aldous dela pena,
“History repeats itself.”
This is an adage that, until now, continues to prove true and relevant.
One of the most discussed issues regarding Philippine news today is the growing problem of fake news. However, because it is a heated topic right now, another issue has not been given enough attention: the repetitiveness of the news.
This is not inherently a bad thing. Repetitiveness may be used by the media as a tool to remind people of certain issues that are not being addressed by the people.
However, therein lies the problem. When the news discusses issues such as corruption, crime, and various other national issues over and over again, we must ask ourselves: why does this keep happening?
Some would blame the media for utilizing news for publicity. It is as if news nowadays is made only to find out what the people will react most to. Through that, the media could use the issues to attract more readers and viewers, whether it is about the government or the country as a whole.
But even then, it is still the duty of those in the news industry to make sure the people know about corruption, crime, and other national issues. When a news agency brings to light such societal problems, it is so that people are informed and can act accordingly, actively trying to find solutions to said problems. The fact that these issues keep coming up means that they have not been resolved. If there is repetitive news, there are repetitive issues and repeat offenders.
For example, it is a known fact that the Philippines has a high level of corruption. Transparency International, a global organization against corruption, gave the country a score of 35 out of 100 in its Corruption Perceptions Index last 2016. The lower the score, the more corruption there is in the government, which means that the Philippines remains highly corrupt.
Former President Ferdinand Marcos led a dictatorship and let the nation suffer for his own personal gain yet he is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and his family continues to be active in politics.
Former President Joseph Estrada participated in jueteng and stole from the nation for himself and his underlings but he is currently duly-elected mayor of Manila.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was involved in the Hello Garci electoral fraud scandal but is now in Congress.
The list goes on, and on, and on. Many government officials are corrupt yet remain in the political arena. It is annoying as much as it is offending. This cycle of repetitiveness also extends to the dirty reputation of Philippine politics and the proliferation of crime and the loss of countless lives in the country.
Each of the aforementioned scandals sparked nation-wide controversy and gossip, which headlined the national papers for weeks on end. Seeing these again and again for the nth time makes people wonder: is there anything else going on in the country besides all these issues?
The repetitiveness of the news is a symptom of a wider problem: people do not act.
People do not act, and because of that the country remains in the same situation. However, it is apparent that for every person who cares, there are many who don’t. What’s disappointing is that some of those who are in the seat of power and have direct influence on these issues do nothing. There is no moving forward this way. One cannot push a boulder up a mountain when everybody else is dragging it down.
It is a common notion for people to be indifferent towards issues that do not affect them or do not seem to directly affect them. If they do act, it often means that they could benefit from it, or they are directly impacted by it. Otherwise, they’d rather stay out of other people’s business, hiding behind a wall of sympathy for those affected. Sometimes encouraging others to take action, while still doing nothing.
This apathetic behavior further encourages the problems within the country to propagate. And when the problem manages to become way too huge to handle, people should begin to realize that it is already past the time to act. Even then, it may be too late.
And yet, we mustn't give up hope.
Not everyone is ignorant and indifferent towards the nation’s issues — there will always be people working towards progress. And many do know that the country is in dire need of change.
Certain parts of our society are actively working for solutions to bring these problems to a halt. It is up to us, the majority of society, to go and help them, even if others refuse to.
This solution has always been said time and time again, but it is true that information is key. Spread the truth, enlighten others. The goal isn’t to persuade but to empathize with others, to make people realize how we really all are in the same boat. If one person goes down, the rest will follow.
It’s also not bad to try to convince the game changers, those who have a direct influence in the government or private organizations, to also take a stand. Speak up for what is right and don’t stop until they start fighting for change in this country as well.
Especially for the students who are studying now. There is a future ahead of you. Perhaps right now, it is difficult to spark widespread change. However after you’ve finished your studies, after you’ve learned what you need to learn, you can use it to be the change this country needs. Give the world a different kind of news, the one it’s been waiting for a long time. //by Craig Aquino, Hillary Fajutagana, Aldous Dela Peña, Philip Jocano
Sources:
“Philippines”. Transparency International, January 25 2017. Retrieved from https://www.transparency.org/country/PHL on October 3, 2017.
“Philippines - Corruption”. Global Security. org, (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/corruption.htm on October 3, 2017.
