Category: Media

Will a China-owned telco operating in the Philippines spy on Filipinos?

December 21, 2017December 21, 2017 benign0 19 Comments

For one thing, it is a bit presumptuous to think spying on the minutiae of day-to-day lives of ordinary Filipinos is an important enough main objective for a multi-million dollar investment in network infrastructure and telco service delivery capability. There really isn’t much to learn from data collected from Filipino Internet users beyond what Facebook…

Media, Society, Tech Talk

‘Resibo Queen’ Jover Laurio represents the demise of free speech on social media

December 12, 2017 benign0 6 Comments

The way Rappler and the choir of social media “influencers” who surround it gush about Resibo Queen Jover Laurio, the “genius” behind Pinoy Ako Blog (PAB), you’d think she is God’s Gift to the Philippine Blogosphere. Of course in the eyes of the bleeding-heart liberals who dominate (and progressively devalue) the Philippine Opposition, anyone crowned…

Media

Pinoy Low Standards Even Trickle Into NFL Viewing

December 9, 2017December 10, 2017 Gogs 24 Comments

I have lived in Manila for 17 years. In the past the NFL provided a respite from mass media stupidity from September to February every year. There have been episodes of drama where Sky lost ESPN and only Destiny had it as well as other incidents. In 2011 ASN ( All Sports Network…

Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Media

Preview of Part Three of “The Real Enemies and Traitors of the Fourth Estate”

December 4, 2017 P. Farol 3 Comments

Before I post Part Three of “The Real Enemies and Traitors of the Fourth Estate”, I believe I have to explain where I am coming from and why I am writing these series of exposes. When I was still an active journalist and working in the newsroom of RPN9 a lifetime ago, I took part…

Government, Media, Uncategorized

Jo Lapira: ‘tiny activist with big dreams’, or ENEMY casualty?

December 2, 2017December 2, 2017 benign0 18 Comments

Most mainstream news reports and opinion pieces about University of the Philippines (UP) Manila student Jo Lapira who was among the dead following a clash between the Philippine military and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Batangas the other day report who she was to friends. Rappler, for one, cites how Lapira was “a tiny…

Media, Society

On The Real Enemies and Traitors Of The Fourth Estate (Part Two: Syndicates)

December 1, 2017 P. Farol 3 Comments

Yesterday I wrote about Hataw columnist Mat Vicencio and took issue over his deafening silence when it comes to even just mentioning the name of the suspected mastermind of Bislig radio broadcaster Christopher Lozada. Friends noted that while Vicencio ran a series of columns criticizing then viciously attacking Presidential Task Force on Media Security Executive…

Government, Media

On The Real Enemies and Traitors of the Fourth Estate

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017 P. Farol 4 Comments

(Disclaimer: While I am no longer part of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security or PTFoMS, I continue to support its mandate under President Duterte’s Administrative Order 1 which is to protect journalists from harassment, threats, and violence.) Friends from the larger circle of people I go around in tipped me off that a…

Government, Media

Facts matter in the Philippines, but only the facts that favour its elite

November 29, 2017November 29, 2017 benign0 5 Comments

The irony in the clique of “social media influencers” who hosted an event dubbed a forum on “Truth, Trust, and Democracy in the Age of Selfies, Trolls and Bots” just flies over people’s pointed heads. The event was organised “by the Journalism for Nation Building Foundation (JNBF), Rappler, and other stakeholder groups”. This is not…

Media, Politics, Society