Why blame the media?

(Published in Zamboanga Today on April 15, 2008.)

Yesterday as the news on the twin explosions went across the nation
and international waters, certain sectors in the city started pointing a finger at mediamen as the
'culprit' for accordingly tarnishing the good name of Zamboanga.

Media has a duty to inform the public what is going on, and a factual
report would also be preventing further damage. The reports in all the national dailies had
statements from Mayor Celso Lobregat, Task Force Chief Commander Col. Darwin Guerra, and Acting Police Chief Jonathan Perez. Even Archbishop Romulo Valles as head of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga had his own pronouncement. All these were intended to assure the public that everything is under control.

Terrorism threats in Zamboanga may exist, and one indeed cannot fully ascertain how the terrorists work. But as we continue to be vigilant, we citizens should not show fear nor should we in any way allow ourselves to be intimidated by those who claim that the threat is
serious especially if it is only to show to the global community that it is such, hence justifying the presence of visiting forces or the grant of international assistance for development.

Media would only report what has actually happened and what is happening. There may be lapses in the reporting, and there may be touches of sensationalism in the presentation of the stories, still, the reports are based on facts. The dramatization in the presentation is used by
most media entities if only to have a selling edge over the others, but media entities would not think of simplifying a story and making a twin blast report sound like a coconut sales story if only to consider tourism.

No one is to blame over the twin explosion on Sunday. The police were on guard when they saw the men who planted the bombs. They in fact called their attention. The Mayor and the Task Force Zamboanga soldiers were immediately at the site and the conferences were immediately a series all day--if only to address immediately what was needed to be attended to. And, a press
conference was immediately called.

Some were eyeing the security guard of the Cathedral. 'though. Whether it was his drowsiness, or his disregard over the idea of dawn chruchgoers being bombers--his alert trigger definitely failed.

However, media should not be blamed for the reportage, because media men in Zamboanga cannot hide the fact that there was an explosion when those outside had already reported it, just because we want to project the city's image as peaceful. Even with Sunday's explosion,
Zamboanga remains to be a peaceful city. Mayor Lobregat had aptly said that the terror threat is not just here in the city--it is global.

And media cannot be blamed solely for the threat to exist. (Frencie L. Carreon)