Position Paper #1 - News and Information

 The Manila Times 

In the world of news, where you receive your information is essential. Some news publications are not trustworthy, or they do not have the freedom to report freely on all topics. Citizens in all countries deserve to receive factual and straightforward news; however, this is not always the case. By examining news websites, especially internationally, you can determine if the website is reliable and what restrictions they may be under due to their government. 

Rodrigo Duterte
The Philippines is a country that has minimal press freedom. According to Reporters Without Borders, the Philippines is ranked 138 in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index. Many claim that their president, Rodrigo Duterte, has targeted many journalists through cyber-attacks and accused them of "far-fetched" charges. For example, a dual US-Philippine Citizen, Maria Ressa, faced charges for multiple articles on her news site, Rappler, where she published numerous critical statements about Rodrigo Dutertes's presidency. These cases have been dismissed; however, Maria has not stopped speaking boldly on her social media or news site. Although these events and circumstances are factual, the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of The Philippines makes an opposing statement. Article III section IV states:
"no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right to the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances."

One of the most well-known news sites in the Philippines is the English-speaking newspaper, The Manila Times. The newspaper was established on October 11, 1898, making it one of the Philippines ' oldest newspapers. Their headquarters is located in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. 




Not only is the format of their news site pleasant to the eye, but it is also easy to maneuver by having their news categorized so their audience can find the information that they are looking for easily. On the first page of their website, they have their "latest" and "top" stories readily available for readers. By selecting "news," you can see the headlines for September 20, 2021. Some of these headlines include "France and Australia agree submarines won't stop trade deal," "Taliban establishes 'virtue' authorities," and "Hong Kong elite selects powerful committee."  I noticed that this news site covers a large amount of international news, rather than mainly covering their country. I also noticed that just on their "news" page, they have over 10,000 articles published. 

Dr. Dante A. Ang
When researching information regarding The Manila Times and President Rodrigo Duterte, I found something interesting. According to an article written by The Poynter Institute, The Manila Times published an article in 2019 stating that multiple news outlets were "plotting against the president." The article was written by Dr. Dante A. Ang, the chairman emeritus at The Manila Times. What is particularly interesting is that he is also the envoy for international public relations of the Philippines; he was appointed by Duterte for this position. This information reveals the news sites' loyalty and sheds light on the type of information they publish. Because of Ang's relationship with The Manila Times and Duterte, the newspaper cannot publish anything critical or displeasing about the president. The article written by Ang was fact-checked and was determined to be false. This caused the newspaper to receive mixed reviews regarding its trustworthiness. 

The Manila Times has also failed to report on the topic of corruption related to Duterte's presidency. When running for president, Duterte claimed that he would stop corruption in government. Not only has he failed to do so, but he has also had scandals under his watch. These scandals include ₱6.4 billion, around $1 billion, worth of shabu from China slipping past customs and the reappointment of officials linked to other political scandals. Filipino news publications such as CNN Philippines, the country's most trusted news source, reported Duterte's failure. The issue has also been reported by multiple international news sites. As for The Manila Times, the only article readily available discusses his intolerance of corruption. 

Through examining The Manila Times, it is clear that the news site is not entirely trustworthy. The website is biased toward President Duterte's presidency and is evidently trying to protect his public image. Due to its mixed ratings and failed fact check, the citizens of the Philippines should not receive the entirety of their news from The Manila Times. Although they have only failed one fact check, this can cause a significant decline in their audience, especially if they try to protect the president's image rather than state the truth. This is an example of why understanding the credibility of your news source can benefit you. Receiving news reporting false information or omitting essential facts will only keep you uninformed and spread the falsified information further. In a country like the Philippines, it is difficult to find a news site that the citizens can trust due to Duterte's power over their press freedom. This is why, as citizens of the United States, we should be grateful to have press freedom and trustworthy news media options. 


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