and Leeson, the SC ruliug On Poe's candidacy, Guingona, 11 nd plans for 'the television deb@ ~e 01 mong the candidates_

Us.e Or p bOlml(ls, cillrkatu res

Poe had the most ni,;tmber of photos ,ptlhHsh.ed on the front pages of an t.hree newspa pers (14)" L;ileS(H'I fo I· lowed with 'l 1;. Arroyo, nine; Roco, seven; Vmaollllieva, lWo, and G~ I,. o:ne_

5Q~lrl~f~

The top three sou rees Of elec ltionI'e]atedrepmtsw,el'e polHk ians (37), who werenwstly congressmen and malyors SLlppo:rting Arn<oyo; LaCS-DB (W); and '~lw br~S]i.'iLes$ co!l~munj~y (26} , Su i"veyresults and pO]~5t:eT;S were sou rces fQ~ 25rep@fllS.

Among ~he cand i da bEl!:, Lacs on was ~~e mcst-quoted - he WOlS the sour-ce Ci'.fW reports. (In the first CM:FR report, Roco was th~ pdma I:y prln t .n'il!edi.~ source among thecand Id~1 tes), Rom and Poe foll.owedl.with 23 reports each, Arf\oyo was the SOI.m;c of 161'(~ports; Vi.llanneva. three ref! orts: and Gil, one ..

Slllaf! t

CMFR counted 91 neutral 01 rticles in all three newspepersywhile there W@I:'~ 67 slanted a rticles.

Arroye had ~he most n um ber of n;~g;M:ii",e seports with 15,\'I'hi]e she got 13 positli.ve reports, The .iEhd{e:til! pubk,~~oo H of t;lte 15 I~e,ga'tive rCPQrl:S on Arroyo; the Inquirer one. AU<lYo reoeived eighlt pesltlve reports from the BMl1~l"i1~, three from t~.,e Star, and two fTmn the Inq~Jirer.

joumalisilJ co S~1

. 47

MediaandeliectjolD -

THEMES--- I

~BO
sa
liS
,II)
,19
~ 6'B
1e
,~
- 4(1
c'
S
~ 2:2'
20 15 CiJ~1 ¢:o~~_ ran

IJ B~IIle!I~ ~1!nqu:Ii1!r (JIStar -Iotal

Poe had 14 positi ve reports Emd 10 negal'ifve OiJ;"l£S. Of t11e ]4, tlhe ~hdkhn published llj ~he irJ4uirrf, two; and the Sta«, one. l1H'~ B~d[effr! also pu blished four negative reports on Poe while both the 1m/MireI' and the Star publlshed three negative articles each.

Larson g@n~ri3Jny got positive reports ..... ith 11, with only o,ne negative' report, The Bun~,tin and the Star published positi ve stories on Lacson, wHh slx ,!)1"IJd five reports, respectively _ Only the BuUeUn pu b1ished a negative repor~ on Larson.

Row received three posietve lind three negative reports, Only the J3~~ Iletin bad positive reports on RAJco. The Star publtshedtwo negative reports on Roco while the [~:q~irl!'r poblished one.

Fin,,]]y, Villanueva got a positive report enlyin the

B~llelin. .

o Gill

'i3:

i: 50

"". ~.

Q Z

___jnumalismas ia

48

--- ---

I NEUTRAL R EPO,RTS

200

iOO

"Th<)'llt!1lnt~{i;Is ;;j~,y,rnn B~l.3nt llXar l!€l8illSl a<1y{)f~le.:.;lIi':litl-rl:cs.I"sJ:ttutiJn5, orllll'1er 'l~i$I:rIi'!lrbC5

M,ed iaa nclelections

Th j' rd re port

FOCU'S, ON ISSUES WANES

Ma rch 15 to March 28

THE CENTER f~;n: Media Freedom. and Responsibility (CMFR) noted an. increase in newspaper C'Overage of thepresidential campaign during the monitor period, indicating allcr <'ising newspaper-attention • .!l May 10 approaches .. This ],neant an overall lncrease ill ttLe number of election-relared reports inlxlth pl:inI as we]! as broadcast

Howe-ver ,the trend. towards issuerelated reporta nfl,~d in the II~qui:rer in the second CMFR report waned dul:ing this period, as bOoth !:kle newspapers, and '1t.!lw~sjon focused on oontroversies invoIving candidates ,and supporters. C1vI:FR noted the TV program "24 Oras" which featured on March 24 a special report w hich pr-esented ~he oS ~nd of Pres,ldent Gloria Maca paga l Arroyo, Sen,al'Or Panfilo Lacson, and actor Fernando Poe Jr. on agrrculture, ,eOOI1!OnlY, aducaficn, and peace and order, an exception in television's campaign coverage that has given minimal a tt:e-ntioll to development and policy questions.

