Media in Focus dives into the Eye of the Storm
By Justin Jimenez | 10/16/2009 5:33 PM
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With the country still reeling from of the effects of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, last Thursday’s episode of Media in Focus examined the Philippine media and its coverage of the devastating storms with guest anchor Malou Mangahas.
The guests were University of the Philippines, Diliman Anthropology Department Chair and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, Dr. Michael Tan, Ph.D.; photojournalist, John Javellana; Ateneo School of Government Dean and environmental policy expert, Antonio La Viña; Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, Rina Jimenez-David; Philippine Graphic Editor-in-Chief, Inday Espina-Varona; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Knight International Press Fellow, Alex Tizon.
Starting off the show, photojournalist Javellana recounted the pangs of grief and empathy he experienced while capturing images of Ondoy and Pepeng’s devastation. He related that, despite the tragedy, Pinoys still posed for the camera, their laughter continuing to permeate the solemnity of relief efforts.
Yet, with these images saturating the media, Dr. Tan expressed concern over their use to promote corporate and political agendas. Instead, he encouraged more coverage of everyday heroism to prevent casting affected individuals as victims.
Perhaps the key message that rang throughout the hour-long program was one of prevention and planning for future calamities. When asked to comment on the media’s preparedness for Ondoy, La Viña gave the Philippine media a score of 1 to 2, arguing that it even contributed to the sense of paralysis felt by citizens of Metro Manila. Jimenez-David shared her own experiences, saying that the media had not provided adequate warning the evening before Ondoy struck the Metro. She further described media coverage of disasters in general as being particularly Manila-centric, a claim that Espina-Varona echoed.
To better prepared in the future, Espina-Varona suggested that the media invest in relationships with local communities, as these are the front lines of information when such calamities occur. La Viña added, “there should be no excuses next time.”
The Greatest Gift is Good Information
Filipino-American journalist Tizon who covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the United States, emphasized that typhoons are a yearly occurrence in the Philippines, and thus the media should have individuals who specialize in science and disaster coverage. Espina-Varona countered this statement with the argument that such specialization is difficult due to a dearth of resources in the Philippine media. “But,” she continued, “with what we have, we’re not doing so bad”. Nonetheless, Tizon still lauded the Philippine media for its efforts.
Espina-Varona ended the show with a vote of confidence for the media: “The greatest gift [to the public] is good information, and we can only do that if we ask questions.”
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