Media coverage of May elections declines – CMFR

The media advocacy group Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) this week reported a decline in the media coverage of the May elections in the past two weeks compared to the previous five weeks. CMFR also said the media tended to concentrate coverage on Team Unity (TU) and Genuine Opposition (GO) candidates, suggesting that media regard the elections as a two-party contest. CMFR said among the possible reasons for the decline in the coverage was the lesser number of election-related events. The CMFR report – the fourth so far – consolidates and summarizes the results of the first three of five reports on the coverage of the 2007 elections by three Metro Manila broadsheets – the Manila Bulletin, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and The Philippine Star – and six television news programs – 24 Oras and Saksi (GMA-7), TV Patrol World and Bandila (ABS-CBN); Sentro (ABC-5); and Primetime Teledyaryo (NBN-4). “The monitored media organizations in both broadcast and print thus tended to turn their attention to those events they regarded as more interesting and perhaps as important," the CMFR report said. CMFR said the decline of media coverage was “understandable" in terms of adherence to conventional news values (human interest, significance, proximity, etc.). The decrease in the number of reports did indicate that the media were “being reactive to events rather than following an agenda based on a perception of the May elections’ significance," the CMFR report said. The report added that controversies surrounding some candidates helped boost their media exposure, indicating continuing media appetite for more sensational stories. CMFR cited the case of reelectionist Sen. Francisco Pangilinan who “earned substantial coverage during the first and second monitoring periods due to his decision to run as independent despite his ‘adoption’ by the GO." Actor Cesar Montano’s replacement of Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla in the administration’s TU slate also earned him valuable media prominence during the first two weeks of the campaign. “Many of the reports also highlighted the conflicts and…controversies involving candidates," CMFR said. Lipa Mayor Vilma Santos’s feud with brother-in-law Ricky Recto was among the biggest stories during the first period. GO’s Alan Peter Cayetano also figured in many reports because of his persistent opposition to the candidacy of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan’s Joselito Pepito Cayetano, who had adopted the nickname “Peter." Joselito has been declared a nuisance candidate by the Commission on Elections. Meanwhile, administration and opposition senatorial slates dominated election reports as news sources, suggesting that this year’s elections are primarily a two-party contest as far as the media are concerned. CMFR will release a total of six reports other than its final report, as well as supplemental reports on the elections coverage of selected tabloids, AM radio stations, and public affairs programs. - GMANews.TV