During Donald Trump’s first public appearance since election night, several US TV networks took a break from their live coverage when the president concluded that the results were fabricated.
In a 17 minute-address, Trump insisted that Democrats were using “illegal votes” to “steal the election from us.” Furthermore, during his speech, he claimed that he is already “winning” the presidential race and that those were “legal votes” when in fact it is Democrat Joe Biden who is at the top spot. Trump claimed that Biden is only leading because of “illegal votes” which came in late.
When President Trump started ranting about how he is being “cheated”, several TV networks halted their live coverage due to the president’s false claims.
“OK, here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States but correcting the president of the United States,” said MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, as the network quickly ended its live coverage.
NBC and ABC News also stopped their live report on Trump.
CNN’s Jake Tapper described the banter of Trump as “lie after lie after lie about the election being stolen,” with no evidence, “just smears.”
“Sana All”
When several TV networks stopped their live report on Trump, some local journalists noticed how high their integrity regarding the spreading of the actual truth.
On Twitter, some local journalists and netizens who witnessed the interruption of the live coverage even compared Filipino journalists to American journalists.
Journalist Barnaby Lo tweeted, “This is how it’s done, PH media”, to show the difference between the level of uprightness of American and Filipino journalists.
This is how it’s done, PH media! https://t.co/gLxJizF6ay
— Barnaby Lo 吳宗鴻 (@barnabychuck) November 6, 2020
PhilStar editor, Prinz Magtulis tweeted, “So many lessons for Philippine media from US media’s coverage of their elections. Foremost I’ve seen so far is not to amplify allegations of poll fraud without evidence, and more than that, keep on stressing everything that’s happening is regular and typical of all elections”.
So many lessons for Philippine media from US media’s coverage of their elections. Foremost I’ve seen so far is not to amplify allegations of poll fraud without evidence, and more than that, keep on stressing everything that’s happening is regular and typical of all elections.
— Prinz Magtulis 프린즈 (@prinzmagtulis) November 6, 2020
Additionally, fighting disinformation is possible by not ignoring fact checks and by not being afraid to tell the truth.
“If you want to fight disinformation, you do it head on— you do not bury fact checks on a pile of untruths coming from people of prominence, just because of their prominence, you cancel lies from their mouths at the very headline of your story,” he added
If you want to fight disinformation, you do it head on— you do not bury fact checks on a pile of untruths coming from people of prominence, just because of their prominence, you cancel lies from their mouths at the very headline of your story.
— Prinz Magtulis 프린즈 (@prinzmagtulis) November 6, 2020
Some even praised the vigilance of US journalists who were not afraid to fact-check even the President of the United States.
ABS-CBN News Chief Ging Reyes wrote, “Fact checking at its quickest and best. Extreme Vigilance needed to guard against lies and disinformation.”
Fact checking at its quickest and best. Extreme Vigilance needed to guard against lies and disinformation. https://t.co/KAtxLHeUR2
— GING REYES (@gingreyes) November 6, 2020
The Philippines does have brave journalists who will stand for the truth no matter what. With the likes of Karen Davila and Christian Esguerra, they have the strength to call out and question any wrongdoing. However, instead of being praised for their efforts to spread the real truth, they only receive hate.
ABS-CBN journalist Karen Davila tweeted a video of President Trump being cut off by MSNBC news anchor with a caption of “WATCH: Imagine if we did this in the Philippines….”
Davila, who is known to ask hard-hitting questions is not new to receiving hate from supporters of those she interviews.
WATCH: Imagine if we did this in the Philippines…. https://t.co/lZs1RN6DAM
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) November 6, 2020
Journalist Ces Oreña-Drilon retweeted what columnist Gideon Lasco posted regarding the fact that there were indeed Filipino journalists who can do the same but were concerned about how their freedom is being withheld.
I second this. https://t.co/zeVRtNp3pf
— Ces Oreña-Drilon (@cesdrilon) November 6, 2020
Rappler CEO, Maria Ressa reminded journalists of their responsibility to fact-check and not just make mere assumptions.
“It’s a journalist’s responsibility to fact-check and spotlight the lie(s),” she tweeted.
It's a journalist's responsibility to fact-check and spotlight the lie(s). https://t.co/xSXd7SXg4n
— Maria Ressa (@mariaressa) November 6, 2020
ABS-CBN news reporter Mike Navallo tweeted the difference between US and PH media. While the American journalists are straightforward because they really did investigate, Most Filipino journalists are hesitant.
US President: I was cheated!
US media: False, unsubstantiated, illogical, non-sensicalPH President: Drug matrix
PH media: Umano’y drug matrix— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) November 6, 2020
The reason is that the media networks in the Philippines are afraid to tell the truth if it’s against the government.
“In the Philippines most media establishments if not all, are fearful of an angry & rude president going after them. Most will dare not correct nor call out any misinformation or fake news. They rather release all Duterte PR photos with Bong Go, including credit his name,” Twitter user @jvicious replied on Raffy Tima’s tweet.
In the Philippines most media establishments if not all, are fearful of an angry & rude president going after them. Most will dare not correct nor call out any misinformation or fake news. They rather release all Duterte PR photos with Bong Go, including credit his name.
— JV (@jvcious) November 6, 2020
In fact, what the Philippine media needs is complete independence from the government. Since journalists’ primary responsibility is to spread the truth, they must not have a fear that they’ll offend the government for what they’ve revealed.