During this period, the seven disquallfica tion cases fHed. against Arroyo, <lind the a lleged extng of comedian Rodolfo "DoJphy" Qnizon'.s comedy show over ABS-CBN got extended prime time coverage and frcnt-page space, A disquElltfkilti,on 'case needed only robe fHed for the media to glve the petitioners, nota blythl'ee senatorial candida tes, Iheir desired share of the limel ight, The so -called controversy Over Dolphy's show in ABS-CBN would rll~r be proved to have been much ado in the medta <!Ii bout, mil ll Y r no thing much.

TElEVISIONI mVE.RAGE IDi ~ CO!I! rse A mlal)'~ i s

For the period Match 15't:o 26,

there were a. total of 2.83 ~ledion-re~ated reports focused on (line or several presldentiaJ candidates. Abou t 131, Of almost half of these reports (46.28 percent), were about Arroyo. The most-talked a bout cimdidate for the past five weeks, Poe was second with UI7 reports. There w~re n reports, or 25.014 percent, on Alyansil ng Pag-asa (Convention of Hope) candidate Ra.u] Roce. Notfar belund was independent candidate Lacson with 68 reports. There were 63 reports on '~vangelist Eddie ViUanue\ra, Eddie Gil WAS stiU the least-talked about j;lJ:1i1ong the candidates with 33 l'epolf'l's, or n.ss percent.

The storiesgenerilUyfoCl,llsed on thevarious coutroversies involving the candjdates, Stich ElS, th~ disq1,lal:ifkal!'ion case against Presldeut AJroyo, filed by diose Claiming she was using public funds for her campaign, The TV programs BrSO discussed athdl":]el1lglth the rumor that the program of movie 1Icro~ Dolph}' over ABs.cRN had been cancelled because of his support roll Poe,

Other candid a tes w,ere OIIs,o (eatured in such stories OIS tire dfsqu alDfica~ tioncase fil@dbyVillanuevaag<l:irutGi.l, wbtch was, later affirmed by the Commiss:iQI1 onElsctiens (Comdec).

As III the prevjousweeks, the broadcast press stilI remained focused ontllte caooidat;es" campaign sorties .in various pEll'ts of the country, News pro~ grams gAve daily reports about each. candidate's campaign. with httle to add except the changing location, ,although even the changed ]ocahon could [lot remove the predictabillty of videos. inevitably showing the COindtd,flte inva 1'1- ably "pressing flesh,"

After five weeks of CMf'R's monitor, GMA~7 has come up willi.a spacsal report tackling candidates' posttion on issues aired on the Mar<eh 24 edition of

"24 Oras" (rep:lacing "Front Page'! on March 15). The Monitor reported that candidates Arroyo, Lacson and Poe wereaskad to give t,hek views on agrjculture, economy, education and peace (lind order, Otherwise, television news progrElms leftout the issues from 'liw reports on the campaign 0[' the ca n,. didates and kept to the well-beaten track. of conkoversy, both genume a nd trumpedup, the candidate andcrowds, locked on events and fixed 011 personaUt)', as found in the previous mon itors,

Bias

Out of 2.33 stories, there were 226 neutral repertsand only 57 considered to be slanted fmc or a~i.ns tll person or' an institution,

Among the c.Ellldidates, it was Poe who had the lughes t number of posilively slanted. reports ("10 stories). He was followed by Arroyo, nine (9), Lacson, three (3}, and Row, one (1). There were no positively slented reporlS On V~.I.ianuev<1l and GIl.

Arroyo got the h:ighest number of n~gatively slanted reports ('13 stories). Next was Gil {6}, followed by Poe (5), Leeson (4) and Vmanueva (2) ..

"rItE llif)WMIEN~ ANALYSIS 111,iln:h 15-16

For weeks 6 iii nd 7 of the elec uon campaign, Saksi (GMA 7) provided the mos t coverage on the elections 11 e 34.27 pe'roentof its total airlime, This WillS ro:~· lowed by "The World Tonight" {ANC) and "Insider" (A13G-CBN 2) 'I'll hich provldsd 30,71 percent and. 28.90 J)e«ent respectively of total airtime. Other news prog·ram.s monitored allotted 22.20 percent ("News Central", Studio 23), 21,1&6 percent C'2:4 Or'fls", GMA 7 ,1Iud 14.90 percent ("TV Pa ITO'I" ill. BS-

___ ~ f"'jo ..... !JlLmu:'1llIis~

49

6 ,4
!il ~:
'"' , a
1i U
1: 4 ;::
('C! I!!:I l
'5 -
>I Q
~ 0 1.
2 2:
Q
Sa~
IlpOO:M blm.eg.nlv!.' 1[1 ~t\'e [J nE§ilove Med iaandele:.cf OlIOS

'I>
<1'1
W
Cii 4
:e
m
' .....
c' .~
c:
2:;
a SLANTED REPORTS ON GIL

a
~ G
U
1::
'!!II ~.
0
LC;
;;!!l
(I CBN2)_

M,ux:h 19 saw the lowest time allotment for electio:n~rol,ate.d stories as "TV Patrol" provided only 4L22 mim,aes out of lts 74_00~Il1I.:i.l1lut,e. total air-

IDne (5.70 pe:rrent). The second and third Io~rest time allotment was by "Sak$j" (2.80 out o,f 33.00 minutes, or 8.018 per· oent) and "24. Oras" (6.24 mmu~- oU'~ of 7(W[lm.i.nut:es, or 8.91 per.c-elJiJt). ,01]00

durjngtheir res pecflve episodes last MMCh19.

