By JUDE BAGGO
www.nordis.net

Our TV screens and airwaves are filled daily with news on the squabbling of high profile politicians and celebrities, about wanton corruption, sensationalize crimes, skyrocketing prices of basic commodities and state neglect. Mainstream media present news with much bravado complete with the excessive coverage, airtime, glossy magazine covers, trending hash tags to an extent that the Filipino public wants to vomit already. It is designed to “explore” and “expose” anything and everything; unfortunately just not the important things that are beneficial to the people. In the end TV ratings, the amount of magazines sold and the amount of text votes garnered per talent show contestant reminds us of the tremendous amount of money involved in the mainstream media. That really, it is nothing without us, the Filipino public.

On the other hand is the coverage of people’s issues on the ground especially for the marginalized; urban poor, women, indigenous peoples, fisher folks, peasants and other sectors is extremely inadequate, lacking depth and substance. Burning issues of militarization, development aggression, displacement of communities, union busting, violence against women and other issues of the people were not even reported and are more often plagued with cases of misrepresentation.

More often mainstream media coverage lack in-depth analysis, perspectives and grass roots response or solutions wherein the poor and marginalized are further pushed into the edge. Unfortunately amidst all the money involved in the mainstream media, it does not contain the stories of the masses.

This shatters the façade of the Philippine media as “the most free and democratic in Asia” as claimed by the Aquino administration. It refutes the statement that “mainstream media is unbiased”. Its biases are loud and clear and it is not always for the Filipino people.

As a result, it creates an atmosphere of hopelessness and pessimism. It fails to educate and raise the capacity of the public to understand the things that matter most. Instead it creates a citizenry that is quick to judge and quick to forget, passive, and apathetic reminiscent of “Juan Tamad” who waits for miracles to happen. It is indeed alarming on how much depoliticized the Filipino public has become. Then we ask, who benefits from a depoliticized public? Who is afraid of a critical and vocal Filipino citizenry?

The answer is simple. Mainstream media are owned and controlled by big capitalists. This situation is not by accident; rather it is designed by those who benefit from an unequal society that thrives from living off the hard work of the poor majority. It is the same people who own big corporations, vast agricultural lands, elected into office who wants to stay in power. It is also the same powerful minority who own and use major media outfits in maintaining and spreading its views and biases. Naturally, they will use anything and everything to maintain their power and gain more wealth. Through mainstream media outfits, they employ thousands of overworked and underpaid employees to parrot their propaganda. Indeed, a critical and vocal Filipino public will be harmful to their business and political aspirations.

In this situation we can’t help but ask, who must the media serve? Who must be the hero/heroine of its stories? Whose bias must it represent? It must serve the Filipino public, the poor, toiling majority of the masses whose rights were violated by the state repeatedly. The media must take the side of the oppressed and propagate their problems, actions and solutions.

In a situation wherein the rich and powerful control the main avenues of expression, the people have no choice but to do something. That is why we have alternative media (altermidya).

Altermidya traces its tradition and historical roots from the time of colonization as the voice of the people. It carries and champions the issues and aspirations of the people through difficult times. To name a few are newspaper La Solidaridad and novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are considered alternative media banned by the priests and the Spanish government. Even the Katipunan had its own publication Kartilya. During the Martial Law years, most of the newspapers went underground such as The Manila Times¸ Philippine Free Press and even collegiate publications like Philippine Collegian, Outcrop, Mt. Collegian and White and Blue. It played a significant role in arousing the consciousness of the Filipino public to kick out oppressors and strive for genuine social change.

Altermidya continues to flourish, to offer in-depth analysis; alternative and progressive political, social, economic, and cultural views; provides options and solutions to the issues affecting the people. It seeks to educate and empower people. It provides democratic space for the marginalized majority that was ignored by the mainstream.

As umili who belong to these marginalized sectors, we should support and popularize altermidya as our vehicle to propagate people’s issues, struggles and campaigns. Writing and popularizing our grassroots experiences and struggles will strengthen and provide hope and as example for other communities pursuing social change. We must exert effort in finding and using more forms of altermidya and support existing ones. We have the alternative newspapers Nordis and Pinoy Weekly as examples. We have also online altermidya such as Bulatlat Online, Pinoy Weekly and more. There are also radio stations and radio programs that provide alternative views, opinions and provide more air time.

We can help popularizing these altermidya by using them as references. Organizational publications are also considered altermidya which we can use and popularize. Online, we can like and share the stories and pictures of the people. We can also write for alternative newspapers aside from buying and selling them. We can use hash tags containing important calls and advocacies. Though altermidya is challenged by limited resources, limited manpower and access to technology, we can overcome them by soliciting grass roots support in ways that mainstream media cannot.

Borrowing from a line from the International Festival of People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS) of 2012 we should – “Paint the struggle! Write the struggle! Sing the struggle! Broadcast the struggle! Act the struggle! Film the struggle! Dance the struggle!” With these, the toiling masses will prevail in forwarding genuine social change. # nordis.net

Written with contribution of Cielo Marie Bayson of Cordillera Youth Center.