Category: Media

Regine Velasquez is “Queen of Song” in a country of low standards

April 23, 2019August 20, 2020 benign0 113 Comments

Fans of Regine Velasquez insist she remains the “Queen” of Philippine song. They cite statistics, ticket sales and fan engagement as “evidence” of her star power. But is popularity, particularly in the Philippine setting, a true measure of excellence? This notion needs to be challenged. First consider that Regine Velasquez is a profitable asset of…

Glitz and Glamour, Media

Rappler LINKED to a media alliance mounting a concerted vilification campaign against Duterte!

April 22, 2019 benign0 6 Comments

No less than Manila Times publisher Dante Ang himself writes the report following an investigation into a network of organisations supposedly representing the Philippines’ “journalism” profession. Occupying a prominent space within the network Ang describes in his explosive exposé OUST-DUTERTE PLOT BARED is “social news network” Rappler and a bevy of personalities associated to it…

Media

Opposition influencers like @GretchenHo need to come up with better arguments than “paid troll”

April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 benign0 8 Comments

Of late, “thought leaders” and “influencers” of the Philippine Opposition have been cheering the removal of a couple hundred Facebook pages associated with Nic Gabanuda, purported “social media manager” of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The takedown is hailed by the Opposition as a triumph (presumably of their camp) in the so-called “war against disinformation”. However,…

Media

Is Rappler still worth saving?

March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 benign0 6 Comments

It’s a wonder Rappler remains online underneath the crushing weight of a growing pile of legal troubles. The most recent charge of securities fraud this week has resulted in an arrest warrant not just on CEO Maria Ressa but also several editors and board members. The Straits Times reports… They were also charged with securities…

Media

Are the TNT Boys a source of Filipino pride?

March 3, 2019 benign0 8 Comments

For now, at least, sensational “boy band” TNT Boys is at the top of their game. But is it all downhill from here? That depends on what else is on offer following a successful run singing other people’s songs. Most truly successful global phenomenons are original acts. At some point, the “boys” will have to…

Glitz and Glamour, Media

How to Avoid Social Media Challenge Foolishness

March 1, 2019 ChinoF 19 Comments

Tide Pods. Hot Coils. Kiki challenge fails. Death by selfie. Walking around blindfolded because of Birdbox (and tripping over things). And that corn cob-on-a-rotating power tool idiocy. And now the Momo Challenge, another version of the Blue Whale challenge, which is claimed to have been the cause behind suicides, though it’s lately been claimed to…

Culture, Media

On Continuous Publication, Updating Articles and SEO

February 23, 2019July 24, 2019 Khayri R.R. Woulfe 14 Comments

In February 2019, the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation arrested the CEO of Rappler, Maria Ressa, over a cyber-libel case filed against her by businessman Wilfredo Keng. Ressa’s camp argued that the case is was invalid due to the fact that the alleged article that caused the suit was published months before RA 10175 Anti-Cybercrime…

Crime, Media, Tech Talk

Foreign media have become victims of Maria Ressa’s lies

February 16, 2019February 18, 2019 Ilda 42 Comments

Contrary to reports being disseminated by foreign media, the arrest of Philippine online news site Rappler’s Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa has been welcomed by many people, not condemned. It seems a lot of Foreign media outlets are getting fed the wrong information about Ressa’s problems with the law. The Associated Press was even forced…

Crime, Media