Last Wednesday we had two separate panel discussions on how media reports tragedies. We discussed two different articles that focused on how tragedies or disasters and calamities are or have been reported on. You see, it seems these news stories on disasters seem to draw attention. Yet have we thought about why? Does that mean we are a bloodthirsty people only interested in gory tragedies or does it really have a relevant impact on our lives and in society? And what is the relevance of all these stories? Well, that's what we aimed to discuss with the help of the two articles, "Kapamilya Drama: The Tragedy of the Spectacle" by Louie Jon A. Sanchez and "Pagbagsak ng Flight 387 at Edad Ozone: Ang Disaster ng Ating Pang-araw-araw na Buhay" by Rolando Tolentino, in our class' panel discussion.
When I read the two articles I'll admit I was able to identify with and understand the former more. But discussing both articles in class, especially when it was explained and dissected by those in the panel, made it easier to understand and even made the articles more effective. I guess there really is something about stating your views rather than just chewing on them by yourself. And the discussion really got my mind moving and my blood flowing.
Our first discussion was more specific since the article talked about one specific tragedy and focused only on one aspect of its reporting. This was about the tragedy at Philsports Arena aka Ultra that occurred last February 2006 due to the ABS-CBN produced show, Wowowee. And since this obviously involved a big time media organization the article focused on how the television network angled it stories and brought out this tragedy in the news.
The second article was more general as it involved separate disasters and their presentations. It also took on a more scientific approach, analyzing the tendencies of the news recipients in terms of their amount of initial interest and how fast they lose interest and so on. And it was angled in such a way that it was a study of the indications of the publicity of tragedies or disasters in the Philippine society in light of culture vs. pop-culture.
When the discussion got underway on the Wowowee incident, concerns about the issue were expressed and not so much the message of the article itself was discussed. I guess that's because the incident is still rather fresh and many had a lot to say about it. But when we got back to the article we found ourselves discussing more about the credibility of the media and the great cover-up or "crisis management" that ABS-CBN was able to pull off. The fact of the matter is, television is a very powerful media. And indeed it was this power of words that caused the incident. The explicit advertising that Wowowee did to broadcast the event of their first anniversary is what caused that many people to fill up Ultra and thus cause a stampede. Yet, ironically this same medium was used to correct the mistake, divert people's attention and cover-up the real tragedy.
The article also argues that ABS-CBN's "kapamilya" slogan is an example of how people seek to find escape in the non-reality of TV. People's dreams and concepts of a family seemed to be realized with that slogan. Thus, when the hope of that actually being fulfilled in the form of the promised prizes, people clamored and fought for the realization of those dreams. Yet at what cost?
Conversely, there is a part in the second article about how the movie, Titanic used that analogy between the main characters' dreams, goals and love and the ship itself. This was what added a dramatic aspect to an already tragic, yet nonetheless past event. And this is what made it more identifiable to the audience.
So is our undying interest in tragedies, disasters or calamities part of an escapist culture of our society? If so, what is the role and responsibility of the media?
Well, this doesn't have to mean there is a general rule of thumb that follows that our culture or pop-culture is one that is bloodthirsty because of the amount of attention the public pays to the gory and sad stories about disaster stricken areas or people. No, in fact the later article states that these disaster stories catch out attention "sa ayaw at sa gusto". Meaning whether we like hearing these stories or not, the simple fact that we like or dislike them still means our attention is drawn to them. It also doesn't necessarily mean we are all escapists. After all, how much more real can you get with a disaster news story? But maybe they do do something to make us who live on to hear and tell the stories, feel real and alive ourselves. When it happens to someone else you can't help but think, along with all your mournful sighs (sincere or not), "Thank God it wasn't me."
And that's natural. As natural as people finding comfort in something that takes their minds away from their current problems even for a little while. And no, I'm most certainly not talking about drugs, alcohol or any of those vices. No, I am referring of course to the vice that is media. And when you think about it, this has been going on for centuries. Think of the gladiators fighting off lions in the great Colosseum of Rome. Did it not function on the same principle? Caesar knew his subjects were hungry, so he gave them a show. Yet even his show was one of power---Caesar's power. But it's sheer reality reminded people that they were alive and made them grateful they were not the ones there in the arena with the lions. At the same time they forgot their hunger and their anger against Caesar. Again, the power of media (and its controller) asserted.
But on the other hand, there is another aspect in the grounding in reality that disaster news stories provide. Other than reminding us we are alive, it provides us with relevant issues that concern us. They keep us up-to-date with what's going on in our disaster-ridden country and keep us informed on the livelihood and welfare of our fellow countrymen and possibly even our relatives in far flung areas of the Philippines. At the same time, these stories become part of our history and teach us to learn from them.
