Is anyone still following this blog? Lol
State of Truth: An Analysis on the Truth, Principles and Journalistic Integrity
“You’re not supposed to tattle.”
There are stories that are worth protecting, sources that should be closely guarded, and consequences that every journalist must face. And it is in every story that a journalist covers that he/she crosses a line as to whether one story is worth covering, worth writing, worth protecting and worth dying for. In the film “Nothing but the Truth”, the case of a reporter who ardently tries to not reveal the main source of her story is shown, with the details on how the government, the media, the source, and the reporter herself go through the legal system; a system that is still quite ambiguous and unclear.
Realistically speaking, some journalists want to seize that story which changes an entire nation and that will catapult them into the big leagues. This is partly what the main character in the film, Rachel Armstrong, deals with when she comes across a report regarding the identity of a CIA operative. Rachel believes that her story will be as significant as the Watergate Scandal, and might possibly bring down the government. But she seeks to do this as objectively as possible. It is here where we begin to see how the origin of a story is central and vital to a reporter’s and the newspaper’s subsequent undertakings on a report.
Before information is put out and a report is published, the foundation of the story must be identified to make sure that everything is in line and enough to go to print. In the film, the Capitol Sun-Times’ legal counsel, Avril Aaronson, requests the name, title or job description of Rachel’s source, ensuring that the origin of the CIA report can be relied upon. It is important to name the source of the report because it deals with the uncovering of the identity of a CIA operative, which is considered illegal when it is confirmed that a government employee was the source of Rachel’s story. However, journalists will do everything to protect their sources, citing factors like confidentiality and safety. With that mind, the film portrays Rachel as a reporter willing to have her name and reputation on the line to put out her revealing report and her strong stand in protecting her source.
There are still other factors that journalists must be aware of when trying to look after the people behind their stories. In one scene, the newspaper’s legal counsel argues that what Rachel thinks is enough reason to publish her story (two confirming sources, letter from the CIA), won’t be for the government because of the ambiguous nature of the laws protecting journalists from revealing their sources. The Shield Law offers security to journalists from saying who their sources are once the government and the court demands them to do so. However, in the film, it is stated that the U.S. federal system does not have a Shield Law, especially with issues involving national security, with Rachel not receiving any form of protection whatsoever. Because of this, a journalist who still does not reveal his/her source and testify before a federal grand jury will be held in contempt.
“I respectfully refuse to answer that question…”
Journalists in the United States generally cite the First Amendment which respects the freedom and pervasiveness of the press. When federal prosecutor Patton Dubois pressures Rachel into revealing her source, she once again defends her right as a journalist to withhold the identity of her source, citing the First Amendment and the federal common laws, which will undoubtedly protect her from contempt. But the federal government sees this case as something bigger, with the act of treason involved.
We know that when a person leaks top secret and privileged information, in the film’s case, the identity of a CIA operative, that person is a threat to national security, which is an act of treason. Patton Dubois cites the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act, which provides security to employees of the government working in the Intelligence Agency. And if an official from the government outs the identity of a covert official from the CIA, he/she is regarded as a threat to the country’s defenses and security. This statement does not push Rachel into revealing her source, thus impeding any sort of motion taken by the court to identify her source.
In the film’s case, Rachel refuses to reveal her original source, even to her editor, because of agreeing to confidentiality and confirmation coming from corroborating sources, which makes it “not necessary to know” the main source. Again, when a journalist still believes in his/her principles to withhold the story’s source, he/she will be held arrested in contempt of court. Journalists will still make that choice to protect their principles or betray their integrity.
“The weather has changed…”
Internet. Action. Superstar.
These three words may not have been associated with each other a few years ago, but they have a far more greater meaning today. It has been exactly twenty years since the World Wide Web was introduced, starting a revolution in technology and communication. In today’s culture, the Internet serves a more different purpose to those longing for their own 15 minutes of fame, a chance at the spotlight, and a venue to display their selves to the world. Blogging has developed from a personal web diary to a powerful media tool that directly changes the way we interact with other people. There are these personalities we find in blogs who just capture us with their online personas, poles apart from their true selves. But there are those who keep it real, the ones who take the risk and become part of the virtual fabric that is the Internet.
