As falsehoods masquerading as news are thriving on the worldwide web, a lawmaker in the Cordillera believes it is at this time the role of media, as purveyors of legitimate news and information, becomes more significant.
In his speech delivered after inducting the new officers of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club, Inc. on Jan. 28 in Camp John Hay, Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse Mangaoang said to achieve a good government, a strong and independent media must be an integral part and their presence should be welcomed.
He said the media functions not just for checks and balances, but also provides the platform for discussion of issues of public concern.
“All aspects of good governance are facilitated by a strong and independent media. Only when journalists are free to monitor, investigate, and criticize an administration’s policies and actions can good governance take hold. Independent media are like a beacon that should be welcomed when there is nothing to hide and much to improve,” Mangaoang said.
Mangaoang also recognizes that government should support media to achieve a good government.
“If media is to function for public interest, governments have to protect the independent functioning of the media and allow various viewpoints flourish in society.”
But as he emphasized the importance of an independent media, Mangaoang appealed to those in the mainstream and social media that if they want to contribute to the common good, they should also uphold the highest ethical standards.
He said media should always be a reliable source of information, not become peddlers of fake news, hate speech, and discrimination.
“Saan tayo kuma nga agmarmarites. People have high expectations for us to write only the truth even when the truth most of the time is ugly,” Mangaoang said.
Members of the BCBC, the biggest media organization in the Cordillera, elected its new set of officers on Dec. 13, 2022, after former president Aldwin Quitasol of the Daily Tribune sat on a holdover capacity for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The BCBC officers, whose tenure is until January 2024 is headed by president Joseph Cabanas of DZEQ Radyo Pilipinas.
Other officers are Dexter See of the Baguio City Public Information Office as vice president for print; Dhenver Bastingo of DZWT, VP for radio; Jessa Mardy Samidan of the Baguio PIO, secretary; Dionisio Dennis, Jr. of DZWT, treasurer; Ofelia Empian of Baguio Midland Courier, auditor; Joseph Manzano of Herald Express, Jordan Tablac of Bombo Radyo-Baguio, and Primo Agatep of Amianan Balita Ngayon compose the board of directors; and Roderick Osis of Baguio Chronicle and Miguelito Velarde, Jr. of Z-Radio as business managers. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
