Philippine E-Journals

Perceptions of Community Media Practitioners in Cagayan and Isabela on Media Killings

Sarah B. Baldueza | Melowin P. Gambol | Christian U. Rumbaua | Antonia M. Bagunu

Discipline: Mass Media

 

Abstract:

This study was conducted to determine the perceptions of community media practitioners in Cagayan and Isabela on media killings and recommendations from community media practitioners regarding measures that can put a stop to media killings. The research instrument used in the study was a fivepage questionnaire which was personally distributed to the respondents. A total of 40 community media practitioners were drawn through simple random sampling utilizing the list of media practitioners provided by Philippine Information Agency. This study found out that majority of media practitioners in Cagayan and Isabela were affected with media killings. As a preventive measure on the incidence of media killings, most media practitioners suggested that they must be responsible in the course of their profession and they should also be security conscious. Fortunately, majority of the respondents have not received death threats but they are with the strong belief that the Philippines had one of the highest rates of media killings in the world. Respondents are aware that the most cases of media killings in the country are unsolved. Based on the perceptions of the respondents, the incidence of media killings sow fear among media practitioners but the course of their news and information gathering were not affected by media killings. They also perceived that the hard-hitting journalists and/or broadcasters (i.e., media practitioners noted to be critical in exposing corruption scandals or regularly attacking the government or political leaders) are vulnerable and are the usual victims of media killing. This study recommends that a practitioners’ forum should be organized to discuss the issue in order to obtain more detailed answers among respondents, conduct more training for the security of the media practitioners, and develop the most effective and workable form of organization that would promote the rights in particular of journalists. Likewise, the media industry must consider that they themselves can do to protect journalists – from self-regulating against unscrupulous journalism to providing journalist training on ethics, safety and security.