Opinion: A Different Kind of News
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| Photo Credit: Jem Torrecampo |
“History repeats itself.”
This is an adage that, until now, continues to prove true and relevant.
One of the most discussed issues regarding Philippine news today is the growing problem of fake news. However, because it is a heated topic right now, another issue has not been given enough attention: the repetitiveness of the news.
This is not inherently a bad thing. Repetitiveness may be used by the media as a tool to remind people of certain issues that are not being addressed by the people.
However, therein lies the problem. When the news discusses issues such as corruption, crime, and various other national issues over and over again, we must ask ourselves: why does this keep happening?
Some would blame the media for utilizing news for publicity. It is as if news nowadays is made only to find out what the people will react most to. Through that, the media could use the issues to attract more readers and viewers, whether it is about the government or the country as a whole.
But even then, it is still the duty of those in the news industry to make sure the people know about corruption, crime, and other national issues. When a news agency brings to light such societal problems, it is so that people are informed and can act accordingly, actively trying to find solutions to said problems. The fact that these issues keep coming up means that they have not been resolved. If there is repetitive news, there are repetitive issues and repeat offenders.
For example, it is a known fact that the Philippines has a high level of corruption. Transparency International, a global organization against corruption, gave the country a score of 35 out of 100 in its Corruption Perceptions Index last 2016. The lower the score, the more corruption there is in the government, which means that the Philippines remains highly corrupt.
Former President Ferdinand Marcos led a dictatorship and let the nation suffer for his own personal gain yet he is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and his family continues to be active in politics.
Former President Joseph Estrada participated in jueteng and stole from the nation for himself and his underlings but he is currently duly-elected mayor of Manila.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was involved in the Hello Garci electoral fraud scandal but is now in Congress.
The list goes on, and on, and on. Many government officials are corrupt yet remain in the political arena. It is annoying as much as it is offending. This cycle of repetitiveness also extends to the dirty reputation of Philippine politics and the proliferation of crime and the loss of countless lives in the country.
Each of the aforementioned scandals sparked nation-wide controversy and gossip, which headlined the national papers for weeks on end. Seeing these again and again for the nth time makes people wonder: is there anything else going on in the country besides all these issues?
The repetitiveness of the news is a symptom of a wider problem: people do not act.
People do not act, and because of that the country remains in the same situation. However, it is apparent that for every person who cares, there are many who don’t. What’s disappointing is that some of those who are in the seat of power and have direct influence on these issues do nothing. There is no moving forward this way. One cannot push a boulder up a mountain when everybody else is dragging it down.
It is a common notion for people to be indifferent towards issues that do not affect them or do not seem to directly affect them. If they do act, it often means that they could benefit from it, or they are directly impacted by it. Otherwise, they’d rather stay out of other people’s business, hiding behind a wall of sympathy for those affected. Sometimes encouraging others to take action, while still doing nothing.
This apathetic behavior further encourages the problems within the country to propagate. And when the problem manages to become way too huge to handle, people should begin to realize that it is already past the time to act. Even then, it may be too late.
And yet, we mustn't give up hope.
Not everyone is ignorant and indifferent towards the nation’s issues — there will always be people working towards progress. And many do know that the country is in dire need of change.
Certain parts of our society are actively working for solutions to bring these problems to a halt. It is up to us, the majority of society, to go and help them, even if others refuse to.
This solution has always been said time and time again, but it is true that information is key. Spread the truth, enlighten others. The goal isn’t to persuade but to empathize with others, to make people realize how we really all are in the same boat. If one person goes down, the rest will follow.
It’s also not bad to try to convince the game changers, those who have a direct influence in the government or private organizations, to also take a stand. Speak up for what is right and don’t stop until they start fighting for change in this country as well.
Especially for the students who are studying now. There is a future ahead of you. Perhaps right now, it is difficult to spark widespread change. However after you’ve finished your studies, after you’ve learned what you need to learn, you can use it to be the change this country needs. Give the world a different kind of news, the one it’s been waiting for a long time. //by Craig Aquino, Hillary Fajutagana, Aldous Dela Peña, Philip Jocano
“Philippines”. Transparency International, January 25 2017. Retrieved from https://www.transparency.org/country/PHL on October 3, 2017.
“Philippines - Corruption”. Global Security. org, (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/philippines/corruption.htm on October 3, 2017.
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