At the same tilIua,luJwe:ve.r, "Saks( ]as~ M!l1"('h 16 ;';InoUed the l!Uoost time' {16.50 mmures) forel0cJ:'iGli'l-re~.at:ed stn-

-Jp._u mali smasj a :J,O

ries Q1..I t of Us to ~.al ai rti rnaof 3] ,00 Dl inutes (53.23 percent). "The World Tonight" had the second and third. highest rune aUotm(![H, based on a monitoring of its Ma.rch 24 (10.43 minutes out of 43_00 l'llinull2!s, or 45_35 percent) and M.uch 2.3 episodes (l]_.n minu tes out of 27.00 mirnnes. or 4],56 per,oonq.

Ulrl~:ike in the fit's t fi ve weeks of the clecuon campaign when Poe led other asptran ts in terms of thn.e allotmentin the six momtored TV nsws programs, Arroyobecame the most-covered presidenual candtdate from Mar h

]5 to 19 and Man:h 22 to. 26 with 114.82. minutes. Butthe increase is due to the, negative storses reporting cases: filed for her disqualification,

Poe was relegated to second place wi!:h 60.39 minutes, He was followed by Latson (36.17 minutes). Roce (30m. ~linul>eS}J ViUamJ.,ev'El. (2.8.90 minutes) and Ci.i (2.8,15 mirii.U'e$),

N eW5,pill Pi!! r co nrag,e

Stell·if!.'; about the campaign dominated the newspapers On the sixth and sevenHl week of the campaign period

(March 1.5 to 2.8)_

There were 92 front page articles and. photos on the campaign- which included c<irtdidates' sornes, their campaign schedules and strategies, among others-« out of 1192 election-releted artides and photos wh.ich a ppea red Or! the front [clflges of the Mamla Bulle lhr, the PhH]pP1ne DOiny lnq~~'~r, and the Phlllppme Sfrrr from March 15 to 28. This figure accounted for 48 percen t of election-related articles and. photos on the front pages.

The total number of election-re-

TIME fOR ElEiQTlION~RELArED STOR~ES V~ mTAL A~RTIIME (in minutes) _ _ _ _

-

Station

Program

Ti m e for el ecti on-related stori es. 10,09-
Total airtime 67.70
ASS-tBN2
Insider Time for election- related stories 8.89
Total alrtrme 30.75
Saksl Tl me fo r electlon-re lated stories 10.73
lora I airtime 31.29
IGMA7
240r,as Time for e lecuon-re late<! stories 15.47 21.66%
Total Qirt~me 11.43
Studio 23 News Central Time for election-related stories 1.06 22.20%
Total airtime 31.78
ANC 1ih.e Wor1!d Tonight Time for election-related stories 8.14 30.71%
Total airtime 26.50 % share

- ~----

TOTAL AJRTIME PER 'CANDmATE (in minutes]

---- -

-

TV Patrol Insider Saks~ 24 Oms

.Arroyo, Gloria Maoapagall 20.48

Gil, Eddie

Poe, FemalldoJr.

.. Rooo,Ral!ll

Villafiueva, !:dale

14.68

25.02.

26Ji4

--

Ne~ lWl TOTAL

Central ,

U4.82

28.15

36.17

60.39

30,0:2

28,90

'ou mali smasi a

51

Medlaandellectjoos

M:ed~rticl(l'S OlriJ the rroiflt p~ges alsoincreased compared to the period March 1 to 14 .. Oll~ of th~ 336 total front pa~ news hole, 192 (57 percent) 1,Ii,I\ere elsetion-relatedreports. The 11.92 articles in the latest pertod menirored increased by n~:rIe (9'} pel· cent from the 160 elecnon-related front pagestofies in thesecond CMFR E~ec,tion.s: Cllli zens'Media Monitor Repo.rt

PllllUlillle~lt

Above-the-Iold election-related articles numbered .82, 24 of which were either banner o rlea d. stories. There were more electiou-releted stories plJ! blished below the fold <It 'H (l

The S t>llr had the most number of b;;t~~1"lel'lIe'a"d seorles at 10 followed by the lJ'ull:1i:rer at nine (9)" They both had 22 above-ihe-feld election-relaead 5\])" ries {exch..l ding banner !~ead} while the I3ul1eti~1 had 14 ~exdudjng five 'baru:'l.er! lead stories] ..

