Palace calls for 'fair, objective reporting'

Malacañang on Sunday appealed to the media for "fair and objective reporting" amid alleged destabilization efforts against the Arroyo administration. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita maintained the government is ready to clamp down on media outfits found to have “seditious content" in their reporting. "I think we should be concerned in our reporting on what should be good for the country and not just make news that would be alarming to the people," Ermita said. "I hope that media can contribute to bringing the country back to normalcy," he said. Ermita and Gonzalez lashed at television networks that report about alleged problems in the military. "Why don't you also report the other side… instead of reporting those who broke away or those threatening the government?" Ermita said. "Some members of media are not reporting news but out and out propaganda," he said. Ermita said journalists can still interview rebels and fugitives. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye meanwhile said media organizations “belabored the point" when it protested the reported crackdown of their ranks. “We maintain that press freedom was never under threat, but due to poisoned politics, the qualities of fairness and sober reporting were," Bunye said. – GMANews.TV