Role of media
PEOPLE find it very amusing that President Marcos himself has called on the country’s media practitioners to remain critical.
Marcos said this serves the country better than having a press that is “cooperative.”
Marcos aired the call in a speech during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on (FOCAP) April 15.
We share the view of the Chief Executive that national interest is better served by a press that is critical rather than a press that is cooperative.
In the view of many, including the ordinary citizens across the country, what’s important is for members of the press to continue to be fair.
In other words, mediamen ought to get the facts straight from the sources rather than engaged in gossips then pass them off as “news.”
At the same time, President Marcos urged the press to continue exposing what he called “the illegal and aggressive actions” in the West Philippine Sea.
It is crucial that the media continue to expose these actions, according to Marcos.
Mr. Marcos said that these actions not only threaten the peace and stability in the region but also undermine the rules-based order.
And the highly-articulate Chief Executive, in the view of many, was right in demanding fairness from members of the Fourth Estate.
