PALER, HANNAH MAE L.

TTh 7:30-9:00 am

BA COMMUNICATION/JOURNALISM 2

CODES OF ETHICS VIOLATION

Facts:

 Doris Bigornia is a Filipina journalist, field reporter, and news presenter.

 She was known for her covered reports and stories that involved people on the street.
 She was called “Mutya ng Masa”
 Bigornia was being fired by ABS-CBN
 She leaked out confidential memorandum to an outsider
 Bigornia also made a report that caused the station to be involved in a so-called network war with
rival GMA-7
 Ressa wanted to push Bigornia’s termination for she leaked a confidential information outside
ABS-CBN
 CASE SOURCE: https://cmfr-phil.org/media-ethics-responsibility/journalism-review/mutya-ng-
masa-no-more/?fbclid=IwAR1tmSRK3ivA8Wu5U5-BLQp7Tmid3O9vL-
nkeoVEan5Ukktxneq3ag2EUaE

ISSUES INVOLVED:

Doris Bigornia violated the Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics which is “I shall not
scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts or to distort the
truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and to correct
substantive errors promptly.” And also with her case of leaking a confidential information, she
violated the code of ethics which is “ I shall not violate confidential information on material given to
me in the exercise of my calling.
 ‘Mutya ng Masa’ No More
By Hector Bryant L. Macale
FOR MILLIONS of television viewers, she was the “Mutya ng Masa”—
the small, spunky reporter who covered the stories that directly involved the man
on the street. In a medium that insisted on stereotypes, Doris Bigornia defied the
odds and carved a niche for herself. Among the reporters that appeared on the
television screen, she was one of the few whose face and name could readily be
associated with the station that she represented.
That is why when news broke out that Bigornia was being fired from
ABS-CBN, not a few were surprised. Bigornia, it was said, leaked out
confidential memorandum to an outsider. And before that, she made a report that
dragged the station to another so-called network war with rival GMA-7. Still,
some observers and journalists were saying, “Now, what could be so wrong with
that?” Journalists, after all, depend on leaks from news sources in the course of
doing their jobs. What’s wrong when one does the leaking for a change? And the
network war has all but become so boring.
The small storm created by the dismissal of the veteran reporter from
television giant ABS-CBN may have fallen silent for now. However, there is no
assurance that the issue is completely over as Bigornia had just filed a complaint
against the network on May 8 before the National Labor Relations Commission
(NLRC) for firing her.

RESOLUTION/REACTION:

 It is important for a journalist or reporter to consider the different sides of their reports in
order to get the point of views in the same parties.
 A writer or reporter should be cautious in using words or names of people in their reports.
 It’s always important to put your feet in the ground and accept the correction and
consequences given to you. Take charge of your actions.
 Always remember the importance of privacy. You should always keep confidential
information private.