The BuaeUI~ cm1[~i'l;lued to plillblish the most number of below-the-t101d articles at :55, while the Slrrr had 29 and the 1 nqr,j fter 26.

Sulbject

Arl1OY'o and Poe w~re the mos;~ reported presjdential candidates with 52

,md 51 s'l;Qri~s~nd photcrs, respecHvely. In. the previoue Elections: Citizens' Med la Monut.m- R@por'i;s C1I.WR !\~~e..'1sed~ Pee was~.he II]ostooiv-eredcdll.didate.

The fifty-one (51) ,1Irltic.ies counted on Afil'Oj'O did not tnelude news iI.OOLtt her official activlties as lncurabent president.

Laeson was the mam :s;ui;!<je(;t of 35 stories. Row W[lS dte subj~ct (If 21 stories. and V~.Ha:nueva, 1.4. Gi] was in foul~ (4) s~ories dl!1r~ng th~ period nlo~.~it.ol·edi <til of whiich were a bout his ciisCjllal:i£icat~on,

The tncrease in tlte number of artides .em Arwyo was m.ai.nly due to the disqu~lili.ca lion cases moo agillfilSl U'I.e Prestdent, The lr~qld:irer reported on MOl rch 2.6l:ha t ooven(7) d]squOlhfication cases ag<li:ns~ A.rroyo hadbeen med.

The s~orieil ,,"booe Arroyo ~ lso ineluded her eemp's alleged hand In the su pposed cancella Uon of comed ian Dolphy's comedy ShO~VRt AilS-CBN. Aecordlng '1:0 these repm:ts,w fiich the hU,l'~dn:H' broke based On unnamed sources, President Arroyo caused the c.a1~c(!Ualton of DQ~phy s. !S~~1,)W b@~u~~ of his OIctive invo.l.v~rnentin the Poe campa1i,g.T!- l'h(! show was nQtC!lt~c@lIe:d and theinvolvement of political parties in the t.;l_]l_s betwe,en A BS-CBNand

Qui~on was cat>egorica]Iy denled by ABS-CBN"

The arucles @Jf!. Poe were m~s~ly 01.11 hi.s eampaigu sorties, and on talk a bout tlw unif:rClElbOIl of his catup and Lacson's,

Theml!~

Thepresidenna i ell ndidates' campaigrisorbes figured promdnentlyin the r~PQrlS. FIIOIH 68 :in the second ElecbOris·;. Citizens' Media Monitor Report. the J~.gure rose to 92 during t.he period moni ~DI·@d.

Thethree newspapers had a w~,d o.f 92 l'epOI.ts. aboet the campaigns. The iBuUetiu puMlshed tli.t! mos t nu moor of stories ~bout the campalgn at 45. ThE .h~quirer had 27 Il_jld~he S lQ'r 20.

The Inquirer publlshed a series of essays which sra ned M<lrch 2:2 on "~h(! campaign style and impact of the fi V'E pres~dent:ia1 CiilndidlilJes," Mos~ of ~he essays helped readers to getto ];;.110W candidates' personality and campaign strategy.

These hlq;~jirer essays were ~ds() th~ 'r~s·o,n why thlll.re was an hrjc rease in t<ne number of reports ilIJOIJ t dfte >COl ndida te!;' perSOirtilrit!es P 3).

Therewere ]5 devdop ment issues. covered. 13 u ~ the cove-ra ge W 1iIS. not as.

====-====="",,"""=,==,.=,===--o,~= .......... , , ......_ , _

REPORTS VALIDATE COMMON PIE RCEP1"1 0 NS 0 F THI E M E D'~A

THE by now cornrn on perceptio n that tile PhWppine media tend to focu son persona I ities rather th a n issues, has so far been validated by the first three reports of tne Center for Media freedom and Respon s.i b iIi ty' 5. Electi 0 n s:

Citizens' Medi~ Monitor Pro~ec.L

The CMFR preiect, wMictJ will run until etectton day (May 10), ls monitoring the coverage of the May 2004 elections by the three most widely eircuteted broadsheets in M@nila (the Manila, Bl1l1e!irr~ the Phil ippine Daily

Inquirer, and the Philippine Star) and by the television news progra ms ''TV Patro I" a I'd "I r1 side," over ABS·GBN 2, "The World Tonight~ o .... er .ASS CBr.J News Channel, "24 0Ifas." (formerly

"Fro n tpage ") and ·"Sa 1<5 i" over GMA 7, and "News Centra I~ over Studi o 23. Th e popu la r talk $.how "Dong Puna Live,~ over ABS-CBN Channel 2 IS also being monitored.

