FUROR OVER FLOR AND MAD CITY

Media practitioners must be vigilant for accuracy of information. False information may cause chaos, or worst loose a life. In the Furor over Flor and the movie Mad City, media practitioners only shows how weak they are in terms of getting sources. These two stuffs show the weakest part of the media practitioners, being glutton on information. Let’s talk about the Mad City first. In the part of Max Bracket, the main character, he assumed that the event in the museum is a hostage taking. He easily calls his editor and broadcasted it live. What makes wrong with Brackets budge? Why doesn’t he call the police first? The police have the right and job to do this task. And the second is, he assumed that it is a hostage, when the truth is just a conversation and some personal talk with the boss of the supposed hostage taker. Sam, the assumed hostage taker, has find out that he is being broadcasted in the television, live. This made him panic. And what could have been worst when the moment Bracket became a negotiator?! This is too much, journalists are supposed to deliver news, and don’t create a news. And what Bracket did is very unethical in the par of media industry. If you are going to criticize of what the media guidelines in covering a hostage situation is, several guidelines were rupture and lapsed. I can manage to one-by-one the media guidelines that conked out. The first is, do not go on live. Never ever go on live, if possible, cut some brutal instances in the coverage. Think of what could be the effects of going live. What are the effects of this to the child ones? Always assume that kids are always watching television. There are several effects that could affect the children by showing brutal. One example of this was the Quirino Grandstand Hostage Crisis, there are fierce acts happened. The gun shots and the violent are unexpected. The next guideline that trail off is the: Do not be a negotiator. What happened to Max Bracket? He intervened as if he can handle the situation, and he is not born to be a negotiator, so he must do the thing. And Bracket has no knowledge about negotiation techniques. And always remember that one word or inappropriate question can cause jeopardy. The next is: The great caution in interviewing family members of the hostage taker. Exercise care when interview family members or friends of those involved in standoff situations. The reason for this is that the hostage taker might experience great pressure upon seeing or hearing his family members commenting in the said situation. Just like the wife of Sam, he was pressured when she saw her in the television. And in Mendoza’s case, when his brother was being arrested by the police men, Mendoza became violent. The next is, always assume that the hostage taker, terrorist or the gunman has an access to the live reporting. Like in the case of Sam and bracket, as we know. Another was the, notify authorities immediately if the hostage taker calls the newsroom. To let them actions and avoid involvement in the situation. You call the authorities for backups. And always remember, you are not born to be a negotiator. Journalist deliver the news, they do not make the news. Do not involve yourself like Max Bracket did.

What about in the Flor Contempacion issue? Well, generally it only perceive that a journalist must be aware of the information their reporting. Confirm all the data before going to report. “Pressured by deadlines and excited publishers eager to make quick sales from the furor over flor, journalists at times went overboard. The result was sometimes sloppy and inaccurate reporting, emotional stories riddles by the reporter’s biases, and spot reports that confused rather than informed.” Take a deep thought of that quote. And how can media practitioners made this such thing? Probably, it’s because of biases. They cross several guidelines in reporting such like this incident. They sensationalize the death of Flor. As if she is a god, and not a person. The next lap is: the accuracy of the information. As quoted, “The paper published this story on the upper fold of its front page but the authenticity of the document and its source were never checked with its source in Singapore and found the document dubious.” It’s quite a shame in part of those media practitioners and company as well, reporting not confirmed information! And as what I’ve also read, sometimes the reporting was downright careless. In some corner, there are lots of issues being neglected in the sensationalizing Flor’s death. And the journalists of that moment were not that critical. They only focus on the good side. What about the other, where did the presidents P100, 000-donation to the Contemplacions go? Who among Flor’s kin was keeping the money? Was Flor a lesbian? Was she having an affair with DeliaMaga? Was Efren a philanderer? Was he the father of his 17-year-old daughter’s son? Where did Flor’s hard-earned money go?

The media of that time captured the public’s opinion. The media are largely driven by sources and events, and their stories depend almost exclusively on human, rather than documentary, sources.