BEYOND THE BEND: How media can help voters against vloggers

(MindaNews / 23 March) — Several national broadsheets have opted to serve as just another public relations tool of traditional politicians or tradpols, ignoring the fact that the money paid to them will be reimbursed from the hard-earned contributions of taxpayers. News publications need to generate revenue to survive, but they also have a responsibility to help voters in their time of need, especially against tradpol machinations.

Pertinently, reporters and journalists do tend to simply regurgitate information produced by candidates. Maybe this is just sheer laziness or simply being respectful of the interview subject. But in the sincere effort to show the complete picture about politicos, media is in a way helping the candidates more than the voters.  Indeed, it has become the norm to show voters the narrative dictated by politicians.

Before the internet and social media, it was necessary for media to provide voters with as many details about candidates as the law and their principals would allow. But in the digital age, candidates themselves have been given their very own rostrums to showcase what they are all about. Notably, social media has also made these candidates widely accessible to voters. 

Given that the contrived narrative about their candidacy is already in the ether open for all to digest, journalists can be more discriminating about the information and insight they seek to elicit from candidates. So, first, there should be minimal queries about their background and qualification as these details are already available on their campaign website. They are likewise available on the Comelec website.

Second, journalists should just touch on the candidate’s platform and views only as a prelude to a deeper dive to their potential in public office. It is so easy for dynastic candidates to propose “bright ideas” during the campaign and sadly, voters can be hoodwinked.  Journalists must confront the candidates offering the sun and the moon to voters. Media simply cannot leave campaign promises unchallenged.

Finally, journalists do not need to dwell on the personal and wacky side of candidates because most of them already have a dedicated social media account for this very purpose. They must now accept that it is not their responsibility to “humanize” politicians in the eyes of voters. The tradpol way of campaigning is all about being performative and image projection. Journalists should avoid being utilized as an unwitting pawn in this crass campaign tactic. 

Note however, that media should also be wary of employing “gotcha journalism” or methods that are designed to entrap interviewees into making self-damaging statements. Journalists can, of course, make candidates uncomfortable with their pointing questions. And they can certainly discredit anything a candidate says during an interview (i.e. real time fact-checking). But targeting candidates to publicly shame them is not the work of real journalists. 

The role of media now is to help voters get the information and insight that they cannot get on their own accord. Ask the questions voters cannot ask given the practical limitations. For instance, journalists must challenge senatorial candidates who make bold promises without considering the fact that the Senate is a collegial body. Same is true with Congressional aspirants. 

Journalists must ask these candidates as to their recourse when they get stiff resistance from dynastic colleagues? What will they do if their measures are scuttled in the House of Representatives (or Senate) where mega dynasties dominate? Will they raise a ruckus in the plenary or will they just recede quietly in the background? Filing bills is just a part of the job of lawmaking. It is not the full measure of it.

This line of questioning is critical because the public’s expectation is for lawmakers to enact laws that address our problems. So, a huge part of the work involves building coalitions to push legislations through. Therefore, voters need to see from the candidates whether they have the wherewithal to meet this important job requirement.  

Voters truly need the media in this campaign period. The domination of dynastic candidates means the information space will be flooded with propaganda materials. Unravelling candidates can help voters determine those whom they can trust in public office and those they should totally discard at the polling booth.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Michael Henry Yusingco, LL.M is a law lecturer, policy analyst and constitutionalist)