We beg to differ.
What is “social news network” Rappler up to? Out of nowhere it seems to have suddenly mounted what some observers have described as a “demolition campaign” against Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr who, interestingly enough, happens to be heading the Senate committee reviewing the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). The BBL is a project long…
If the saying is true that the character of the leader of a nation reflects the character of the people, then the character of Philippine President Benigno Simeon (BS) Aquino reflects the character of the Filipino people. BS Aquino’s recent guest appearance in the popular television show Gandang Gabi Vice gave everyone a clue about…
Read More “Vice Ganda interview of PNoy is proof of Filipinos’ obsession with celebrities” »
That is a hard question the Philippines’ would-be social media “activists” and “citizen journalists” need to ask themselves again. The current administration of Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III has been used as a backdrop to the purported rise of these new media organisations and “movements” as voices to contend with in the country’s…
Read More “The role of social media ‘activism’ in the Philippines’ next presidential elections” »
In its “social media for social good” powow last week, self-described “social news network” Rappler.com furthers the ideal of “women leaders using tech to make an impact on people’s lives” and posed the question “How can all of us, men and women, woman up?” The idea there being that the more traditional notion of “manning…
Read More “#TheNakedTruth fiasco pulls Bench into the mud and #Rappler along with it!” »
Nobody will disagree that there are a lot of heinous crimes being perpetrated today, and a lot of it is going unpunished. Recently I saw a photo of the latest murder-rape victim making the rounds on Facebook. The photo depicted what the poster claimed to be “Sarah”, a 14-15 year old girl who was allegedly…
Read More “Why do we like circulating photos of dead victims of violent crime?” »
For about a month now, I have had what I will call “an expanded role” beyond the column I write three times a week at The Manila Times. The specifics of that arrangement are not for public consumption (and would probably be completely boring to anyone who doesn’t happen to be in the newspaper business,…
Global outrage has erupted over the harsh prison sentences meted out to Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed last Monday. The three were successfully prosecuted in an Egyptian court for allegedly “undermining” Egypt’s “national security” supposedly by supplying false news and aiding terrorist movements deemed threats to the Egyptian government. Being…
Read More “Will global ‘outrage’ over jailed Al Jazeera journalists turn into CONCRETE action?” »
A system that allows anonymous informants to send electronic documents without fear of disclosure developed by the late Internet ‘hacktivist’ Aaron Swartz and investigative journalist Kevin Poulsen back in 2011 is gaining traction amongst big-name international media organisations. Originally named DeadDrop, management and rollout of the system has since been taken over by the Freedom…
Read More “Whistleblower app SecureDrop takes investigative journalism to the 21st Century!” »