This article explores the worrying trend of media manipulation and information control in Philippine provinces, focusing on Sorsogon and Masbate. It highlights how limited access to reliable information, coupled with the dominance of state-controlled media and online platforms susceptible to red-tagging, creates a distorted reality where the struggles of marginalized communities are often ignored. The article also sheds light on the dangerous consequences for journalists who dare to expose these truths, emphasizing the urgent need for a free and independent press to serve the public interest.
Amid a flood of digital falsehoods, ordinary Filipinos consume their daily dose of lies with little awareness, while some local media outlets frame the news in ways that quietly shape public perception and distort the reality of people’s struggles. This landscape of manipulation sees the quality of information available to the public as both a weapon and a casualty.
Campus journalists Ashley Quinones and Zhinny Lao, both from Sorsogon, paint an unsettling picture of their province’s informational landscape. Despite pressing social issues, many residents remain woefully uninformed about their struggles. Quinones and Lao attribute this to a persistent digital divide that leaves communities vulnerable to a steady stream of misinformation — a reflection of the superficial and inadequate coverage of social issues in Sorsogon’s media ecosystem. “Most residents in our province are still misinformed about what’s happening in their communities,” Quinones said. “They often believe the curated news they see online, which is filtered and mixed with political advertisements.” Those in power control the flow of information, focusing media narratives on tourism and economic developments, while the real struggles of marginalized groups are largely ignored by both traditional and online media outlets. “You only see reports about Sorsogon’s beautiful attractions or its development progress, while issues faced by farmers, fishermen, and other marginalized groups are often left unreported on both TV and Facebook,” Lao added. They also pointed out that local media often portray political figures as heroes or saviors, prioritizing public relations over factual, in-depth reporting. This practice undermines the accountability of public officials to the very people they are supposed to serve. More troubling is how these media practices reinforce patronage politics, especially with social media now being the dominant platform for distributing news — where both supporters and critics can engage directly with journalists. While Sorsogon struggles with limited access to reliable information, Masbate faces an even greater challenge: journalists under attack. Edwin Magtoto, a regional correspondent for the AlterMidya Network in Bicol, reported on underreported human rights violations in Masbate. He was falsely labeled as a member of the New People’s Army (NPA) in various online posts. Several months later, the 93rd Civil Military Operations (CMO) Company of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) attempted to summon him through the local government of Daraga, where Magtoto resides. Magtoto claimed he was illegally surveilled while continuing to report on issues often neglected by other news outlets. Such abuse of power, alongside the social media vilification of journalists like Magtoto, threatens press freedom and undermines truthful reporting. Magtoto’s case is only one example of the widespread red-tagging on social media, which misleads the public into believing state-sponsored black propaganda and discourages them from questioning the abuses occurring right before their eyes. “From 2023 to October 2024, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Albay Chapter recorded over 17 cases of cyber libel filed against community journalists who report on critical issues in Bicol, two murder charges, and countless intimidation, harassment, and red-tagging attempts,” Magtoto said.
Philippines Media Manipulation Information Control Journalism Human Rights Red-Tagging Sorsogon Masbate Press Freedom Social Issues
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