Ramon Bautista. Who is he and should we worry? Well, we shouldn’t, since he is, dare I say it, the local renaissance man of the World Wide Web. Mr. Bautista portrays a wide variety of characters: indie film darling, online god, aerobics instructor, reputable commercial endorser, street magician, YouTube sensation, TV host, mock news anchor, frustrated rapper, film professor, favorite interview subject… the list goes on. From his first appearance on Strangebrew, a defunct sitcom which aired ten years ago on UNTV, we took notice of Mr. Bautista who played, of all things, a mermaid, and started to focus on his unusual acting style. After being off the air for eight years, Strangebrew has gained a cult following among teenagers who watch old episodes on YouTube and being treated to the comedic genius of its supporting character, Ramon.
From Strangebrew, Mr. Bautista started to make his own path in the dizzying world of show business. With his film background, Mr. Bautista immediately found his niche in showbiz: comedy. I was 15 years old when I first saw Mr. Bautista on his self-titled TV program on MTV. It was 2007, and Ramon was still keeping it funny, doing his usual antics of portraying different character while interviewing local artists. While watching the two-minute segments, I thought to myself, “Wow, this guy is hilarious.” But with my short attention span, I quickly changed the channel.
It would take another two years and a website before I would rediscover Ramon Bautista and his quirky sense of humor. Blogging became a passion of mine in 2009 when I learned about a new social networking site called Tumblr. Tumblr is a revolutionary blogging network where users could easily interact with other people and share their thoughts using its many multimedia features. And it was in this website where I once again caught a glimpse of Ramon Bautista, the blogger. I was skeptical at first if the account was the real deal or was just a poser making off with Mr. Bautsita’s identity. But I went to his profile and lo and behold, it really was THE Ramon Bautista. His site was still in its early stages since he was also recently introduced to Tumblr during that time. His first post was about how his new site could serve as an interactive playground for all his fans and followers. And with that, I clicked the follow button. And the rest, as they say, is history.
But I won’t stop there, because following Ramon Bautista on Tumblr gave me the opportunity to stalk, or as I would like to say it, “intensely pursue” a famous local personality. It was also two years ago when I found out about his other profession: teaching. I was mildly surprised to learn that he was a film professor in UP Diliman, teaching film production and non-linear editing. Aside from teaching, Mr. Bautista was still appearing in some TV programs and actively promoting the local independent film industry, a community truly close to his heart. And with this, I realized that he was more than just a mere jester or a clown.
In this day and age of fame-obsessed teenagers who want to make a name for themselves with just a click of a mouse, the Internet definitely enters a new realm of what it means to be the center of attention. With the dominance of Generation Y on the World Wide Web, I was fascinated with the concept of online personalities and the purposes they serve to their followers and readers. Fast forward to 2011 and I had another chance of getting to know the man behind the success, the person behind the pop culture, the individual behind the iconic profile photo of a man carrying a young boy to safety.
Welcome to the Philippines, the social networking capital of the world, where cyberculture has taken on a considerable role in daily life. It is a place where updating your Facebook status daily is as essential as singing the “Lupang Hinirang”. It is a place where social media has become the adobo of communication: everybody has tried, loved and just can’t get enough of it.
Almost all Filipino households have used computers for interaction, a clear sign that our country is indeed moving forward in terms of technology and connectivity. According to comScore, an online audience measurement service, the Philippines has the highest usage of social networking tools in the Asia-Pacific region. Based from statistics last year, there are almost 30 million Filipino Internet users, roughly 30 percent of the country’s population. This puts the Philippines in seventh place among Asian countries with the highest usage of the Internet and its services. And these numbers will continue to grow as Web access becomes more affordable for the masses.
The More, the Merrier.
As more Filipinos get behind computer monitors and start typing away on keyboards, the number of users of Internet services will also increase. Such services include e-mail, video conferencing, media file sharing and the worldwide epidemic that is social networking. The same comScore study delivered staggering numbers that describe how wired and connected Filipinos are to the virtual world. The country still holds the title of being the text capital of the world, with 2 billion text messages sent each day. And as of 2009, there are over 77 million mobile phone service subscribers distributed among the three major telecommunication companies. The country also ranks 10th among all countries using mobile web technology to connect to the Internet.
