Mass Media Ethics
and Mindanao Crisis
By The Makati Science Vision Editorial Staff

REPORTING A CULTURE other than one’s own presents tremendous challenges to a mass media practitioner, even to a recognized veteran in the profession. The task becomes even more daunting when a mass media practitioner is reporting on day-to-day events of a long dawn-out conflict between majority and minority cultural communities. A mass media practitioner’s ethic biases tend to surface, in spite of using carefully chosen words and politically correct terms. This is because mass media practitioners are only humans after all, and do not operate in a social or cultural vacuum. Like many other professionals, mass media practitioners are shaped largely by the norms and standards of their own culture.

Mass media portrayal of Mindanao has promoted a negative image of the Muslims as among the residue of the earth. Bandits, kidnappers, corrupt politicians, and all other undesirable characters in society are invariably associated with the Muslims of the southern Philippines. The majority of the Filipino population, basically Christians and steeped in general negative reportage on a “troublesome” minority population like the Muslim, are expected to react adversely to any perceived favor or special treatment accorded the latter.

In her article “The Other Face of Mindanao,” Gina Mission said that “Mindanao is portrayed as a war zone and that for the uninitiated; it is easier to visualize an island at war than go to the place and see for one’s self the validity of such description.” Mass media practitioners seem to think of news from Mindanao only in terms of crime, conflict, and violence. Such mass media coverage gives the public the impression that there is a full-blown “war” going on in Mindanao. As a result, mass media practitioners’ portrayal has prevented investors and developers to step forward because they get scared of what they read in newspapers.

Since the so-called “war in Mindanao” started, the island has caught the mass media’s attention. It has consistently been in the headlines. Banner stories range from robbery, shootouts, military ambushes, and kidnapping incidents to the more sober peace talks and “failed ceasefire.” Headline photos also show the fatalities of “war,” women and children taking up arms, and military and insurgents full in battle gear and in combat position.

Based from data released by the Growth with Equity in Mindanao, a non-governmental organization working toward accelerated economic growth in Mindanao and ensuring that the benefits of growth are widely distributed among its people, a lot of development activities are happening in Mindanao, yet it is only the insurgency problem that gets reported.

Instead of reporting events associated with Mindanao with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Muslims as a people, mass media practitioners of whatever faith or conviction incite those on the other side of the fence to attack or defend.

Various historical accounts explain the source of the distinctiveness of the Muslims in the Philippines as a people with their own cultural and political diversity. This is Bangsamoro’s basis for asserting their rights to self-determination, they have expressed this right in various ways, from armed struggles to participation in partisan politics to gain influence in national policy and decision-making.

On the reportage of the peace process, mass media practitioners leave much to be desired in terms of their crucial intermediary role as facilitator or as a vehicle of accurate information. Mass media practitioners must be aware of their influential role and must take them seriously.

Like other concerned sectors of society, mass media practitioners can either make or break Mindanao with what and how they report events and activities, especially in something complicated like a peace process.

According to Rufa Cagoco-Guiam, Mindanao State University Center for Peace and Development Studies director, in her article titled “Telling the Truth of the ‘Other’ : Images of Islam and Muslim in the Philippines,” the following are the do’s and don’ts for non-Muslims in Mindanao:

(1) Mass media practitioners must observe proper dress code and decorum when doing coverage or interviews because part of becoming a Muslim means being always modest in one’s dress; (2) Mass media practitioners must investigate the historical background of the Mindanao conflict and the Philippine government’s policy and guidelines for peace negotiations; (3) Mass media practitioners must be highly conscious of the distinction between terms denoting religious identity and those used to refer to cultures or groups of persons; (4) Mass media practitioners must examine not only one source, but all possible sources of information about the circumstances that endangered the Mindanao conflict; (5) Mass media practitioners must read up on the various cultures of the 13 Muslim ethno linguistic groups; and (6) Mass media practitioners must be very careful when describing people who are suspects in crimes.

In her article “Positive Spin for Mindanao,” Rina Jimenez-David, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, said that perhaps the effort to project a more realistic image of Mindanao must begin with a simple lesson in geography for editors, reporters, publishers, and new producers in Metro Manila:

“There is a need to finally drum into the heads of news managers that Mindanao is a large island, with a diverse population facing a wide range of problems and issues unique to each region, socio-economic history and ethnic mix. And that, when kidnapping, a bloody encounter or fighting breaks out somewhere in Mindanao, it may be more helpful for readers if the headline says in what province or city the incident took place, rather than just saying it was in Mindanao. That will be about as informative as telling us, after a bank is held up in the town of Marilao in Bulacan province north of Manila, that robbers hit bank in Luzon.”

Mass media practitioners must dateline their stories in the places where the events actually took place, because by inaccurate dateline, people think that it is the whole Mindanao that experiences it.”

Lastly, mass media practitioners must realize that for them to grasp the intricacies of the Mindanao problem would be like pouring the waters of the ocean into a hole in the sand. And, to understand the Mindanao conflict and to come up with a just and lasting peace, it would take a collective effort from all the people involved and they must be spearheaded by mass media practitioners.