'Media, not gov't, should set coverage guidelines'
MANILA, Philippines – It is the media, not the government or the police, which should establish the guidelines on coverage of life-threatening incidents such as hostage-taking, an expert has advised.
“You never want to interfere with covering. But when you come up with voluntary guidelines that people agreed to and try honestly to adhere to, it's much better than having a government say these are the guidelines, this is how you behave, this is what you do--that really becomes quite onerous,” said Bob Dietz, Program Coordinator for Asia of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told ANC's Top Story on Thursday.
The hostage drama started when dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza hijacked a bus full of tourists in Manila in an attempt to get his job back.
Local and foreign journalists flocked to the Quirino Grandstand to cover the incident. Some were criticized for delivering the critical moments of the crisis.
“When we're in a middle of a news coverage situation, we're really going for the best that we can get, especially the people on the street--the cameramen, the producers, the soundmen at that level,” Dietz said.
Dietz, however, pointed out that people back in the newsroom should be the one to decide when to call the shots.
“What has to happen is back here, where there are cooler heads in the newsroom, sort of saying ‘that's too much’, ‘let's pull this back’, ‘get these people out of that position’,” Dietz said.
Broadcast media covered the almost 12-hour hostage incident, which reported developments on the ground, including what many called the mishandling of the crisis by the local police.
Mendoza, the suspect, monitored police movements on the television inside the bus. He also saw the media coverage of how his brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, was forcibly arrested. This was said to have triggered the suspect to use his weapons.
Dietz said it’s the newsrooms, not the police, who should make the decisions if their coverage is already compromising the safety of people.
“It might be a decision that you and the 4 other newsrooms that you're competing in. ‘Wait a second, this is getting bad. This guy is watching the situation on television. We’re doing nothing but jeopardizing the safety of these people. We’re gonna hold back a wide shot of this bus and have a commentary run underneath. We’re going to take this off air to stop driving this maniac and feeding his need for publicity. That should be your decision and the decision of your colleagues, not the cops,” he explained.
“Don’t give that power to the government or the police in a crisis situation. Spread it out amongst yourselves, make a reasoned judgment based on experience,” he said.
Good practice in Pakistan
He likened the media competition in Pakistan during the siege of a mosque in Islamabad.
“Their broadcast came together voluntarily. It was about a 2-week process. They hammered out guidelines and everything from whether or not to show a bloody body, to whether you broadcast a hostage taker's demands--a whole range of issues,” he said.
The media there set a network, a way for news directors to talk to each other, he said.
“They talked with each other and worked with each other during these situations to make sure that even though it’s competitive, they weren’t stepping over the bounds of really risking lives,” he said.
The Aquino administration was criticized for not ordering a news blackout during the incident.
After the incident, Cebu Rep. Luis Quisumbing was prompted to file House Bill No. 2737 proposing a news blackout during hostage crisis.
NUJP against legislated restrictions
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said it is not supporting the legislated restriction being pushed in Congress. It instead called for self-examination among media organizations, and for an agreement on coverage protocols during hostage crises.
The Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) also does not support a news blackout.
Meantime, ABS-CBN also released its statement on the August 23 hostage crisis and maintained that it exercised self-restraint.
It added that if the government had called for a news blackout, the network would have supported it.
Dietz said it is not the police’s decision to call for a news blackout.
“That becomes an issue and all of a sudden people are saying ‘no, you can't cover that’. You are inflaming the situation. When in fact, you can say this is considered judgment what we’re doing. And it's not just one person being driven by profit mode or some competitive urge. In fact, it's people trying best to serve the rights of the viewing audience and their need to know what's going on,” explained Dietz.
“If there were errors made. the best thing to do is to step up and say, yes, we made errors, and to figure out which errors they were. Explain to your viewers the reasons for making those errors, and prevent them from happening again,” Dietz said.
YES MEDIA is a big factor for the negative result!!
bad media doesn't help at all..in my own opinion..it's purely business , pangalawa lang ang services..
katatapos lang ng Hostage Taking d2 sa US..2 hrs negotiations..then they shoot the Hostage taker to death..there is some newsbreak that flashes from time to time sa News report but it's not live..
In short..it's NOT A BIG deal for everybody to watch it "LIVE"..para panoorin ng madlang tao..updates and good informations are good enough!!
and now that the Hostager taker is deceased..wala namang naghahabol..coz they can't!! that person chose that situation and ready to deal whatever the outcome!!
so pinoys..move on!! it's not the end of the world yet!!
and pinoy27..grow up and change your perspective in life!! and have the RIGHT MIND too..
dagdag requirements para sa pulis
dagdagan ang requirements ng papasok sa pagiging pulis at wag payagan na purket ka mag-anak ay tangap na at pwede ng hirangin na pulis.mas higpitan pa ang qualifications at requirements ng pagiging pulis ng hindi tayo kahiya-hiya sa ibang bansa.pati yung school dapat may enough facilities at training center para sa pag pupulis na accredit ng gobyerno. para di kulelat tuwing i-sabak sa bak-bakan o trahedya..
