The Philippine media landscape is riddled with inconsistencies. However, it is also part of a global trend of technological disruptions bringing about changes in the media economy, profession, and consumption (Estella & Löffelholz, n.d.). Filipinos have been also one of the top users of social media amounting to an average usage of 4.06 hours a day (Philippines: Daily Time Spent Using Online Media by Activity 2021, 2022). From this, it can be inferred how the lives of Filipinos are affected and influenced by the media.

Media in Control

Media enslavement has been prevalent in today’s status quo. As I observed, one of the things that became essential to the creation of people’s reality is the media. Nowadays, as early as one year old, people are indulged with the media. Various shows or cartoons like Cocomelon, Tom and Jerry, Spongebob, and the likes have been influential in socializing the children and creating their realities. One may learn values, behaviors, and attributes from these media contents that may also influence their identity as individuals. As stated by Croteau and Hoynes (2019), media support cultural ideals and deviant beliefs which are often influenced by ideologies or systems of ideals. As a kid, I was able to engage myself in various tv shows and one of them was ‘Wansapanatym’. I can say that this tv show has greatly influenced my views and behavior since it showcases various Filipino values like respecting the elders, giving importance to family, doing traditional practices, such as doing ‘mano’ and saying ‘po’ and ‘opo. From this, it is evident how the media is powerful in shaping people’s lives, especially their perception and stance. Thus, the power that the media hold also requires responsible use for it not to be used against other people.

Control of Media

From the quote of Noam Chomsky, it is evident how the media is powerful in controlling the masses.This also shows how the usage of media is crucial in alleviating inequality and oppression. In the political scene of the Philippines, the media plays a vital role in influencing the masses. Controlling the social media posts created advantage to those perpetuating information that are in favor of them. Considering the upcoming 2022 elections, it is evident how different presidential aspirants use various platforms to heed their calls, actions, and platforms. However, other candidates use the media to spread propaganda that revises history and reforms their family names. In this case, it is evident that people in control of the media tries to resocialize the people from their misshapen reality. Thus, creating clamor and division among people.

Moreover, it is also evident from the experience of the Philippines, how control of media creates power and inequality. During Martial Law, press freedom in the country has been challenged which has affected the lives of the journalists and other press workers. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had used his power to control the media through silencing opposing media companies like ABS-CBN in order for him to filter information that will not highlight the harassment, corruption, and violations happening during his term. The case was also the same when the ABS-CBN was not given franchise to operate and Maria Ressa’s conviction during Duterte’s administration. Both administrations had perpetuated inequality through silencing and controlling the media.

Media is indeed a powerful tool in controlling the lives and minds of the people. This can be the strongest tool that one may use to fight inequality, but this can also be used to create oppression and marginalization. Hence, it is on the hands of the people to use and maximize the media for the benefit of all.

Am I credible?

Thus, it can also be observed how media organizations were controlled by the government. The contents that are being published in some of these news organizations may also be influenced by the control of the government. In the case of ABS-CBN and Rappler, it has been challenged by the government through silencing them since these organizations have been producing contents that are opposing the administration. These organizations have also been accused of being biased and not fair in reporting. Hence, it is challenging to trust various news organizations, however, through analyzing their biases and acknowledging the social reality, it can be noted that we can choose and weigh their reports fairly.

In between Media Censorship

In my previous blog posts, it is evident how media, censorship and control intertwined with each other. It can also be observed how people control the media and how the media controls people. However, it can be observed that in the Philippines, the government has been also controlling the media, not only through censorship of contents, but through silencing them.

From these scenarios, it can be inferred that censorship of media contents has been forwarded into greater matters. The Duterte administration has shown how the power of the government can influence and trigger the media to create contents that are favorable to them. Also, it can be observed how the administration tried to influence the mediatization process. As defined by Cushion (2019), mediatization refers to the systematic influence of the media on various aspects of society. Through influencing this process, the administration was able to change the mediated reality of the people through limiting the platform of their critics.