Some sectors of the Dumaguete media have expressed alarm over an Ordinance proposed by Board Member Arnie Teves that seeks to regulate the reading of text messages, especially anonymous and potentially libelous ones, over radio, TV, or its publication in the newspaper.
The critics say this move seeks to impose prior restraint on the media and thus, should not be allowed to become part of the laws of the Province.
It is true that the Constitution, the highest law of the land, says that no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. On that constitutional provision alone, the proposed law will be estopped.
By the very nature of their respective jobs, politicians and media have an adversarial relationship. Media exists, in the words of some old timers, “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable”.
But of course, there are limits. There are laws, like Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code, or the Libel Law, that define the limits of fair reporting, and impose sanctions on violators. There are also guidelines for media. The print media has the Journalists’ Code of Ethics, while broadcasters have the KBP Standards that stipulates sanctions on broadcasters who go beyond the tenets of fair reporting and commentary.
However, enforcing these guidelines is another story altogether. Too often, many reporters succeed in damaging reputations by writing or broadcasting unverified damaging information. We hear of radio programs wherein text messages filled with innuendoes or libelous statements purportedly sent by “concerned citizens” are read on air, to the consternation of some people who feel alluded to.
Anonymity has emboldened not a few to destroy certain individuals through text messaging or emails, which are tolerated by some journalists. To begin with, is anyone enforcing the KBP accreditation requirement for broadcasters?
Yes, we have a free press. The freest in Asia, in fact. At times, the Philippine press is even worse than free.
If the proposed law of Board Member Teves does not prosper in the Provincial Board, it shall, at least, have succeeded in giving media a wake-up call. The media, afterall, is not infallible. The sooner we realize our mistakes and rectify them, there would be no need for useless debates like this.