Introduction

The media plays a crucial role in the society as well as the lives of the people. As one of

the crucial pillars of the society, media had been part and parcel of our life. It serves as the

bridge that connects people and the government for the betterment of the nation. Media is widely

used for other purposes aside from conveying a message or giving entertainment to the audience.

It is so complex that could not sum up in a few words to explain. It covers a vast of variety of the

peoples interest.

Media is created just to find out news and information for its people, they seek

information that wasnt supposed to be finding out by ordinary group of people.

The Press serves as the vanguard of humanity, meaning media is responsible for having an eye in

each corner of its extent. Exposing odds and inconsistency around the society, media is

considered as one of the most influential group of people, because they had been part of

everyones decision making. Actually the media had been influencing people in many ways:

through Television, Radio, and Print Medias, these are the mediums that affect their opinions,

decisions, and perspectives in life. However, it can neither used constructively by educating

them, or it can be used constructively by deceiving people. The public put their trusts on the

media because they are assured that they would be the source of truth and they are reliable in

making reports and information, but as the time passes by, public trust in traditional media has

fallen to an all-time low.

 The media should reflect truth, accuracy, objectivity and balance and should regulate

within the framework of law. Also, Journalists and the media professionals should be

accountable to society. They have to be fair and support everyone without any favoritism.

Today, the media in the Philippines is facing an issue with the chief executive of the

republic, which is becoming a disease in a society. Although Press and the Officials should not

tend to be close to each other, they should unite in the way that their people would put their trust

on them.

Background

On June 30, 2016, Rodrigo Roa Duterte assumed office as the sixteenth President of the

Philippines. Much has happened during the first year of his administration. One of the most

noted circumstances is the government's conflict with the press. The dispute arose after the

frequent blaming of media for some of the government's flak. The president's harsh statements

including his profanities, rape joke and issues on extra-judicial killings are said to be products of

journalists' unfair coverage and slanted reports. According to the administration, media men are

always looking out for mistakes. For this reason, media acquired criticisms due to its alleged

misinterpretation, misquotation, misreports, and cherry picking of government's statements to

highlight negative approach to the public. Hence, the proponents choose this study to provide

insights and distinguish the fault of both media and the government. Also, to present principles

on how to interpret facts in news media to avoid distortion of information.

Rationale

This study intends to present and analyze the current situation of media blaming whether the

media is really misinterpreting and/or misquoting or the government is only scape-goating. It is

conducted to identify the offense made by the administration to the media practitioners and vice

versa, if there's any.

This study observes the freedom of the Philippine Press as it is constitutionally guarenteed in

Section 3, Article 4 that "No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression,

or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for

redress of grievances". Along with this provision, media therefore have no obligation to please or

satisfy its sources because its foremost responsibility is to present facts and not to be biased.

This study stresses the right of the public to information as it is stated in Section 7, Article 3

that "The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized.

Access to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions,

or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall

be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law". Thus, to exercise

this right, press will act as the Fourth Estate to fiscalize the three co-equal branches of the

government: judiciary, executive, and legislative.

Current State of Research in the Field

Problem in the Field

Research Gap
 Journalism, as well as other field of profession, is invariably facing several issues and

problems that challenge journalists to be more flexible in every circumstance that they bump into

during the provision of their calling. Actually, there are a lot of things to be considered as the

main cause of its dilemma, but the majority of studies and reviews concluded that Truth and

Accuracy in news information is frequently the lead cause of the other problems in the field of

journalism. Certain media outlets became partisan, because of the reason that is it a business-run

and fund by a corporation and private personalities. The legitimacy of information is slanted and

influenced by a one sided stand disregarding transparency as a ground rule in journalism.

Another one of the main complications that the journalists are facing is Accuracy of the facts.

The widespread of unreliable news is prevalent these days, conceivably because of the new

generation bloggers and citizen journalism that are overtaking the role of journalist in the

society. Inaccurate information may a result from an imprecise source of the correspondent.

Meanwhile, another issue in the field of journalism arise, and it is the allegedly misinterpretation

of news information, which is becoming a serious matter because it comprises profanity and treat

between the chief executive and the Press. This issue is not usually happening between the two

parties even in the past time. It became interestingly to make a study and research as future

journalists, since this problem has no proper settlement and resolution and we soon to provide

solutions regarding the issue.

Synthesis of the Art

President Dutertes expletive-laced remarks to his critics had gained attentions and

opinions all over the country and even reached international deliberation. This quality of

presidents speaking vitriol language in public is an exceptional trait of a high ranking

personality. Duterte is known for his great despise on drugs, and for being the man behind the
war on drugs in the Philippines. The way how he hated drugs can comparably to the way how he

treated media, based on the scathing words and threats he threw upon them. The president seems

to be confidently cool headed to converse with the public most especially to the Press using

unrefined words and phrases, disregarding his outstanding figure as the president of the country.

President Duterte is blaming the media outlets for supposedly depraving the translations of his

statements that supposedly aimed to damage his reputation. He even called out certain news

organizations for the irresponsible journalistic practice.

Behind of all the accusations and profanities that had been throwing to the media in this

current administration, the group remains vigilant to the highest official of the country as well as

his actions towards the extent of his authority. Due its adversarial relationship with the president,

media outlets and personalities are frequently on the apex of the headlines of their own articles

and news programs that allegedly misquoting the chief executives statements to allegedly gain

flak and tarnish the presidents reputation and gain the amid of attention in and outside the

country. The spate of invective tirades of the president to the media just merely shows

intolerance and contempt to the side of his critics. However the press vindicated the allegation,

by stating that they are only reporting what was coming out of the presidents mouth and there

are video coverage to support their justification.

Different personalities under the governing body of Dutertes administration have their

own standing in regards with the issue of the ostensibly misreporting of the journalists about the

speeches of their head authority. The officials that are involved in the said controversy took their

side and loyalty to defend the reputable image of the president against the supposedly wrong
conduct of the press towards their leader. They have already asserted their sympathetic

statements to the public affirming that the media are merely destroying the unprecedented way of

the president to oversee the country. They blasted media for doing such negligent action to

publicize the bad behavior of the president without supposedly thinking the consequences of

their actions.