ONE THING that we the people in the news industry will surely miss about Former President Barack Obama is his acknowledgement of the important role the PRESS (news media) plays in a healthy and vibrant democracy.
The press is referred to as the fourth estate — in relation to the other three traditional estates of the church, the nobility and the townsmen, or commoners in the British society which has shaped the free press in other democratic countries like the United States and the Philippines.
As Harvard University explains, “the existence of a unfettered and independent press within each nation is essential in the process of democratization, by contributing towards the right of freedom of expression, thought and conscience, strengthening the responsiveness and accountability of governments to all citizens, and providing a pluralist platform and channel of political expression for a multiplicity of groups and interests.”
Even former President Obama admitted that while he enjoyed working with the Press that has covered his presidency in eight years, he did not necessarily enjoyed the way stories about the White House had been filed, and yet he continued to treat the Press with respect, cognizant of the critical role the Fourth estate plays in America.
In his last press conference, Obama told journalists covering the White House:
“You’re not supposed to be fans, you’re supposed to be skeptics, you’re supposed to ask me tough questions. You’re not supposed to be complimentary, but you’re supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power and make sure that we are accountable to the people who sent us here, and you have done that.”
Obama then went on to thank and honor the press by explaining how the news media have been pushing and helping public servants like him to be honest, to work harder, to think about how they are doing their job and whether or not they are able to deliver on what’s been requested by their constituents.
“America needs you and our democracy needs you. We need you to establish a baseline of facts and evidence that we can use as a starting point for the kind of reasoned and informed debates that ultimately lead to progress,” he said.
“And so my hope is is that you will continue with the same tenacity that you showed us, to do the hard work of getting to the bottom of stories and getting them right and to push those of us in power to be the best version of ourselves and to push this country to be the best version of itself.”
Unfortunately, this is not how the newly sworn-in 45th president of the United States regards the press, neither does the president of the Philippines. In many cases, they both have demonized journalists who were just doing their job— asking questions, debunking statements, holding elected and appointed public officials accountable to the people.
However, while these are part of their responsibilities as journalists and are in fact protected by the Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, leaders like Trump and Duterte demonize journalists and cannot not handle criticisms against them for their actions and their characters. They are friendly and accommodating to those who sing praises for them and agree with almost everything they say and do.
AND SO I hope Presidents Trump and Duterte will deeply discern about their attitudes toward the press, which in this day and age, also covers social media and the responsible expression of opinion of ordinary citizens. This is an important key to protecting and strengthening our democracies in the U.S. and back home in the Philippines.
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
