PAGBABAGO
There appears to be a growing interest in community media here and in the developing world. Here, it is triggered by challenges of food security and governance trends in the implementation of the Mandanas ruling on the provision of IRA to local government this coming year. The future of rice and fish and other commodities depend upon the capacity of our local communities to meet the demand of the entire population for these basic supplies.
Among communicators, the focus is on how to revitalize community broadcast and print media to meet the information needs of the regions. This, by combining the capacities of local broadcasting and the community newspaper with digitalization so that they can effectively be utilized in community development, and by creative utilization of indigenous media found in poetry, music, dance, storytelling etc. The challenge is to upgrade the quality of both the content and its delivery through use of digital images.
But current studies on these concerns indicate that while there are several positive results such as enhancement of audience engagement and global accessibility, there are still hurdles that impede adequate implementation. These include limited digital infrastructure and inadequate resources. There are also regulatory barriers such as strict licensing requirements, inadequate training of broadcasters and journalists in the use of digital tools, as well as sustainability concerns in funding, audience revenue, and content quality.
But let me focus first on the lack of local community media channels. I am dismayed by the fact that despite the several provisions in the Constitution about the critical role of media and communication in community and nation-building (Declaration of Principles and State Policies, 1987 Constitution), current legislation has not yet been able to come up with adequate laws that would make it easy for qualified owners to access frequencies and secure permits to operate a non-commercial broadcast station. The National Telecommunication Commission guidelines require community broadcast stations to undergo the same rigorous processes for commercial broadcasting. On content, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) ensure self-regulation.
During the early years, our communities depended on traditional (indigenous) protest media during the Spanish regime, and commercial media dependent on advertising during the American regime. Thus, a better understanding of the state of our media system would be found in our media history. It has been documented in several sources, among others, a paper “Communication Media in the Philippines, 1521-1986, Florangel Rosario Braid & Ramon R. Tuazon, 1998 published by both the Philippine Social Science Council and Philippine Studies of Ateneo and presented during the National Social Science Congress in 1998.
Another major concern today is trust and credibility of our news media due to rising disinformation and fake news. A useful source is Philippine Media Landscape by Pauline Estella and Martin Loffeholz, (copyright by the European Journalism Center, 2019. Here, the authors note that our media landscape is full of contradictions. On one hand, it joins the global trend of technological disruptions ushering changes in the media economy performance and consumption. On the other hand, persistent socio-economic inequalities limit the potential of these disruptions thus maintaining the supremacy of traditional radio as sources of information in the countryside.
Another useful source is “Of Media Shifts and Crisis: Mapping Digital Journalism and Online Deserts in the Philippines by Raizza Bello, independent journalist & Robin Dagle (2023). Here, the authors cite the collaboration between the Asia Center for Journalism and Ads for News, pilot research that seeks to create a nationwide index of credible Philippine news sites (PNS). The Project vetted over 100 PNS and found that they are mostly based in urban areas. They were mapped to determine regions considered as news deserts. Preliminary mapping revealed no PNS was based in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao. The study revealed existing gaps in Philippine online journalism such as content publication and sourcing, political and corporate influences, and transparency issues in editorial and advertising practices.
In summary, the prospects for the future appear to be in collaboration between community media planners and the respective communities — building relationships and trust, understanding current needs, combining traditional forms with digitalization. It would involve creativity and imagination especially in areas where gaps continue to persist. ([email protected])