From Friendster to Facebook
Social networking has become a trend since Friendster was locally established in 2004. Friendster, which was globally introduced in 2002, was once seen as a faltering website because of its dwindling popularity in the North American market due to technical problems and loss of interest among American teenagers. But the site was reborn when it found its new niche among South East Asian markets, particularly in the Philippines, igniting a spark consisting of friend requests, testimonials and gratuitous photo albums. Friendster is considered to be the mother of all social networking sites, introducing the power of multimedia and social media to a larger audience.
Fast forward to 2008 and a new competitor has arrived to take over Friendster’s throne as the country’s top social networking site. We all know the perennial tale of how Mark Zuckerberg, scorned Harvard dropout, created Facebook as a site for ranking women from different universities based on their “hotness level”. And from that basic, yet misogynistic, concept came one of the most popular, iconic and influential sites on the World Wide Web.
The number of Filipino members on Facebook is currently at 26 million, which makes us 8th in the worldwide ranking of countries with the highest number of Facebook users. Facebook members utilize the site’s several services such as updating daily statuses, uploading and tagging photos, online text and video chat, and the feature that acts as the foundation to every social networking site, interaction. Communication is the main element that makes Facebook and other similar sites work. The Internet has now turned into our own virtual playground where we are able to easily connect with friends, contact our acquaintances and create relationships with strangers.
Love in Unexpected (Virtual) Places
“I have a very positive opinion on Internet relationships. Because regular dating, you’re limited to only the people around you”, says Toney, who is currently in his first online relationship. “With the Internet, you could literally meet every kind of person and find your perfect match.” Toney, 19, has had multiple relationships in the past, but had only recently used the World Wide Web as a venue for discovering people who shared the same interests he had. Tumblr, a popular blogging site, was the right setting where he would finally stumble upon that “perfect match”.
It was in Tumblr where Toney met Angel, who also liked the same things he liked, such as animé and videogames. Their conversations developed; with Angel asking Toney how his day went, Angel teaching Toney how to speak Spanish, and continuing to talk about things of similar, more personal interests. Eventually, Toney realized he was in love with Angel.
The fascinating thing about this type of relationship is that it proves that the Internet provides everyone the possibility to find someone who is the right match for them. The factor of numbers comes in play here, with the chances of finding “the one” becoming significantly greater because the Internet presents a large number of people in a more compressed setting. You see, Toney is asexual, or someone who doesn’t consider sex or sexual activities as anything significant in one’s life. He admits that if he used conventional means of dating, he wouldn’t find anyone who was like him, “The population of people is just too small, whereas on the Internet, that number is multiplied by thousands. The chances of finding someone more my type is far greater.” And he did.
However, there are some people who have not fully embraced the concept of creating relationships on the Internet. GMA 7 reporter Ivan Mayrina insists that traditional ways of dating are better. Mayrina, who recently covered the story of a 13-year old boy who shot his 16 year old lover, described as a crime of passion, says that orthodox ways of courtship have now been replaced by chat rooms where online predators may attack innocent victims. The Web is indeed a dangerous place, where identities can be changed and profiles aren’t thoroughly checked.
But there are some people who think that online relationships are fine, as long as a person is mature and strong enough to form an online and/or long distance relationship. Mechelle, 27, met her boyfriend on a music message board forum. She said that she had no intention of finding a partner, but the two of them eventually bonded over common interests and began texting each other. And for over a period of 4-8 months, they became close and decided to meet personally. But Mechelle warns others that relationships may not end up like hers did. “You will find weirdos, but for the most part everyone is just like you and me. These people lead every day lives too” says Mechelle, adding that online users should take precaution and be extra careful when interacting with the Internet population. “The only difference is it’s a must larger pool of people and it’s highly segmented.”
Online and Beyond
But creating these types of relationships is just scratching the surface; some people want to develop their online relationships into something distinguishable and not merely one isolated connection. Since the Internet is made up of different communities, users should participate in online activities that focus on forming relationships with groups of people. Forums and online group discussions serve as venues for people to converse and interact with a set of online users who share similar ideas. In a sense, social media helps us gain and create online circles, which in turn create social networks. With the increase of people we are introduced and acquainted with on the Web, we are also now able to easily access new information about these people, obtaining personal data about them.
