“The Barney Theme Song”
I Gogs, of sound mind and body have to declare that today August 18 in the year of our Lord 2012 that I have found something good to say about Noynoy BS Aquino. Noynoy is good to people who are good to him. Title of a prominent story in the Philippine Star on Friday “Noy To Grace Esposo Book Launch”. I love the choice of the word “grace”. If anything Noynoy has been quite awkward executing his duties. Whether it’s telling someone who has a right to his day in court to resign during his “day” in court or Noynoy’s smiling attempt at damage control after the Rolando Mendoza Hostage incident, I doubt anyone who consider his manner graceful.
First of all I am glad for anyone can ward off chronic kidney disease and try to be a beacon of hope to others who are suffering from it and potential sufferers like what this book by William Esposo hopes to do. I reguarly test myself that my glucose level is within an acceptable range for fear of one day being a full blown diabetic.
In the spirit of complete disclosure, I studied Communications as an undergrad. So learned about all sorts of things concerning the press: history, role, ethics and a lot more. What might be normal to some just might smell really bad to me. The emphasis on “to me”. Journalists are supposed to be your lens to reality. They are supposed to be credible to be of any use. Journalists ideally have to go about their jobs professionally. You maintain a professional distance between you and your subject. Being friendly will cloud judgement. Just like you can’t expect Franco Harris to be objective on the topic of his old coach possibly culturally harboring a child rapist there is no way that the Lopez owned ABS CBN was ever going to be objective in the coverage of Noynoy Aquino’s campaign and presidential career.
Noynoy Aquino became our president when a perfect storm occurred. ABS CBN did a damn job playing the part of a Low Pressure Area. Cory Aquino fought a very public battle with cancer. Her death shortly before the campaign time period generated a wave of national sympathy which her only son coldly took out a surf board and glided smoothly into Malacanang. ABS CBN helped pave the way and did their best to make Noynoy look like a credible president. Fortunately for them enough of the electorate cooperated by not using their craniums. So of course Noynoy will reward any and all so called professional journalists who helped make him look good enough to win the presidency and maintain it. William Esposo wrote a column trying to trivialize the Noynoying craze. Even that pales in comparison to Conrado De Quiros making Noynoy a guy who never made a name for himself as a cross between Luke Skywalker and Aragorn of LOTR.
I think Fleet Scribbler has more credibility than many in the main stream press.
Personally I find it disturbing that he is far too chummy with people who cover or used to cover the political landscape. It really makes you question how much leeway they give or used to give Noynoy when they report on him now or reported on him during his campaign. Maybe I am wrong for wanting objectivity with my news coverage. I wonder how objective could Noynoy be when his opening day lineup (June 2010) consisted of the likes of Manuel Quezon III and Ricky Carandang. Both former members of ABS CBN news.Personally if those guys did their jobs properly Noynoy he of the onion skin would never select them as his personal staff. I have yet to see Noynoy embrace anybody who has been critical of him. I am critical of him because between you and me, I fear being embraced by him. But I digress.
Ethically people covering our public servants should not be buddies with their subjects. It will affect the message and people formulate opinions from those messages no matter how distorted they are. Then again this is the Philippines and this is Malacanang where many would argue I have no business expecting ethics and transparency. Someone should tell the President that people will cover their ears to his words but open their eyes to his actions. His actions show that he plays favorites with the press as Jojo Robles observes. I am not sure what separates the press people that Noynoy favors from Freddy Lounds .
So Noynoy rewards his friends in the press by giving them Malacanang posts and showing up at their book launchings. Noynoy believes he is doing them a favor. What he is really doing is showing people who can think that many journalists and news outlets in this country are so compromised that the proverbial grain of salt is not enough. You will need the entire contents of the warehouses of the Morton’s company.
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