Admit it or not but media is
Admit it or not but media is 50% of the reason why the tragedy happened. The event could have been avoided had media practiced self restraint and common sense. Unfortunately media people today have degraded into a bunch of retards. How many times have they misreported events. They got the wrong numbers, names, address, wrong spellings and worse they even post wrong pictures of people causing more personal pains to the victims. Media today has become irresponsible, unfair, one sided, arrogant and too self serving. They would go thru great lengths just to get an angle not in the name of informaton dissimination but for proft, ratings and greed. They have no regards whatsoever on the consequences of their actions. As such I cant blame those people who kill and murder journalists because they deserve it. On top of the media outfits that really suck, abs-cbn new dept is no.1 Sobrang yabang, puro palpak at kuryente naman. Instead of promoting good values and balance reporting on their shows, all they show are the negative sides. They fair to remember that the entire world is connected now. The more negative news they project the more scared would be investors are in coming to our country. Without investors people have no jobs. Stupid abs-cbn i hope their station burn in hell!!
the media was the reason why
the media was the reason why people and aqui-NO were able to watch the coverage on tv and why he sat his butt comfortably in his office just monitoring it too is beyond belief when he could used his capacity as a leader to contain and end the situation before it wenr out of control and what is more appalling to see him showed up after and see him still grinning on the photo which made me puke. the media could have been used as a channel to both sides but since aqui-NO lacks leadership and skills and mentally unfit, don't expect a psycho to function well. they
'Media, not gov't, should set coverage guidelines'
The role of media is to cover the news, while the role of government is to govern. To govern is " The act or process of governing, especially the control and administration of public policy in a political unit." The government elected by the people and for the people is mandated to do just that - to govern. The government should establish the guidelines for the media, it is what they are mandated to do. We should be governed by government and not by media nor any other institution.
Setting Coverage
Media Oh my God. Hindi na ba kayo nadala. Marami ng namatay dahil sa inyo, tapos gusto nyo pang kayo ang masunod.
If there is life threat, governament have to set the coverage.
If there is for the National Security, government have to set the coverage.
Kung problema sa loob mismo ng pamilya huwag na ninyong pang-himasukan.
Ganoon lang po kasimple.
PAGKATANDAAN NINYO, ANG INYONG MGA KAMAY AY MAY DUGO NG MGA NASAWI SA TRAHEDYA SA BUS.
wala na tapos na ang malagim
wala na tapos na ang malagim na trahedya at napahiya na tayo sa buong mundo. Media has contributed sa mga nangyari sa bus hostage kasi kung hindi nila kinunan ng video ang pamilya ni mendoza or total backout talaga ay siguro walang masamang nangyari sa mga turista.
A Tough Call
No story is worth a a life. We should never forget this.
PULIS PATOLA
Santambak na PULIS PATOLA na walang alam kundi ang mangotong.Nakakahiya kayong mga hinayupak na mga Kamote.Sa ipinakitang news dito sa U.S nakakahiya tayong mga Pilipino."Proud to be a Pilipino" Manila Finest Patola ang dapat tawag sa inyo.
what happened
Mr. Mendoza was already upset even before he saw on television what the policemen did to his brother. The other tourists who remained inside the bus were complaining. Wei Ji Jiang wanted to go to the bathroom. Dao Chi Yu was hungry and the rest were just groaning and whining like they have forgotten that our lives rest in Mr. Mendoza’s hands. The hostage taker, as you know him was really nice. He treated us okay and even let the elders and the children leave the bus. He said your policemen treated him unfairly. He was a policeman too and was accused of doing something he had no knowledge of. But your government didn’t listen so he used us to get everyone’s attention. Things would have never turned for the worst if he didn’t see how his family was dragged out of their house and taken into custody. He was watching the news all the time as we huddled around each other behind the bus. He shouted some words in your language then started shooting in the air. A girl about my age started screaming. Mr. Mendoza demanded her to stop but she didn’t understand English. God, he had to slash her neck with a knife just to put her to rest. Her boyfriend who tried to hit him was shot in the head. Tension was rising. You can see in his face how scared and confused he was. The bus driver ran away leaving him alone with strangers from a distant land. I can see him walking across the aisle, sometimes pointing his machine gun to one of the tourists. But he tried his best not to hurt us, especially those who really cooperate. I guess its in your nature not to inflict pain on others unless it was necessary. I remember him saying that he will free us before sundown and implored us to forget everything when we return home. But his words don’t matter now. The policemen were trying to force their way in, while we all lied down to shield ourselves from bullets. Mister Mendoza blindly shoots at his enemies which I think kept them from rescuing us. I hear sobs under the chairs. Some were even shouting the names of their loved ones even when the air merely eat their words. Kevin Tang tried to escape when the glass door was was shattered, but one shot and he slumped on the floor with blood gushing from his mouth. Heavy rain pitter-pattered on the rooftop. In old Chinese saying, it means an end to a struggle. Finally, somebody was able to open the escape hatch at the back of the bus. Freedom. But I knew Mister Mendoza was still alive. I knew he was just waiting for a chance to strike back at his enemies. So I told those around me not to escape. Let the authorities come for us instead. Then there was gunfire. He was firing at his enemies with a machine gun. Those who were at the escape hatch fled abandoning us once again. It’s like a nightmare with no end and to wake up means a certain death. Then somebody from outside the bus threw a canister. It forced out a black smoke that is so painful to the eyes and putrid smelling to the nose. People started screaming. We cannot breathe. Some ran in front of the bus but Mister Mendoza warned them of stray bullets. It was too late. One was hit on the head, the other was hit on the shoulders. Bullets were now flying. Its like the authorities thought we were all dead. Mister Mendoza finally admits his mistake and said sorry to everyone, dead or alive. He then ran towards the front of the bus where he would meet his maker. As he passed by my chair with bullets whistling overhead, I clutched my hand on the velvet curtain and wrapped it around my face. All I could think of was to stay alive – for my child who is waiting for me back in Xinjang. I know I will survive, I will come home.
Bang Lu Min Survivor, Quirino Bloodbath Grabbed from yahoo news/philippines.