And in our quest to form new relationships thru the help of social media, let us keep in mind that the Internet is still public domain, and that everything we post might be used against us in the future. Users, especially teenagers, should monitor their emotions while in social networking sites since it will provide a negative online and offline image. Also, social networking can be considered as a waste of time, and that we should all inject a purpose on why we use it. Users should maximize their use of social networking, and from the time they signed in for the network, should realize how they could use it for the better.
*Data and statistics gathered from comscore.com, socialbakers.com and internetworldstats.com
We live in a world where connection is king. A world where one click could transport us to another new and exciting dimension. A world where superstardom is just a video upload away. And a world where infamy can be achieved with one status. The Internet has grown into a subculture of our history, a virtual setting that has defined what we have achieved and what we have yet to accomplish. And it is also in this virtual setting where we have gone to inform and entertain ourselves, and sometimes, mistakenly misinform ourselves. But with so much information to our disposal, do we really have enough time to read through every story from an anonymous Gossip Girl wannabe? The answer is a resounding no.
TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL AGES. A father points out to his son what might be considered an antique in the near future.
GOOGLING AND OGLING. Blogs have become the new forum for fanboys and fangirls to look at their teen idols.
Because there are other things that the Internet has to offer; infinite choices of what we want to see, hear, taste and feel. And because connection is king, we could also say that multimedia is the queen of the World Wide Web. People use the different interactive tools that the Internet offers, with social networking on the top of today’s generation’s list.
SO MANY APPS, SO LITTLE TIME. People are now thinking smaller, with the advent of compact touchscreen devices to satisfy their online needs.
IN THE ZONE. Zap Zone owner Sandy Parel has made a living by connecting people.
But there is still that question as to whether the Internet has become overrated and, because it been part of our daily routine, predictable. Maybe so. It has been exactly 15 years since Google was launched from a college dorm, setting off a revolution in the way we search for answers. Now, the only exciting thing that comes when we log in is if a new Rebecca Black is attacked because of her newly-released AutoTuned single. That, and if our crush accepts our friend request on Facebook. But the main point is that the Web has quickly turned into a large platform for promotion and commercialism, with thousands of advertisements deviously coming into our news feeds everyday.
WEB OF INFLUENCE. Maria Ressa discusses social media’s power to unite people across the web community.
SITES & SOUNDS. Gemma Bagawaya talks about the various websites suited for each online user.
And what’s worse is that we unknowingly give in to these types of promotions and end up with useless data, and maybe a virus or two. The amount of commercials that we encounter on the Web rivals that of television, with articles, web shows and downloads being sponsored in one way or another. And it is this type of free-from advertising that makes the Internet a profitable, if annoying, business.
In the end, the Internet will always be a diverse community where everyone is welcome to post anything he or she desires. After all, it is the freest medium and anyone can get away with anything. Well, almost.
Time. It is a concept that fascinates and, at the same time, confuses every one of us with its complexities and complications. We are drawn to how it works; how we perceive our experiences, how we create memories and how we encounter that combination of sentiment and sorrow during our lifetime. And with our interest in time comes our desire to relive the past and revive the memories that were formed from our consciousness, serving as the catalyst for our existence. This particular type of yearning is called nostalgia.
Nostalgia can be defined as “the interest in past eras, personalities and events” or wanting to relive the good old days. And in longing for earlier experiences, we tend to substantiate with our memories, thinking of our personal history, be they good or bad (but mostly good). It has been said that in terms of nostalgia, our memories serve as a question of our mortality. In a sense, we accumulate our personal past experiences so that we could relive those particular moments in our lives in the near future. I read an online article on nostalgia that was written by a brilliant guy named Mills Baker. Mr. Baker describes nostalgia as a feeling when “we begin to see how a memory fades.” He then adds that the contents of our memories have something to do with nostalgia, and when we feel that a memory is fading, we will eventually feel that we ourselves are fading in this world. But I won’t delve into the negative (read: melancholic) aspects of nostalgia. Instead, I will point out the recent wave of events on the Internet and television that were generated by the nostalgic feelings of my generation.
