26/08/2025
Not-so-friendly reminder: Media distrust has been and will be used against us
Editorial
People are invested in the recent spotlight on journalists who allegedly received payment from the Discayas in exchange for a media feature. It is indeed unethical and shameful; the Filipino audience is right to demand accountability and corrective measures from news organizations moving forward.
As campus journalists, we feel for the Filipino journalists in the media industry whose work and credibility are now more vulnerable to attacks because of some rotten apples. Some journalists may have turned their backs on their moral responsibility, but there are more of them who continue to dignify the role of media in a democratic society.
The question is bigger than who’s naughty and who’s nice in the industry, it’s also: Where might this discourse lead us?
A March 2025 survey by Publicus Asia found that the Filipino public’s trust in traditional media outlets is declining due to online misinformation and their reliance on internet search engines for political and current affairs information.
Following the allegations on Babao and Sanchez, the public’s confidence in media outlets will most likely go down the drain, which will definitely be taken advantage of by purveyors of political disinformation.
The last thing we need is the public crucifying the practice of journalism. Filipino journalists have stood by the side of the Filipinos through calamities, conflicts, and events that shaped our history. We must hold wrongdoers accountable, but we must never let this conversation discredit the profession’s contribution to our fight for truth and justice.
Perhaps we need to be more careful in the narrative we are participating in. Remember that “bayaran media” was part of the key message Duterte and his supporters used to pit the public against the mainstream media and propel disinformation through social media vloggers and content creators. Side note: VP Sara Duterte’s early campaign efforts are not overlooked.
So, engage as you please, but be careful not to be carried away from the situation of the country’s press. The media has not yet fully recovered from the attacks on media freedom by the previous administrations.
Media distrust, which inevitably amplifies disinformation, can be weaponized against us Filipinos– it has been proven and tested during the Duterte administration, and it will definitely be part of the playbook of whoever plans to follow in his footsteps.
Source:
https://pcij.org/2024/05/03/state-media-freedom-philippines-2024-cmfr/
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/public-trusts-internet-more-than-news-media