The CMFR prolect's third report th u s feu n d ill noti c:elil ble ~ ncrease in the M a ni I~ newspa pers' cevera ge of the elect in n s from M a rch 15 to Marchi 28, butalso found that an ea rl i er te n dency tows rds LS su es coverage waned as stories focused on persona I i ti es bece rn e dom i na n~

as election day a p preach ed, These stories included several disqualificat i On cas esf I ed by op posit i on ami at her grou ps .aga ins t Pres i dent Gloria Macapa1!lal Arroyo, .1ilnd the al1leged ~xirlg of cornedran Rodotto "[)olphy" Quizon's ABS·CSN

com e ely show supposec Iy under PI'€:s $UNl from the govern merit.

II nits fi rs t rep orttor the peri od lFebn,IQry 16 to 27, CMFR found that actor rerrla n do Poe J r, received the rno 5 t coverage i n six TV r1e\1\!'S programs and one public. attairs show, as well as in the lop three Mani la newspapers dUring the fl rs t t h ree weeks of the cu rrent campaign period.

lts seco nd repor t to U I'ld <I

-

TlHEMES

Medlaandelections

15~'
132
OIl 101) 92
o:.l
'ii
'f!
,~
r~
,~
I:i 50 SO
~ OonfBsl/Hon;9 r~' DllhllfEtin lillIjnquitEl" Ii:JSIM iIIITc.:<l11

good as tfull d urjng weeks .founmd five of the campaign (~1<Iff.h 1 W I 4)_ T11~ only report on development issues which stood 0\1 t for' '!:his monitor period was the March n bupolimr report on unemplevment;

There were seven (7) reports on ille eontest 01' horse race for president, and five (5) 011 polls/surveys.

Among the other themeswhich got the most reports w,eret:he dtsqualification cases filed against Arroyo and tile supposed cancelletion of Dolph}" s show over ABS-CBN_

tiendency towards issues reporting In print, allhnugh television remainec tocu sed on per sonal it i e s and the campaign trail.

President Gloria M!;I(;(lIpag;al Arroyo, continued the third report, W;;lS this time reported en in 'lele"i~,ian more than rival Fernando Poe Jr.

CMFR said il "noted an increase in el ecti 0 n- rei a ted repor ts in IJ ri nt, " resu~tinE: in an over-all increase in tile numbe r of reports, in bot h th e media being monitored.

CMFR is issuing reports on its monitoring prolect every two weexs.

Whi le i l has rnoni lor ed media. coverage of elections in the

Un of p'bQ tos a Old uri carcres

Poe sti]lgot the most number of front page photographs in the three newspapers moeutored at 11'. Arroyo had 11; Lacson and Row bol:h had 10; Villanueva Hv~ (5), and GH two (2)"

Poe also had the most num Off! of frontpage caricetures, He got three (3); Lacson and Villanueva two (2) each and Gil one (1).

S,oumes

Local pclltlctans were cited as sources for 59 articles. MOISt of these

past this is the first time that the results are being made

publ lc duri ng the research, perioc itself. Also for the first time, eM FR has engaged trat ned volu ntsers to brnaden election mon itori ng to include television news progrerns. The rncni tor calls attention to the critica I influence of the press OFl pol Itics, a rot e that has escaped cl ose publ i c scrutl ny.

Du rmg the 'fi rst three weeks, ot the carnpa ign, the stori es over both TV a nd the newspapers monitored focused on the ca nd idates" carnpa ign sor ti as, Poe's citizenshi p, the pi ans to hold a debate ;:I mong the cannl.

OttlBn;.

were cangressmen who were quoted as ~xpressing,:support fur Ar.royo, M,ayoro WErre sources in news 8J bout local elections.

Th~I~e were 43, unnamed sources. most of them were from the lnqJlirer (33)- lhe Cornelec 8Jnd the police were sources (mosdy named) in 23 articles each, Most of the reports which used the Comelec as· source were on the disqualification cases against candidates HIlLd the local elections"

Press Secretary Ign.a:do [l.Ully~ W,OIS· the source in 22 sto rtes while Senate r

dates, and the su rvey r ssu Its, None at tile reports mentioned the ca rid idates ' platform s except in passing. There wa~

I ittle mention of issues,

The findings of the second report that p ri nt had reported; at t i III es extensive Iy, on the Issues, were thus in rna rked contra sI to those of the fi rst.

The project r esu Its 'can be accessed at the CMFR webs ite (www_cm'fr.com.ph)_ CMFR is. also tra nsmi Hi ng tho results to the media organization s monitared, a nd will upon request rna ke th em aVQ i labl e to inter estso grou ps.

________ -,joIJmalismasiH

53

N EUTRAIL VS SLANTEID ARJI CLES !

M.ed i a a nd el,ectlm:l,......._s_

VkenteSotto, Poe's personal caJmpaign manager, was the source in 2.1. stories.

Anlong tIw pl!®s1den[:i('!1 ca1"Ldida~s, Arroyo was ri,e most quoted source at 3.3. Poe was used as s>tJUl'ce in 29 a:rtide~; Leeson 28; Roce 2:3; Villruilueva.. rune (9). and Gil, three (3 ) ..

SII:mr

C MfR counted i 17 neutral articles and 75 slanted articles.

The 5ta~' pu blished the- most number of neu tral articles at 56" The r~:~quirEJ'" had 36 while the BuJklirJ had 25.

The Bulleti!1 hadthemost slanred articles lIL49_ The h~q!l1'rer had 2.1 wlule the Slar had Hve (5).

Ute B ulleUn usua [~y publishes onesided stories, There 1111 .. 1Y be a n.egatively-slanted and a positively-slanted ~'h;Ii'Y {1 if! the SOIme candidate on the same (tay in the B~dletin, with the negaHve arljde sourced from a candidate's rival and the positsve f rom UlIJe candidate h tmsdf. hu_t il~ separ.ue stories.

Arroyo got the IIUOS t numbe r of s.~anted reports at 1:5 po-S] ~ive an d 23 negative.

Twelve (12.) of the positiv~ repmts we're' from ~he BH Ileti rl whiletheee (3) were from the lrJqU1't\lF_ The Star had no report on Arroyo with a positive slant

The negative reports on Arroyo increased to 23 fl'Qm 1.5 in [he: ~a.<;t CMFR E]ections: Ghzem' Medi.a Menitor RepOlt_ Mos~ ot ~he nega tiverepQr~ em her were also frolill the B~ Uefin at 15. The [~~q~.tfn;'r had seven ('7) w 11.j]e the Stnr had one (1},

LlI'cSOJ'l got the second highest nun'! bet of positively slanted reports at 11.4_ Ten (lO) were hom the BuUelb~, UU'(!e (3) from the tl1q~j irer. and o'E1e (1) from [he Stn.r.

There were only two (2:)negative reports on Leeson, These were in the .Ehdlehn whichalso carrled themost num bet of stories on LOIccSQn,

Poe got n positive reports, nine (9) were from" the Bul!~lh~. 11'W! Inquirer ,~ficl the Stilt h",cl eneesch,

There were eight (8)negativ,e BJl"" tides on Poe: four (4) were fromth~ Inquirer, throo(3) froin. tlhe BuU~hn, and

~

~ 75 't:

1'1!1

I!!I!-!! _.

~ ~II

~

;--NEUTM1'-Vs nifA:C ELECTioN~REu\iEEfARiicLES

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SLANJED ARne LES:+; .

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one fl) ironl the StilT.

Th(ll'e W(!(N! four (4) positive reports on Roco; all welle in the BuU~,,tin. 11'1eJJe was Oinly one (1) lMlgalive"rcPQrt' on h~lF!.

which the-lltq~ .. drer published.

Vfllanneve had four (4) p05]tive.reperes - thJ:e~ (3) if ... d<e Bulle-I'in while one (1) was inthe Jnquil'e't.,

JouroallSI, brllialbr ,anaGHed

THE COMMITTEE to Protect

. [ournahsts {CPJ) on June 23., 2.003 ccndemned the violent attack on Abul Basher, the, local correspondent forthe Bengali-languege national daily newspaper 1a11l1K{mffm (The People'sVoke] in Shadatpur district,

ACLOrd]ng~o several locel sources and Bashar himself, members of the J aHy a 1:<1 badi Chattra Dal U DC), a student wou p associated. with the ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP}, abd ucted Basher from Ius office on June 19, They took him to the district I3NP headquarters w nru:e armed members OlI the party shot at him with fireerms and b[utaUy beat him" cansing injuries to his backbone, skull, and. eye~"

Before l'l"l€ incident, Jmtamn Iha, which is known for iliS nihca& Cl;)v,erage of the BNP,. r~n an adide det,ill:h~g IDe attacks on Sha:riatpm residents, 'Bashi.8J1: said he checked into a Joe a l hospital after the assault, bu t ~at the next dill)', armed members of the BNP forced him to leave.

