Responsible Journalism - My letter to the Philippine Star

Greetings to The Employees of the Philippine Star


First of all, I would like to extend my condolences to Mr. Soliven's family and to his colleagues as well. It is such a great loss for our country that one of its most respected journalists passed away. But come to think of it, his passing should serve as an inspiration to us Filipinos. Every time I get a copy of the Star, I always look forward in reading his column. His insights and other facts give me daily doses of information that I cannot get from other broadsheets. He was my inspiration in writing opinions about current events. There was one time I got to shake his hand during one of his speaking engagements in the Ateneo about responsible journalism.

At present, I get mad at journalists who throw various accusations to the First family about their alleged corruption and abuse of authority. Even congressmen joined the ruckus. No wonder libel suits are filed by the FG. It takes simple logic why the FG is doing this. Like any other man, he just wants to protect his family. If these journalists don't have solid proof about their allegations, they might as well write something else. They always say they are the vanguards of truth and that people have the right to know, then they must prove it. Problem is these journalists always claim that the First Family does not allow them to see their bank accounts. What is there to see when there is none? The German bank even issued a certification that they do not have bank accounts in their care.

The burden of proof lies with the journalists, if they cannot prove it, it is good for nothing. Giving scathing remarks and unfounded allegations is not journalism, it is already bordering to unjust vexation and well, libel. This is where Mr. Soliven deviated and a true testament of him being a real journalist. He does not concoct stories. he wrote columns but I never read anything malicious. He did not thrash politicians and other people for that matter. That is because he does not shoot when he does not have the bullets to back it up. For me, that's the real trait of a responsible journalist. We are aware that journalists must speak the truth but please do it Right! It is after all for all our sake.

Again, I thank and salute you, Mr. Soliven. You will surely be missed by everyone.



Thank you and more power.

well, after monday, i am unemployed. ill be staying home more often, another waiting game, as they say. weel let me highlight the ups and downs of being jobless.

(Pros)
1. you dont have to wake up early
2. no bosses who will keep on calling you and bugging you for your reports
3. no clients who will scold you and you cant do anything about it
4. you dont get sick that much anymore
5. eventual rest day the whole day.


(cons)
1. you dont have money!!!
2. you will get fat eventually, being a bum/couch potato most of the time
3. you will be bored to death, staring at the four corners of your room
4. your parents will always be worried -->in my case, my mom is eternally worried about us siblings being sick or not able to work
5. Finally, no work means you are wasting your time in finding out what your eally want in life, what path to take and you life's direction is..well, stagnant..

Having said above the pros and cons, i am pretty sure that you will agree with some of my reasons. however, each and every person has his/her own life and trait to deal with and as my philo class would suggest, we are the masters of our own lives.
but come to think of it, i am still fortunate to have lost a job because i have plenty of time to really think what ir eally want to do with my life, do some stuff that you think you cant or will never do and find out eventually if its a possible career choice. life is all about trial and error. we do stuff wherein we commit mistakes and we live by rectifying or modifying our actions where we made our mistake. whether you have been a martyr, constantly whine about your work or even raising your voice unexpectedly to your parent, these are just part of everyday life, your life that is. so when you have done something wrong, apologize. when you stumble, stand up again and whenever your down, always remember that theres a rainbow always after the rain. -->the last line i borrowed but it fits. as for me, well i worked for awhile because i wanted to experience the real world, i wanted to find out what working and earning is all about and i found out that it aint easy. i even learned a new phrase.."last in, first out". more like of a fastfood kitchen mantra to me.haha.

anyway, if you have similar experiences, feel free to share whethre your in college or working, my blog is always available for your opinions.