Five letter words

Posted by Janvic | Posted in | Posted on 11:57 AM

The five-letter words – either PRESS or MEDIA – printed on vests and ID’s of journalists that serve as free entrance tickets to certain star-studded events and first-rated incidents, sometimes also serving as free passes against traffic violations, is not a job benefit of being a journalist. In fact, the recent massacre of 30 media personnel in Ampatuan, Maguindanao proved otherwise.

Contrary to the belief of the majority, the stature of being a member of the media – also known to many as the “watchdog” and the “fourth branch of the government”, next to the executive, legislative and judiciary – is a liability, more than an asset, especially in this country. One primary reason: the world of the journalists is all about digging to uncover the reality while the world of the others, particularly those in power, is all about burying the truth.

The worst part is that the battle between those who uncover and those who bury is uneven, added to the fact that the battle should not exist after all. Until now, journalists who tend to do their job description usually find themselves facing a court charge, or more appalling, having bullets in their skulls or being buried in mass graves. Yet, many are still willing to venture this field even with imminent dangers faced by journalists these days. What, then, is the benefit of being a journalist?

The usual noble answer is “to be able to serve the people by telling them what they need to know”. I believe, though, that journalists have personal reasons when they chose to be in this field. Personally, I admit that I find journalism as an outlet of my passion for writing. It also satisfies the adventurist-side of my brain and, of course, the achievement felt after reading the byline. The best benefit of journalism, however, is unknown to many.




It is, I believe, the power of the journalists to shape the public opinion. Journalists can move the entire nation depending on what they choose to report, and how they reported and reacted on that issue. Journalists can start another people power or take down a powerful political clan in a snap if they wanted to. Now, wouldn’t that be a good benefit?

On the other hand, however, like all accounts of “power discovery”, the next statement will always be a cautionary quote from Spiderman that deals with the “responsibility” thing.

Badly, the power of shaping the public opinion is not as simple as wearing spider suits and shooting spider webs and saving the neighborhood. The greatest responsibility of journalists, apparently, is to decide what kind of public opinion will emerge. Their duty is to consciously use this benefit with the mindset of manipulating the others in a way that the result could also benefit the majority and not for the personal satisfaction of the journalist and several others. In the end, to be a real journalist, one must be able to avoid the temptations provided by the capability of shaping the public’s opinion.

All forms of communication are manipulation. It may sound inappropriate, but that is the reality. The issue, simply, is whether the purpose of manipulation is right or wrong. There are levels of manipulation and I consider the journalist’s power to shape the public opinion a part of the highest form of manipulation. Two reasons: 1) the number of the people being manipulated, 2) the efficient and effective way of manipulation. It is important, therefore, for journalists to consider the implications of what they write or say.

The primary factor that affects manipulation is the credibility of the speaker. Journalists are credible, that’s a fact. That alone defines the magnitude of the responsibility that journalists should exercise when practicing their profession.

The power of shaping the public opinion that comes with the five letter words – MEDIA or PRESS – inscribed on vests and ID’s of journalists is therefore not just a simple job benefit. In fact, after going through the responsibilities that’s tied with it, I wonder if anyone would actually call it a “benefit”.

After all, maybe the satisfaction of being a journalist is not the presence of the power itself but the control that one must have to avoid the temptations that come with it in order to perform his job description well.




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