THE KAPAMILYA SHIFT

Changes in the Philippine Media Landscape

The emergence of online platforms like YouTube is a result of the constant changing in the media landscape. It is not individuals who make use of the said platform, but media organizations have also shifted and created their internet counterparts (shoemaker & Reese, 2014). The shift in the media landscape is also highly influenced by both economic and political factors. The government creates laws and policies that regulate the actions of media organizations. However, sometimes, politics puts media organizations and producers at a disadvantage.

One prime example of this is the closure of one of the largest television networks in the Philippines, ABS-CBN. The shutdown of the company’s broadcast and satellite operations has pushed the network to go digital and boost its presence online with nearly 12 million subscribers on YouTube. (ABS-CBN News Hits 10 Million Subscribers on YouTube as Network Revs Digital Push, 2020). The shutdown has been said to greatly accelerate digital adoption with audiences as well as the advertising industry migrating from television to the digital (Mia, 2020). The Philippine media has been greatly altered with TV viewership decline economic losses are undeniably massive with the closure of the country’s largest broadcast giant with ng to 24% after the closure and with 30% of audiences shifting to the rival network (Elemia, 2020).

The shift in the viewing habits is very evident in our household as well. The elder ones in our family are avid TV viewers, especially of ABS-CBN. The shutdown did not encourage them to shift to the rival network, but they have increased their time on social media platforms making it their primary source of information. However, being able to follow and gain access to the news online is a privilege for us. For people who rely on local radio stations under ABS-CBN, access to credible and quality news and information has become limited. The shutdown has left an information gap, especially in far-flung areas that are only reached by radio programs under ABS-CBN. The closure of the country’s biggest network was undeniable to serve the political biases of those who enabled the shutdown but has put the country, especially the Filipinos who are consumers of media, at greater risk.

References

ABS-CBN News hits 10 million subscribers on YouTube as network revs digital push. (2020, August 16). ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/08/16/20/abs-cbn-news-hits-10-million-subscribers-on-youtube-as-network-revs-digital-push

Croteau, D. and Hoynes, W. (2019). Media/society: Technology, industries, content, and users. 6th ed. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Elemia, C. (2020, July 26). Fewer viewers, ad options: How ABS-CBN shutdown alters PH media landscape. Rappler. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/abs-cbn-shutdown-alters-philippine-media-landscape/

Mia, R. (2020, August 22). ABS-CBN shutdown changes media landscape. LionhearTV. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.lionheartv.net/2020/08/abs-cbn-shutdown-changes-media-landscape/

Shoemaker, P. J. (2014). Mediating the message in the 21st Century: A Media Sociology Perspective. Routledge.

Political Forces and Media

North Korea's Media Industry

Political forces are very influential in shaping how media organizations produce and distribute their content. Media organizations comply with government policies to avoid conflict however some organizations challenge and alter police if they have enough resources. However the ability of media organizations to question or later policies and the type of media industry a country will have also depends on its type of government. Democratic societies promote the freedom of the press and freedom of expression and often include a mix of private and publicly owned media outlets. The government still regulates the media industry in democratic societies to some extent, however for totalitarian societies, the state dominates the media industry to a point where media is censored and monitored.

North Korea is one of the counties with a tightly controlled media industry. Radio and TV sets owned by the citizens are pre-tuned to government stations and radios are registered with the police. Furthermore, surfing the internet remains restricted to a small group of elites who have gained the approval of the state (BBC News, 2011). The country also ranks in the World Press Freedom Index and the control of the government over the media landscape reached a point wherein listening to foreign media is a punishable crime (King, 2019). North Koreans are denied the right to freedom of expression and access to information and several citizens would resort to risky means such as purchasing Chinese mobile phones and paying a high price just to set up a call to reach someone outside their country (Amnesty International, 2016).

Citizens resorting to risking their lives to acquire illegal Chinese Mobile Phones or paying a huge amount of money to set up a call or bribe authorities may be a manifestation of the citizens’ desire to access external foreign information. citizens are limited to information provided by the government. News stories are also biased thus ensuring that reports will benefit the image and reputation of the government, specifically its leader. Media has been used as political propaganda to advance the interests of and reinforce dictatorial power.

Knowledge is power, and through restricting access to media and information, through tight surveillance and monitoring, through political intimidation and abuse of power, countries like North Korea continue to be successful in stripping individuals of their freedom to be informed and to freely express themselves. The country fears an educated public because it will be the cause of its downfall.

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