A month-long engagement and collaboration with various stakeholders and industry leaders outside the National Capital Region (NCR), resulted in the creation of press councils in three areas.
The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and its institutional partner Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) led the virtual launch of the now-called Media-Citizen Council in Batangas, Iloilo and Davao on August 19 via Zoom. This was streamed live on PPI’s social media platforms. PPI executive director and head of training operations Ariel Sebellino and seminar director Joyce Pañares set the tone of the event saying, “This is long overdue. The establishment of councils has been in the PPI pipeline for the longest time. Just appropriate, what with our changing and challenging media landscape and against the backdrop of disinformation”.
The Media or Press Council is a self-regulatory body within the Philippine Press Institute and an instrument or mechanism for redress on complaints filed against journalists by aggrieved news subjects. It is composed of journalists and selected representatives from various sectors such as: the legal profession, the business sector, the academe, and the civil society organizations to protect and promote the news subject’s right to reply. It receives and acts on complaints against unfair practices of the press.
“In the words, it holds the press or media accountable, and in essence being able to police its ranks with no government intervention or interference,” said Rolando Estabillo, PPI chairman of the board and publisher of Manila Standard.
In his keynote address, Estabillo cited hard work and commitment as key drivers for an effective Media-Citizen Council. “Now that you have organized and defined your goals, the real hard work begins. Your report card will now depend on your action or inaction, in the delivery of your self-imposed mandate. Your success in your community will be an inspiring model of self-discipline to replicate on a bigger scale,” he added.
Current and long-standing chairman of the Philippine Press Council (PPC) Atty. Tony La Viña in his session, lauded PPI for pursuing the establishment of media councils. The difference between now and the press council before, he said, was that it used to be limited to print and was created simply to monitor and provide moral authority to enforce the right to reply. He mentioned that even before, there was already high regard for press freedom, respect for editorial control, and rights of journalists. “I would never imagine telling an editor or a writer, or a reporter to write something in this way or that way or for an editor to put in the paper something that the editor doesn’t want to put,” he said. When asked on how to address the current challenges of local media councils, he said: “Ang pinakamahalaga ‘yung inclusiveness ng council in reaching out not only with its members. Napakahalaga din ng non-partisan nature. You can side with the truth, you can take positions but don’t side with a political party or political personality.”
The Manila-based Philippine Press Council founded in 1993 is under the auspices of the Philippine Press Institute, also known as the national association of newspapers. It’s mandate is exclusive to print and can only act on complaints filed against PPI-member publications.
Erstwhile PPC chair and retired professor Gary Mariano during his talk, highlighted the importance of a Media-Citizen Council that embraces Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), a mechanism within the council where filing of libel cases could be prevented. “Para lang maka-iwas tayo sa libel, it is very important to have a Media Council. Bago man lang ma i-file ‘yung kaso, maaayos na ang complaint sa Media Council para hindi na siya ma- classify na civil or criminal case,” he said.
Prior to the creation of the Media-Citizen Council, PPI initially conducted an online public forum and three regional hybrid seminars on “Media Accountability and the Press Council”. Both online and in-person activities discussed the importance of a council in doing responsible journalism, serving voluntary right of reply to aggrieved news subjects, providing legal assistance to journalists charged with libel, render mediation to conflicting parties on media issues, and conduct public forums and trainings. In the initial stage, PPI let the prospective council members decide for themselves on the necessary steps to make their respective councils functioning and sustainable.
With the establishment of these three councils, PPI hopes to create more councils in the future through HSF and other funding institutions.