Mills’ Model on how nostalgia works
The Internet caters to different markets and age groups, but the largest and most influential of these markets is the so-called Generation Y. The Y Generation, composed of people who were born between the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s, are considered to be the most knowledgeable in technological trends. Because of the development of new technologies in communication, the Y Generation has experienced new types of services on the Web, such as e-mail, chat and texting, social networking and blogs. This experience has formed the Y Generation into a somewhat peer-oriented group because of the availability of these new technologies to facilitate communication. Generation Y grew up on developments in the Web and went through an age of pop culture during that time.
The Internet serves as a platform for expression, and members of Generation Y use the Web as a site for publishing their wants and needs, what they look and crave for, and what they are interested in at the moment. I operate a blog which acts as a personal online diary and at the same time, a place where I could communicate with my friends and people from around the world. And because the Internet encompasses a large community, the sharing and forwarding of thoughts reaches on a global scale, setting off a spark that connects an entire generation. This is related to the recent activities on the Web where users, specifically teenagers, have used the Internet to put out their ideas, sharing with the online community their thoughts on social networking sites and blogs.
One of the concepts that resonated throughout the Web was the concept of nostalgia, particularly content from the ‘80s and ‘90s. These include cartoons, movies, music and events from that era that were shared through various social networking sites. As what I’ve said earlier, nostalgia is a powerful human emotion and the desire to relive moments engraved in our minds cannot be ignored. This phenomenon on the Web where teenagers post their memories and personal thoughts on the ‘90s era has started a nostalgic revolution. People have gone on their blogs to write about their earliest memories on their favorite childhood shows. Some have uploaded photos of their much-loved cartoon characters. Some have posted music from bands of that decade, which range from Nirvana to the Spice Girls. Some have posted their own pictures as children, discussing on the fashion trends of yore. While others simply take part in the whole movement, enjoying the fact that there is resurgence of anything related to their childhood, a time when everything was simpler.
But how influential can a nostalgic generation be on the Internet and pop culture in general? Well, it can be said that we play a prominent part on the online community, since the Internet’s user population comprises mostly of teenagers and young adults. This can be proven by the fact that a major network has incorporated its programming from the ‘90s in its recent line-up. Nickelodeon has observed the incredible activity on Facebook where users have been pushing on the idea of revitalizing shows from the ‘90s. Other social networking sites like Twitter also played a significant part in the revival of old-school programming, with users tweeting and retweeting requests on Nickelodeon’s official page.
Nickelodeon’s nostalgia block, appropriately titled “The ‘90s Are All That”, has been a ratings success since its premiere last July, playing shows such as Rugrats, Kenan and Kel, All That and other shows that would be played on a regular basis. The network has pointed out that their audience (the 18-34 market, the same age bracket that dominates the Web) has increased by 500 percent. This recent increase in the demand for nostalgic programming can be credited to the emotional impact that it brings to its specific market of viewers. In my case, watching shows from your childhood on a television screen is not the same experience when you are watching it from a computer monitor.
The resurgence of ‘90s media can also be attributed to the other online communities on the Web where Gen Y-ers converge. One of the most popular blogging sites on the Internet right now is Tumblr, known for its interactivity and community. It is in this community where users from Generation Y gather and interact with one another, forming groups according to interests and ideals. And from a blogger’s perspective, I observed that this community is full of members who are now in that stage of adulthood where they start to long for the period that formed them into what they have become. I could say this because I am also going through the same thing; I am in a stage of looking back rather than moving forward.
In the end, I feel that this nostalgic stage we all go through is what it is: a phase. In the same article I mentioned earlier, Mr. Baker explains that nostalgia reflects those experiences that are vividly felt and resonate in our memories so much that the rate in which they fade in our minds is too much too bear. And in the process of these memories fading, we feel that we are also diminishing. But we have to keep in mind that these mementos of our past is only part of our whole being, and that we have to leave behind some of them in able for us to evolve. Nostalgia provides us with thoughts that remind us of happier times, and with that, we should be able to create new memories that we could also remember in the future.
Revival. Remake. Re-release. Whatever you call it, you can’t deny the fact that your childhood is making a comeback.
