Impulses
That's news
Consider these: Political shakiness, lack of public trust, corruption and crime with a capital C, collapse of quality education and health service, social apathy, terrorism and public dissent, continued domination of the filthy rich against the pitiable poor.
Amidst the latest problems that destroy the very foundation of the institution that we call Philippine democracy, the anger of some people in government is now rerouted to the media.
Why the press? What have we done?
Apparently, those in power and their minions are just looking for a scapegoat. The original sinners are, of course, them. Pride, after all, was, is, and always will be the ruling classes' biggest and most favorite sin, next to vanity.
So they have turned the blame on the media, the "gossips that report and magnify every small error and ignore the good things that they have done."
These ghastly politicians (note that only the grisly ones, the rare good ones are not included) and even self-proclaimed self-righteous individuals seem to think that without the press reporting the corruption, cheating and abuses in government, the Philippines would be in much better shape.
That's nonsense! Such idea is plain and simple garbage!
The revelation of the truth, still and in many ways than one, must be the barometer of the country's fitness in social and political health. Even the church teachings and contemporary science are one in this gospel truth.
We cannot hide the government's trash. It will stay there hidden and, in time, it will rot and become rancid and exude a fume much more like hydrogen sulfide or a rotten egg that attract crawly creepies just a spit away from the kitchen. We cannot escape the skunky smell by just covering it with a white cloth and by just turning off the lights so no one could see it.
Unfortunately, other traditional politicians see it the other way around. They blame us in the media for reporting or writing about graft, corruption and abuses. They blame us for being, blunt and outspoken (and for this, some were even harassed, slapped with libel cases, murdered, and killed). If the press doesn't report the bad things, the people won't know about it and everybody is happy--that is their logic. Ignorance, they say, is bliss.
But why does the press play down or ignore something good that a public official does and play up anything bad that he does?
Because public officials are expected to do good -- that's their job; that's nothing unusual. That's not news. But when they do something bad, that's unusual and they're not supposed to do that. That's news.
When the time comes when the situation is reversed, when doing good is so rare it becomes news and doing bad so common that it is no longer news, then we would be in a very sorry state indeed. We are already slowly going into that.
Stories of honest cab drivers and janitors returning money they found now make the front pages. Is that an indication that honesty has now become so rare that it is now front-page news?
Aren't we all expected to be honest at all times, from the President (and especially the President) down to the janitor?
That is why when a president cheats in an election, it is big news. That is why when a president lies, it is big news. That is why when a president steals, it is big news. That is why when presidential relatives accept bribes from gambling lords, it is big news. That is why when the president blames the press, it is big news.
They are not supposed to do those things.
Wait! Do I sound like a preacher? That's news.
(Engr. Herman Lagon may be reached through h_lagon@yahoo.com.)