Still there is the question of our becoming numb to these stories because of the number of these types of news items. And that's where the responsibility of the media lies. Thus bringing us back again to our discussed articles.
In the end of our discussion we concluded that one, we must be careful about what we listen to or read because the media is very powerful and can still be objective in terms of news items or even advertisements; and secondly, as future media practitioners we must realize the power of our medium and make sure we use it responsibly. Tragedies are part of our everyday lives, if you think about it. Yet it is no mundane thing and we must watch out how we view them and take care to avoid or prevent them.
Our first discussion was more specific since the article talked about one specific tragedy and focused only on one aspect of its reporting. This was about the tragedy at Philsports Arena aka Ultra that occurred last February 2006 due to the ABS-CBN produced show, Wowowee. And since this obviously involved a big time media organization the article focused on how the television network angled it stories and brought out this tragedy in the news.
The second article was more general as it involved separate disasters and their presentations. It also took on a more scientific approach, analyzing the tendencies of the news recipients in terms of their amount of initial interest and how fast they lose interest and so on. And it was angled in such a way that it was a study of the indications of the publicity of tragedies or disasters in the Philippine society in light of culture vs. pop-culture.
When the discussion got underway on the Wowowee incident, concerns about the issue were expressed and not so much the message of the article itself was discussed. I guess that's because the incident is still rather fresh and many had a lot to say about it. But when we got back to the article we found ourselves discussing more about the credibility of the media and the great cover-up or "crisis management" that ABS-CBN was able to pull off. The fact of the matter is, television is a very powerful media. And indeed it was this power of words that caused the incident. The explicit advertising that Wowowee did to broadcast the event of their first anniversary is what caused that many people to fill up Ultra and thus cause a stampede. Yet, ironically this same medium was used to correct the mistake, divert people's attention and cover-up the real tragedy.
The article also argues that ABS-CBN's "kapamilya" slogan is an example of how people seek to find escape in the non-reality of TV. People's dreams and concepts of a family seemed to be realized with that slogan. Thus, when the hope of that actually being fulfilled in the form of the promised prizes, people clamored and fought for the realization of those dreams. Yet at what cost?
Conversely, there is a part in the second article about how the movie, Titanic used that analogy between the main characters' dreams, goals and love and the ship itself. This was what added a dramatic aspect to an already tragic, yet nonetheless past event. And this is what made it more identifiable to the audience.
So is our undying interest in tragedies, disasters or calamities part of an escapist culture of our society? If so, what is the role and responsibility of the media?
Well, this doesn't have to mean there is a general rule of thumb that follows that our culture or pop-culture is one that is bloodthirsty because of the amount of attention the public pays to the gory and sad stories about disaster stricken areas or people. No, in fact the later article states that these disaster stories catch out attention "sa ayaw at sa gusto". Meaning whether we like hearing these stories or not, the simple fact that we like or dislike them still means our attention is drawn to them. It also doesn't necessarily mean we are all escapists. After all, how much more real can you get with a disaster news story? But maybe they do do something to make us who live on to hear and tell the stories, feel real and alive ourselves. When it happens to someone else you can't help but think, along with all your mournful sighs (sincere or not), "Thank God it wasn't me."
And that's natural. As natural as people finding comfort in something that takes their minds away from their current problems even for a little while. And no, I'm most certainly not talking about drugs, alcohol or any of those vices. No, I am referring of course to the vice that is media. And when you think about it, this has been going on for centuries. Think of the gladiators fighting off lions in the great Colosseum of Rome. Did it not function on the same principle? Caesar knew his subjects were hungry, so he gave them a show. Yet even his show was one of power---Caesar's power. But it's sheer reality reminded people that they were alive and made them grateful they were not the ones there in the arena with the lions. At the same time they forgot their hunger and their anger against Caesar. Again, the power of media (and its controller) asserted.
But on the other hand, there is another aspect in the grounding in reality that disaster news stories provide. Other than reminding us we are alive, it provides us with relevant issues that concern us. They keep us up-to-date with what's going on in our disaster-ridden country and keep us informed on the livelihood and welfare of our fellow countrymen and possibly even our relatives in far flung areas of the Philippines. At the same time, these stories become part of our history and teach us to learn from them.
Still there is the question of our becoming numb to these stories because of the number of these types of news items. And that's where the responsibility of the media lies. Thus bringing us back again to our discussed articles.
In the end of our discussion we concluded that one, we must be careful about what we listen to or read because the media is very powerful and can still be objective in terms of news items or even advertisements; and secondly, as future media practitioners we must realize the power of our medium and make sure we use it responsibly. Tragedies are part of our everyday lives, if you think about it. Yet it is no mundane thing and we must watch out how we view them and take care to avoid or prevent them.
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