The gods of Philippine Media and the Displacement of Media Workers

 

 It's not just a job or a name, to be profiteered.

In the Philippines, press freedom is a highly-vaunted democracy hallmark, even the ordinary spreaders of mass media claim to have and hold.    It is liberty that takes its root from stories of inequality and the springing of ideals of a genuine media raring to be heard.

Many years after Edsa 1, the proliferation of media companies came with utmost freedom that even smaller media outfits were born to bolster the newsstands with daily issues in printed form. But the back story of every media company is how it creates its own, from the hiring and how it retains its “press ideals” in order to protect the rights of its workers pursuing true expression of opinion and balanced news.

In the very industry where writers and media practitioners are divided by purpose—a practice of  profession; a pursuit of entitlement or a commercial venture for the profit of select investors- there exists selective favor among the employees that begin way before actual employment. 

How an employee is hired including how writers are chosen, is a standardized process but could have leaning for select individuals. The question to ask is who is to benefit from the applicant the most? Is it an immediate need to be sought or to further the interest of an old-timer in a media corporation or of the owner; the Editor-in-Chief or the stable of editors. Thus, the one at the end of the hiring process would have to deal with the challenges of working in a company with a conglomerate of interests.  The same reason employees dare not ask for additional incentives or demand stability of employment is that they know they would not be heard or favored.  The method of selection can be unmindful of the fact that some media practitioners could have a more straight-on degree and have taken lifelong training to make it far in the industry.  

But this should not be the case.

Another issue faced by writers that can spell a bleak future for them is that copyrights may not even matter to the company.  Thus, for a writer, the actual inequality and injustice begin with how the copyrights and the byline is used and published, by the media company. 

A writer’s byline can be placed and used by the employer, without assurance of continued exclusivity of use by the writer, Since this issue is never discussed and is gently swept under the rug within a team who comprises an influential facet of a media company.  

THIS PRACTICE HOWEVER DOES NOT EQUATE TO WHETHER IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PRACTITIONER TO NOT OWN HIS/HER RIGHTS TO USE A NAME, FULLY AND EXCLUSIVELY, INCLUDING NAME USE IN BYLINE.  WHEREAS A RIGHT TO BYLINE AND TO HAVE COPYRIGHTS MUST GO BEYOND THE TENURE OF EMPLOYMENT EVEN IF THIS GOES LESS OF A  PRIORITY THAN THE RIGHT TO PUBLICITY.   

Going back to job-hunting in the media industry, relatives of media practitioners who manage to get in or who have been “hanging” embedded in the workplace, those whose name has been deeply ingrained due to longevity of service, could get better benefits than media practitioners who do not have a backer, political recommendation or clout. 

The “kakilalas of the kakilala system”, (In English: “I know so and so…”) opening statement when applying for a job, is a conditional but shorter way to get in.  The old-timers may totally want this for easy hiring and better  attitude that can be exacted from the team to work, to their advantage. The debt of gratitude from the “kakilala” is never spoken of but is expected to be observed.

And this favor must be shown without the need to elaborate further. Thus, those who pass through the backdoor of employment ultimately have the recommender’s interest in hindsight, afraid to lose an opportunity or job. While the solo flight writer continues to grip this old system that treats writers like unwanted employees, as solo flights who are hired because they’re waif-ed enough to be young or capable to attract advertising.  

Sometimes the name of a would-be applicant is a precursor for employment. If one has a familiar-sounding name of a politician, a celebrity, or someone with enough prestige to be given space or work,  then heaven is well-bent for that doe-eyed practitioner —who can now brag about being in media even, if one has been trained and learned from a different industry or line of work. 

This slimming of lines across industries to come up with an ensemble of writers and staff to form a media company is ideal for the Editor-In-Chief and the media owner.

But this method of selection may not always be fair to the aggregate well-being of common employees or applicants who want a fair share of chance in working for the industry.

WHEN TAKING A BREAK FROM MEDIA WORK WHAT AWAITS THE MEDIA WORKER

At times, old workers of media companies, when deciding on a hiatus from work, would no longer find a vacancy in the same media industry. This is due to a lack of available jobs or preferential attitudes towards hiring newer, younger applicants; and that leaning toward a “landed” professional who could work for better profits or polish a media brand.

The problem with inequality, and bias in the staff selection process, which centers on separating the  “distinguished” from the generic names is that, talent and work experience can take a backseat to favor names with recall.

To frankly state, the work experience and the need for employment of a media worker may not be considered by hiring personnel.  Thus, the success rate for being employed by a media company whether as an old-timer or newcomer is very slim. Further this with the impact of politics in business and business in politics which can also play against writers. This was the reality then, and this is still the same speak for an old-timer. 

Mass Comm practitioners have a losing edge in getting a job in the same industry, as they have to compete for the same slots that Journalism Grads, Organization Communication degree holders, and Political Science graduates also compete for. This is aside from the fact that only the graduates from the top three schools are mostly entertained, even at the first level of resume screening for media employees.

Ultimately as mentioned earlier, the only number 1 consideration for accepting an applicant for a specific media position is based on a lot of considerations but not without inequality and bias in the hiring phase.

Many writers who manage to hold on to a job in a media company, no matter what competence one has, may not necessarily benefit from the same profession.  Writers’ benefits are conditional and mostly unavailable. There is no insurance benefits, allowances, miscellaneous or travel budgets; or even bonuses that can be made available to the writer/ employee. Unless one is well-connected to the gods of the media industry.

The gods of the media industry are those who hide behind the tables of their positions, unperturbed by the challenges of employment security and company policies. But they can be satisfied enough to stay because they benefit from their connections or status gratifications. 

In an industry loaded with bias and where kinship and patronage are highly-practiced,  Philippine writers are in a dearth of opportunities no matter what age or civil status they are in.  Thus, the old adage that press freedom is an inviolable right may not always have a positive connotation when the very rights of writers and workers in the media industry are themselves, not free to practice having a profession. Or be secured once and for all to enjoy gainful employment.

This is made possible by the padrino system that is observed by the beso-beso-loving advertising executives; the unmoved editors;  and by the strategizing EIC or media executive who value profits more to cause the demeaning of talented writers who are the more truly passionate media practitioners.

 

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