The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and ABS CBN through the Prisms of Herman and Chomsky’s “Propaganda Model”: Duterte’s Tirade against the Media and vice versa
This paper is an attempt to localize Herman and Chomsky’s analysis of the commercial media and use this concept to fit in the Philippine media climate. Through the propaganda model, they introduced the five interrelated media filters which made possible the “manufacture of consent.” By consent, Herman and Chomsky meant that the mass communication media can be a powerful tool to manufacture ideology and to influence a wider public to believe in a capitalistic propaganda. Thus, they call their theory the “propaganda model” referring to the capitalist media structure and its underlying political function. Herman and Chomsky’s analysis has been centered upon the US media, however, they also believed that the model is also true in other parts of the world as the media conglomeration is also found all around the globe. In the Philippines, media conglomeration is not an alien concept especially in the presence of a giant media outlet, such as, ABS-CBN. In this essay, the authors claim that the propaganda model is also observed even in the less obvious corporate media in the country, disguised as an independent media entity but like a chameleon, it camouflages into an invisible creature leaving predators without any clue. Hence, the reason to analyze and scrutinize a highly reputable news organization in the country, namely, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in relation to their portrayal of the Duterte presidency.
This paper is an attempt to localize Herman and Chomsky’s analysis of the commercial media and use this concept to fit in the Philippine media climate. Through the propaganda model, they introduced the five interrelated media filters which made possible the “manufacture of consent.” By consent, Herman and Chomsky meant that the mass communication media can be a powerful tool to manufacture ideology and to influence a wider public to believe in a capitalistic propaganda. Thus, they call their theory the “propaganda model” referring to the capitalist media structure and its underlying political function. Herman and Chomsky’s analysis has been centered upon the US media, however, they also believed that the model is also true in other parts of the world as the media conglomeration is also found all around the globe. In the Philippines, media conglomeration is not an alien concept especially in the presence of a giant media outlet, such as, ABS-CBN. In this essay, the authors claim that the propaganda model is also observed even in the less obvious corporate media in the country, disguised as an independent media entity but like a chameleon, it camouflages into an invisible creature leaving predators without any clue. Hence, the reason to analyze and scrutinize a highly reputable news organization in the country, namely, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in relation to their portrayal of the Duterte presidency.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
190 Menelito P. Mansueto & Jeresa May C. Ochave
The Challenging Times of President Duterte
The unorthodox leadership of President Duterte has spawned
criticisms from the media that ranges from his personal lifestyle,
his family life, his public policies and political decisions, and down
to his alleged political cronies or allies. His critics also range from
the religious sector, human rights advocates, and the rival
political party. The thorniest of all these criticisms is his alleged
involvement to vigilante killings, known as EJKs, or extra-judicial
killings, to which protests had reached the ICC (International
Criminal Court) as well as it also brought him into trouble with
the UN, EU, and with the former US President Barrack Obama.
On February 28, 2017, the PCIJ published an article 24 through
their online website, a story containing some revelations taken
from a 70-pages diary or journal claimed to be owned and written
by SPO3 Arturo Lascañas. Lascañas himself handed a few pages to
the PCIJ to which they also reproduced a copy for their news
website and inviting attention to all journalists to publish as well.
As written in his journals, Lascañas claimed that then Mayor of
Davao City, now President Rodrigo Duterte, had ordered the
killings done by the Davao Death Squad, and Lascañas recognized
himself as the major player in that killing squad. Aside from that,
the PCIJ also featured a video interview with SPO3 Lascañas that
is also published online through PCIJ’s own website and the news
agency’s social media accounts. 25 If indeed all these allegations
are true, this could now be a fatal blow to Duterte’s presidency
which could possibly support subsequent plans for impeachment
complaint and a criminal case to be filed at the International
Criminal Court (ICC) against the Philippine president which are
all aimed at ousting the president out from his position. 26
24
“Lascañas pens tell-all journal: Duterte rule ‘a Divine Trap’,” Philippine Center
for Investigative Journalism, 2017.
25
Pcij Dotorg, PCIJ | A Hitman’s Journal | March 2017. Youtube.
26
Atty. Jude Jose Sabio sent communications to the ICC asking for an
investigation on human rights violations in Duterte’s drug war accusing the latter for
“crimes against humanity”. Magdalo partylist representative Gary Alejano and Sen.
Trillanes also filed a supplemental complaint to ICC. Alejano later run for senator
under LP’s line-up. Atty. Jude Jose Sabio, on the other hand, was Edgar Motabato’s
legal counsel. Motabato was the self-confessed hitman claiming involvement in the
Davao Death Squad, presented to Sen. Leila de Lima being the chair for the Senate
Change language