LORDS OF THE PRESS

“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.”