21/08/2025
VIEWPOINT | RESPECT the Press, Respect the PEOPLE
By Mark Sison
Those in power often dream of a press corps that sits quietly, nods politely, and churns out soundbites that flatter the program of the day. It’s the fantasy of authority, reporters as decoration, not watchdogs.
But journalism is not stenography. We are not here to echo scripts or validate press kits. We are here to ask the questions that sting, the ones that don’t fit neatly into a ribbon-cutting. To demand otherwise is to reduce a press conference to a production number, staged for cameras but empty of accountability.
There was no rumor-mongering, no fabrication of facts only legitimate questions on matters of public concern. If inquiry itself is dismissed as “sensational,” then press freedom is already in handcuffs, reduced to a prop for photo-ops.
Institutions do not lose credibility because of tough questions; they lose it when they try to silence them. Real partnership with the media demands more than handshakes at ceremonies, it requires transparency every day, especially when it's uncomfortable.
Power must never forget, scrutiny is not a favor the press extends, it's the cost of governing in a democracy. A press that parrots only what's sanctioned isn't a partner of the people, but a mouthpiece of authority.
And if respect is truly desired, it must begin with this truth, "our duty is not to protect the state’s message, but to protect the people’s right to know."
BapNews Mark Sison CLMA Pampanga Chapter Pampanga Newsweek BAP NEWS MARK SISON MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories
