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Category: Media

Humaneness in the age of technology

Published by Ellen on August 1, 2010

Stirring journalism and security worlds are WikiLeaks releases of classified military documents on the war in Afghanistan filched by a 22-year old American intelligence analyst from State department online files.

The leaked documents are unprecedented in terms of volume – 91,000 diplomatic cables out of the 260,000 that Bradley Manning, the intelligence analyst, said he downloaded covering the years from 2004 to 2010. The leaks underscored the game-changing role of the internet in information dissemination.

The leaks, which have been condemned by the White House, Pentagon and State Department, raises anew the endless debate on press freedom and the public’s right to know versus national security.

There is also the aspect of humaneness , of not putting innocent people at in harm’s way, that every journalist should value.

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Losing by default

Published by Ellen on July 11, 2010

I read that in the training of members of the Aquino cabinet on how to deal with media, public relations practitioner Carol Espiritu stressed the importance of credibility.

How does one achieve credibility? By telling the truth.

Never lie to media. You may be able to get away with it for a few hours or a day but it would be discovered later on. You can’t fool all the people all the time.

That’s what happened in the press conference of Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo last Wednesday. He cited two cases as legal justification for his recommendation to extend for three months the stay of 21 political ambassadors of Gloria Arroyo : Mendoza vs Quisumbing, 186 DCRA110 and Topacio vs Angeles, 76 Phil 12.

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It’s Carandang and Coloma

Published by Ellen on July 10, 2010

It looks like a compromise arrangement. Good luck!

From ABS-CBN:

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has finally formed his communications group, according to ABS-CBN sources.

Coloma
Former Presidential Management Staff chief Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, who served under President Cory Aquino’s administration, is set to handle media operations.

Former ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) news anchor Ricky Carandang, meanwhile, will strategize and craft government’s messages.

Palace officials, however, refused to confirm the report, saying they will issue a statement on Monday.

“On the communications group, all will be announced on Monday,” said Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

In a text message, Coloma suggested that the public wait for the official announcement.

“It’s premature to confirm, no appointment has been made. Best to wait for official announcement,” he said.

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Bawal mapikon

Published by Ellen on July 6, 2010

Sa gitna ng maliit lang naman na gulo sa media ng ilang gabinete ni Pangulong Aquino, dapat lang natin purihin ang pagbabalik ng pagkabukas ng bagong pamahalaan sa media na nawala ng panahon ni Gloria Arroyo.

Ang gaan-gaan ng pakiramdam na hindi ka makikipag-away papunta palang sa coverage.

Natural lang na may kunting girian sa simula dahil hindi pa sanay sa istilo ng bawat isa. Ngunit maganda ang payo ni Mike Toledo, spokesperson ni dating pangulong Estrada, kay Edwin Lacierda, tagapagsalita ni Aquino ngayon: “Bawal mapikon”.

Magkakaroon ng seminar daw ang mga miyembro ng gabinete ni Aquino tungkol sa media. Mabuti naman kasi iba-iba kasi ang ating personalidad. Minsan kahit maganda ang iyong intensyun, sa pagsasalita, iba ang dating.

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Vera Files wins Rotary Club of Manila award for New Media

Published by Ellen on June 18, 2010

An inspiration for VERA Files
An inspiration for VERA Files
The Rotary Club of Manila yesterday awarded VERA Files a special citation for outstanding reporting under the New Media category.

“For its exhaustive investigative reports on the Assets and Liabilities of government officials, particularly of the President and the First Gentleman, highlighting the people’s right to information,” the citation read.

This is the first time that the 91-year old organization has included New media in its annual journalism awards.

RCM also gave two other special citation: a book award for Maritess Vitug for her book, “Shadow of Doubt, probing the Supreme Court”, and Mindanao Gold Daily for the regional newspaper award.

It’s the second award received by VERA Files, which started in March 2008. The first was the 2009 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) for its investigative report “Quedancor swine program another fertilizer scam” written by Yvonne Chua and Luz Rimban, and contributor Diosa Labiste, who won top prize (Award of Distinction) and a Marshall McLuhan fellowship.

The winners for 2010 RCM Institutional Journalism awards:

*Philippine Daily Inquirer, newspaper of the year
*DZMM Radyo Patrol 630, radio station of the year

Continue readingVera Files wins Rotary Club of Manila award for New Media

Only scoundrels are afraid of an informed citizenry

Published by Ellen on June 6, 2010

Information is power.

Only an informed citizenry can give true meaning to the definition of democracy, which is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Our Constitution recognizes this. That’s why it is enshrined in the Bill of Rights that “The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized.

“Access to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”

The Freedom of Information bill, which Arroyo-administration dominated House of Representatives refused to pass, gives flesh to this Constitutional provision.

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