“Kung gusto mong makarating sa Langit,
daanan mo muna ang patungong impyerno,” a very superb quote from an Anonymous
writer that would simply talk about the abuses of Newspaper proprietors that
was written by Sheila Coronel, “Lords of the Press.” Coronel talks about the
abuses of owners of newspapers, such as Manila Times, Philippine Daily
Inquirer, Star, Times etc. They used their powers to publicize their
businesses, to cover their allies’ fault and issues, and business interests.
Proprietors intervened on the editorials and opinions on the Newspapers, they
even monopolize the writer’s not to put or print an issue that would somehow
relates to their allies or self. Anyways, how this really started? And why are
the proprietors simply abused their powers? How proprietors do manipulates newspaper? How
come they do it, as if they were the voice of the voiceless? It’s simply
because of the MONEY. If not money, probably a friend! But what’s good about
owning a newspaper company? They can simply do whatever they want, in just
simple way; they can disseminate an issue about their enemies and hide their
one. If newspaper can build a man, it can probably destroy a man! In Sheila
Coronel’s “Lords of the Press,” she tackles about the bad sides of a newspaper
owner, say for instance from Ramos regime, Manila Bulletin used the editorial
pages of their newspapers because of the controversial awarding of the sale of
Manila Hotel. Without knowing, Emilio Yap, Bulletin publisher, who has a
business interest, then Ramos intervene and later decided that Yap is now also
the proprietor of Manila Hotel. This kind of instance is really abusing because
Yap used the power of the press, he did it because he is a business man and has
an interest. This case reveals how press proprietors misuse their powers by
using the opinion and news pages of their papers to campaign for their business
interests. Yap takes the place of editors as a gatekeeper of news and
information, deciding what readers will find in their morning paper.
Various editors automatically accept
the ruling set by the holder and obediently highlight or even eradicate a
story. Editors were afraid of their managers, so they do what the manager
instructed them. Just what Miss Gladys Serafica once said, a journalist may
die, either you do your work or not!
Sometimes politician owns a newspaper
too. They also intervene of what are the things will be printed daily, they
pressure the editors. Just like the former President Manuel Quezon, he notices
the mass-circulation of newspaper. Then lately used in his campaign and
political related issues.
Newspapering was definitely in the
hands of big businessmen who were not ashamed of putting down their rivals,
promoting their allies and governmental issues.
Way back in Marcos’ regime, he then
identifies the power of the press and ordered the closure of newspaper when he
declared martial law in 1972. Months were counts when the newspaper begun
circulating again, but it’s far different because it was controlled by the mean
president.
Money is the bottom line of media
business. Media such as newspaper is an immense business that would probably
make a proprietor rich. Politicians were taking advantage to their friends who
own a newspaper. They were taking care of their names in public, bad issues or
rumors against them. They were building friendships with the proprietors and
paying some amount under the table. Proprietors are mandated to do their jobs,
to get rid of bad issues leaning to their FRIENDS!
Going back to the former President
Estrada issue, the alleging BMW, it’s such a shame for the side of Manila
Standard to print erroneous information, without any consent to the
ex-President. Estrada, and correspondingly bullied by the media, that’s how
media powerful was! Imagine how a newspaper can affect an entity? Estrada
didn’t do anything against the editors after apologizing with him. But imagine
how Razon, one of the Manila Standard owners, asked the President “What do you
want me to do Mr. President, fire my editors?” Although Razon anticipated it as
a joke, but what if the President say “Yes,” what is now the situation? He
didn’t assume of what the result will be.
Of course, the President has the power
to get rid of the editors, he just consider it anyways. The President can
threat a libel suit and a tax audit to them.
He has the most intervention in the
circulation of newspaper; Sheila Coronel is talking about Emilio Yap, owner of
the Manila Bulletin. He operates his own newspaper, he presides as the
gatekeeper as an editors’ job. He mandated his editors which are news or
stories would be printed or circulated. Doubtless, Yap’s editors were doing
their job, as ordered by the boss. Yap definitely runs his business with an
iron hand! He is doing this because of money, if not, a friend!
Proprietors of newspapers such as
Gokongweis Family, Emilio Yap, Prieto Family and Soriano Family don’t content
of what businesses and money they have. They have Agribusinesses, Money Banks,
International Airports, International Ports and Airlines, but why are still
overruling the newspaper? They are not yet satisfied of what they have; they
fool the public because they didn’t release the facts what they are needed,
they were covering the bad side of their friends. They can make the public
revolve in their hands.
“Newspapers are published even if they
lose money because their aim is not profit but influence. In a country where
there is intense competition among rival elites for business opportunities
subject to arbitrary and not always impartial state regulation, businesspeople
use every weapon in their arsenal to influence those who run the machinery of
government. One of those weapons is newspaper.” Phrase from the Sheila
Coronels’ “Lords of the Press.” It is basically says that newspapers nowadays
were being used because of public figure or business interests in some other
ways.
In present, one of the radio stations
in Sorsogon was owned by a politician, it’s quite horrible to knew that he also
mandates what, when, where and who to broadcast news. Of course, the radio
announcers were afraid to get rid on their job, that’s why they do whatever the
owner commands. The owner screens his name from public, that’s an advantage of
having a radio station. He even uses it when election is approaching.
If you will scrutinize the ABS-CBN
station, they are Pro-Pnoy (Noynoy Aquino) last election. Most of their
advertisement was from Pnoy. Imagine, now, politicians were intervening
Television too. They weren’t contented invading the newspaper. If you could
notice again, the Former President Cory Aquino’s Burial was aired 24/7, last
November (I think), the station impeded the programs that would be televised,
like drama’s because of nonstop updates. This simply means that politicians
were allied to the proprietors of TV Station. “Lopez” (I think) the owner of
ABS-CBN is obviously a friend of Aquino. But come to think, this Lopez is
actually intervening the news that would be aired in TV reports. Well, what do
you expect from a friend? MONEY, of course! Not only in the ABS-CBN station,
but also in GMA too. The owner of the latter station is friend of Manny Villar,
that’s why you can perceive it last election; many of their advertisement were
from Villar.
Think it again, if this “intervention”
in newspapers and Televisions will practice in all over the world, can you
imagine how chaotic is the world? These mediums are very influential,
proprietors and politicians who owns a Newspapers, Televisions and Radios can
make the public gyrate in their hands.
“Money is the reason why the earth
keeps rotating.” Quote from anonymous that can be related by the mean owners.
Maybe if they don’t have the money, their world might abolish.
Remember, “Kung gusto mong makarating
sa Langit, daanan mo muna ang patungong impyerno,” if all people will do this
conjecture, I CAN’T ENVISAGE!
“But for now, the only remedy is public
awareness. If readers are made aware of the impact of proprietorial
intervention on what they read and if they demand more from the newspapers they
buy, then some of the problems posed by press ownership maybe resolved.”
A simple, yet splendid idea from Sheila
Coronels’ “Lords of the Press.”
This critical analysis is not to get
annoy you from the owners of Newspapers, Radios and Televisions, this just
prognosticate you from the “behind-the-scene.”
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