Bashar filed. it complamt with the Shar iatpur pOlice sta tlon on JlUIH 23, but no one has been arrested, The journalist has le.ft the area for rear of further aUllcks,

Political partisans and gan&, associated wHh the roJIDg BNP party bave been responsible for a number of attack]; o~ members of th~ media in Bangladesh. On April 30, several BN:r members kidnapped Mahar Sidd ik Khasru, a [ournahst reportmg for the dally W1!.faEj _ He was found three week; later along a mad wit,h his hands a[IJilfee'~ chained, Khaseu' s li:idnapprn,g fotlowcd his reporting on corruption committed by politlcianeand police in

Sitaku nda, southern Bang1adeih, (Comrn.iUee to Protect journal]5t5, [une 27, 2.003}

Roundup

• Clh~na

IIJltJIIJIll writer IIJIIICIICIIII

THE CHANGCHUN ]ntennedi. . ate Court on October 14. 2003 sentenced internet essayist L uo Ytmgzhongto three years in prfson on charges of subversion,

LUG, who has wr:lnen numerous articles that have been dish'ibue®d online, was detained on June Tolin. Changchnn, ff ilin Province, but was formally arrested amy on Iuly 7. The court <1150 sentenced him to two y~a:rs in prison 03l1d thl1! loss of polittcal riglds upon his release on JUI:'lIe 13, 2.0(J6_

The court said that b®tw~en

Ma y and June 2003, L uo wrote several e"8say", that "attacked th~ socialist system, incited (people) to subvert state power, and crested a negative influence 0]1 society."

Severa] articles were d~ed as evidence, i:nduding"At last we see thedanger of the Three Representsl." areference to .:! political tbeory formulated by former Pres.ident Jiang Zemin,. and "Tell today's youth thenuth about June oliN <t re-Ference to the mdlitary crackdown on peacefu] prodemocracy protesters in June 1989, AccCI.rdi.ng to the-court pa.pers, the articles were: published in online forums incl uding Shl1 ijing LIn! fa1'1 (Cl'ysta{).

L uo, who has a physical

disa bilHy, has also WriUI2-11 a number of articles in advocacy of the dg!lts of the disabled.

InteTilaHonaln1;edia o:rg:aniza.

Hons Iike the Committee to Protect [ourualists (CPJ), Rep[)[teT5 Sans Prontieres {lRSn the World Assodation of NewspapeFs r,:N AN), and tile W odd EdH(J~& Forum have condemned. L Ltd S convtcticn and sentencing.

CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper on October 22 said, "The Chiuese govenlment has. once again used subversion ehargesto silen.c€ criticism o.f official policy.

L1l10 has simply expressed his personal vtew:5 and should be released immedia tely, An charges against him should be dropped."

RSfi Secretary-Ceneral Raben Mel1l;:lrd abo shared this vi~w and added that the "Chinese authorities are still punishing cyber. dissidents very harshly,"

ln the October 27 letter of WAN to Zhang Fusen, China' s minister of justice, WAN and the WorM EdHors Forum called fur the imrnedia te release of Lno and all others held fOF exercising their right to freedom of expression-

~Cn July 2] and October 22; Repo,rt:ers Sans Frontie.res,. October 22; and W01'ld Association of Newspa.pers, Oetober 27, 2[}03)

• ! nd onesia

M···-·~-··r·l·

rr:lrI:: dl,llnaJS "9,

THE CENTRAL Jakarta. District Court on March :l. 9, 20M ordered Tempo magazine to publicly apologize and to pay a fine of 500 rmllion ru piah

(U9$59 ;000) in ,conneCtion with a libel su]t filed by prominent businessman To,~y Winata.

The :suH was over an arnde entitled "Ada 'famy in Tenebang?" (Is there Tomy in Tanah Abang?) in the March 3, :2003 issue of Te-mpo, The arttcle d ted an~gations that Tomy (who iscommonly referred to by his first name] stood to profit l1:om a February 2003 ore that destroyed {h.e T amah A bang tex tile market in the cap]ta], jakarta, and th,d he might be responsible ferthe b]aze_

According toa Tempo report" To:m.y filed libel charges again5t PI Tempo :~nH Media; chlefedHcH' Bambang Harymurtkchief deputy editor Toriq Hadad; l"eporfuers Ahmad Taufik, Bernarda .Rm.it and Cahyo Junaidi; publisher FOOi J ufrl and. corporate director Zulkifli

________ ~'nLu:naijsma!)a

5,5

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Lubis,

The article in question in" eluded a still~ement from Tom.y denying the aUegaJions_ Neye:r~ ilieless, the presiding judge said that, "Tempo failed to fi:nd the truth by covermg both sides before publishing the article,' reported the j akar ta FO$(

Tomy Winata. founder of th~ Artha Craha Group, has filed a number of lawsuits against Ttmtpo magazine and its Journalists, including a criminal defamation $uH:;Igains-t T~m~, Harymurtll, and Taufik for the sante article. Hearings in tha t case <ll'1;OrlgtJillg,

In a verdict deli vered last

J a:n.uary 210, the Sou th [akarta District Court ordered Tempc/f, sister publication. Komn Tempo, to paw US$l million in d.amage$~o To my . T amy sued Harym urli, who is, also chie'l eclHo:r of Ka:ra,t Te~np'-O, l'eporter Dedy KUl"l1JlawaFl, and the fT Tempo Inti Media Harlan company for defamation after the newsp!<lper pu b~i-sb,ed<'l. report in February 2003 saying ~hat T o my had. applied to open a. gambling den in South Sulawesi province.

