Pleasure against Wisdom

 Pleasure against Wisdom

 By Rajeane S. Responde

To build up human interest is the role of media, to cover anything that is within the interest of the public, but in order to achieve their purpose, they come up of misleading the people to the world where the priority is within the nonsensical things.

Almost everyone gets news updates about what is happening in the society and of the world through media as medium which is considered as the most reliable and comprehensive source of information but media sometimes becomes irresponsible with its actions, competition among stations and publications for reputation, popularity and being conspicuously superior is its goal and not mainly for public service.  Obviously, the most notable or recognize which belongs in the top rank gains more benefits than the others.

Award is given to the most “fair and balanced” news station or publishing which is supposed to be its task. The rule is “The more you win the more you earn” reverse than the usual right? But that’s the reality on media; the most recognized gets more attention from the public and drags more audience, so winning the top rank means earning more.

Business Entity comes along the way, the profit-oriented media, giving entertainment and through showbiz or “Show Business”, celebrity news which are nonsense to be talked about; it’s making the public grasp the idea that this kind of news has something to do with our lives so we must give importance to it.

The news on Kris Aquino and Joey Marquez’s love tragedy serves as evidence. Aquino’s revelation on television about being a victim of Marquez in battery, violence, and acquired sexually transmitted disease broke the silence of the public and cause commotion of the media. High ratings of the top stations ABS-CBN and GMA7 were observed and even in the newspaper industry. The issue was accentuated by the news media because it caught the attention of the public and everyone was talking about since it involve two prominent personality in the society, a local government official in a rich-city and a popular actress and daughter of the former president. The issue was given importance and news that worth more acknowledgements for the public was disregarded.

Another example is the Kc Concepcion and Piolo Pascual’s break up, the interview of Kc on The Buzz which was marked as exclusive news in the show let the public hunger for this issue because it involves public figures, it was treated like food which people must crave for, but after knowing these things what did people get? Amusement, Pleasure, what else? Is it beneficial? It’s just teaching the people to go through and talk about somebody else’s life in a negative way or specifically teaching the mankind to “gossip” which is unintelligible. Instead of inspiring the public about persons with great achievement or success in life what was lend in the public were ruined lives because of finding it more intense and interesting which is again a nonsense.

Entertainment is within the nature of the press but the power is abused, it is regarded as the most priority, most significant and the one which has the greatest value.

The most important role of the press has been neglected – to Educate. Entertainment is something wanted that causes a moment of happiness but Education is something needed that develops one’s mind, skill, character and so much more which is acquired for a lifetime. Media can be a tool to educating people, especially the underprivileged, it can be the bridge through knowledge and understanding because it shapes, reshapes, misshapes the way people think.

Another technique of the media to persuade the public is by appealing to their emotions. Filipinos are known to be kind-hearted and has the compassionate heart especially with those who suffer difficulties in life particularly death. To obtain sympathy from the public, media uses its power to dictate on how to deal with these consequences. The death of the young actor Rico Yan is an example of the country and the journalist’s amiable nature. Grief is used by media to influence the public, through the display of agony felt by the people with relationship to them.

 The commiseration of the people towards the family of Rico is the way of the media to overpower or control them. Side issues about it keep obstructing on news and cause the public to eager for more updates about it. The technique of the media stated above is obviously unprofessional, the manner ABS-CBN media practitioner conducted its investigation and interview regarding the incident was intrusive and improper with her questions to the family harassing them.  “Ano po ba ang naramdaman ninyo ng matanggap ninyo ang balita?” instead of digging for facts it was done in a cheap, weak and disgusting manner. Where then is the professionalism and sensitivity of journalists?

Media becomes oblivious in the pieces of information they give to the public because media can drag more audience by hitting their emotions and through entertainment which is their interest and with the purpose to bring prosperous commercialism.

The good qualities of journalist’s has long been forgotten, being ethically sensitive or knowing what is right or wrong, considering the sensitivity of the audience – its advocacy of responsibility and accountability which enable the people to transform for betterment that can contribute to the country’s development.

Journalists should be professional, sensitive with their actions and must also be humble. It is not about glory and not about being paid for it; it is for the sake of the people. “It is not about the byline, it is about lifeline, the biggest tragedy of a journalist is not to be chosen as God’s pride.”