ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs Head Ging Reyes defended ABS-CBN on allegations of biased reporting.
During the Monday, July 6, hearing of the ABS-CBN franchise, Reyes assured Congress that while they are far from a perfect news organization, they are doing their best to be truthful and honest with their reporting.
“Since our return to [the] air in 1986, we have endeavored to perform our duty as a news organization. As professional journalists, we strive to keep biases in check and to report on newsworthy events and issues in an accurate, fair, and balanced manner,” Reyes said.
She also shared the mechanism that ABS-CBN News has put in place in order to address issues of inaccurate reporting
“At the company level, we have an independent network Ombudsman who receives, investigates, and makes recommendations on complaints against news personnel,” Reyes said.
Reyes also added that they have a journalist code of ethics at the division level so that all their reporters and journalists are guided by the “highest professional and ethical standards.”
“At the news division level, we have standards and news practices unit that likewise ensures our journalists adhere to our own code of ethics and observe the highest professional and ethical standards,” she added.
During the hearing, Cavite Rep. Boying Remula accused ABS-CBN of being unfair and biased on its own coverage of the franchise hearing.
As head of the News Department, Reyes refuted Remulla saying they have been fair in their coverage reporting on all the accusations hurled against the network and the network’s subsequent answers to it.
“Ilang beses po naming inilalabas ang mga highlights ng franchise hearing at lagi naroroon ang akusasyon sa ABS [at] ang sagot. Nando’n ang pinakamahahalagang bahagi na natatalakay sa ating mga hearings,” Reyes said.
Meanwhile, Reyes also shared their difficulty in gathering news after the network’s shutdown on May 5, but she said they continue to do their best to serve their viewers and give them timely information especially in this time of the pandemic.
“Sa kabila ng aming limitasyon dulot ng shutdown, sinisikap pa rin namin ipagpatuloy ang pagbabalita lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” she said.
“In the most trying of times we continue to deliver the news each day, knowing that doing so is an opportunity and a privilege not just to be a witness to history but to be a force for good,” she added.