(en March 19, 2;(}D4)

• Malaysia

RightS advocate ,convicted

HUMAN .RJGHTS advocate Irene Fernandez was con'!.I.i,(~ed oJ "maUc.iotls]y publishing false news" by lhe Kuala Lumpu:r n':J.OIgist]"a~·s court on October 16, 2003" Fernandez hadreleased in 199-5 a report about the conditions. facing migr1m~ workers in Mala.y~ 15]anae'~ei.H.o:n cen~e'r5,

Fernandez was sentenced to one y~ar m prison O1!ft~;r being tried for seven ye1ITs in. w.h,d has become the lOlngest tria] in Ma~,ays:i.an nlsto:ry _ The sentence has been stayed pending a PPBal

Accordlngto the Telilaganita website (www"tenagarnlta..net),

the High Court has not ye t responded to Fernandez' appeal T enaganita is a h uman ri gb is organization Fernandez helped found in 199'1-

H uman Rights Watch reported" that the, report Fernandez released in 11 press confereuce in 1995 documented. beatings" sexual violence agi<LirJ:st detainees by prison guards, and inadequa te food and water in Mala¥sj.~'s imm:igratio.n detention camps,

Pemandezwes aH-ested in March 1996 and charg1Gd with n"Lalidoius pu bnca~~gl1J of false nerws under the restrict..iv€ Printing P:re~ses !<Ina Publica tions Act

(pPP A) of 198:4, 5hll! was la tel' released on. bail,

The court v'erdkt came FUs~ weeks before former Prime Minislccl' Mahathir Mohammad handed power over to AbcluUah B!<Ida wi, Afte.;r conviction. she was denied renewalof passport and prohibited front speaking in conferences abroad ..

H1!.ul1!i!l1J l'ignt~ organizations from 1.1]] OVEfr HIe world denounced the treatment OF fernandez,

be C Id ' boO!oflllng

0011ft Tam ~inh

c H[N., ,CORp?RA~.IION .... e.x~ . .utlve Wsu 1'01)' WaUlllt.aphan denied Fehrl!Iilry 23, :20C14. tnat his compaHy hadbeaeflted from its ties

~vi th Prime Mirusler Thaksin Shin:;lw~~ra.

Supo] madethe det1lia1 dul'ing his testimony in the defamation 'case Shin hadfiled against Suplnya Klangnarong, secretarygenecral of the ;Cam:p<'lfg,n for Popular Media Reform, and a n®w:5pa"p~1 which accused" Prime Min:ister Thaksin Shina wa tra last: year ofabustng his power tn favor of his: family's businesses.

ln the suH it filed Witll the Crtminal Court, SlIIin CorpGrat:io~.

o1!!teleoomm:UIil.k~ti.orJsfirm.ur'lder the control of the prime minisoor's famity, aUeged~hat Supinya had defamed it by making comments whfchcculd make the public think H had benefited fr0111 its politicel connections.

Also named respondents, in the charge W(l!'ro th~ Thai ]ourn:;l[

Gmu P Co. and three editors of the "l1mi Post

S:upilllya claimed thi,lI~ Shin Corp had gained many benef is since 'fhaksin came to power ]1'1 the story "Five Y ~a1'5 of th~ Th~i Rak Thai P<lHy, Shin Corp richer, NCO

says" w hlch wall published l1y the Thai Post, <I Thad-language daily, ~asl J u]y 16, Z003_

Supo] told the court that an com parues under Shin Corp abided by the la w Inrunndng tlie:ir businesses and were never backed by thegovernmentand the prime minister as, claimedby the defendants, He added that Advance Info Service 0( AIS) and Shin

S@Jb~]li te companies s ~al' t~d their businessunder contracts with the Telephone' Organization of Thailand and the Transport MinIstry in 199;() and 1991, respect! yely, before Th ai Rak Thai (fRT) party was formed,

Om December I, 2003 the court h~ld a preHI~Tin:;lry hearing during which Suplnya and tile other dd®ndanls plead not guilty.

Surlyasai Katasila, secretarygelllera~ o.fthe Campi'lignfor Popular Democracy; said Supinya based her commenl15 on imOnl1L!I~ tiOlflrrom the Stock Exchange of H1L1.IHand as: w~n as reports in newspapers,

N flk~.on Chompoochart, Sup.inya's ]awyer, said his client had made an honest criticism of th~ government and. the plai:rn:tiff should have issued a rebuttal rather than resorting to li rjgilJiio11l,

(BmfgkV'k Post,. February 24; .Bangkok P0'5't!lnd The N~tiQP'~., December 2, 200,3)

'THE JAIME V. ONGPIN AWARDS ,FOR

EXCELLENCE

•

In

JOURNALISM

Since 1990