The thin line - #3: News and Commentary

Sang-ayon ako sa sinabi ng isang batikang mamahayag at propesor na si Crispin C. Maslog. “Opinion should be separated from news.” Pero sa nagbabagong trend kasi ng pagbabalita sa broadcast media, ‘tila na wala masyado ang makakapagbigay ng distinction sa kung ano ang binabalita sa mga isyung pinupuna. Wala bang boundary? Hmm…

Hindi na kasi ito ang panahon na karamihan sa mga newscast sa telebisyon pati na rin sa radyo ay bumibitaw ng mga tinatawag na straight news. As in puro balita lang na ibinabalita sa objektibong pamamaraan. Walang halo. Aniya, may mga pagkakataon kasi sa mga palatuntunang pambalitaan na laging may hirit na “side-comment” sa kada news item na dine-deliver. Halimbawa:

ISA ANG PATAY HABANG APAT NA KATAO PA ANG SUGATAN SA SALPUKAN NG MGA SASAKYAN SA EDA. (NAKU PO!) IYAN PO ANG IUULAT SA ATIN NI *NAME OF REPORTER*.

Kahit kasi sa mga simpleng ekspresyon tulad ng nakapaloob sa parenthesis, ay mahahalata mo na kung ano ang istilo ng balita. Kung ito ba ay isang objective o subjective. Kung walang halong emosyon ba (as in straight) o mayroon.

Siguro may nga natitira pa na mga straight newscast type of program dito sa media ng Pilipinas. Maliban pa iyan sa isang programa na pinapanood ko sa studio nun mismo. At yun pa ang panahon na nag-o-OJT ako sa isang istasyon sa Broadcast City at ang mga kaklase-slash-practicumer ko ay ang mga FD o Floor Director sa ilang mga pag-ere nun.

At siguro, kung hindi maiwasan an haluan ng komentaryo ang balita, dapat tularan nila ang isa sa mga newscast ngayon na may nilaang segment para ditto. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, “editoryal” yata ang tawag nila dun. Kasi kung ilalahad mo yan sa pagkatapos ng programa, well, malabo ang dating e.

Tama lang. dapat magakahiwalay ang balita sa opinion ng mga tagapagbalita. Kaya nga may mga commentary program, ‘di ba? Sa lakas at lawak kasi ng kapangyarihan ng mass media, e kaya nito impluwensiyan ang sinuman sa lipunan. Lagyan natin ng “thin line,” please?

Author: slickmaster | Date: 09/27/2012 | Time: 09: 46 p.m.

© 2012 september twenty-eight productions

The This-Is-a-Crazy-Planets Experience.

Yes, the title is right even if you argue that there’s something wrong with its last word. There’s a story behind that so make sure you at least reads that (or much better get a copy) before you make any prejudgments per se.

I was once curious on what the hell this book is all about when I first saw the post related to this book on a Facebook page.

Until one fateful day on January 2012, as I passed by at the National Book Store’s Superstore branch in Cubao Quezon City, Lourd’s book is something I noticed the most at one of its stands. Without thinking twice, I bought the copy.

I came home and ended up reading the entire piece in almost the entire day then.

“This is a Crazy Planets” is apparently a book of selected blog posts of the Radioactive Sago Project frontman-slash-TV personality Lourd Ernest H. de Veyra, all of his compiled write-ups can be seen at the website spot.ph dated 2009 to 2011.

As I read the book, few things come into my mind: it’s like… uhm, unexpectedly my imagination runs as if I’m visualizing that every single word that my mind utters, the Lourd speaks as if he’s on another Word Of The Lourd episode airing on either TV5 or YouTube.



He’s the real deal there. Without any trying hard tactics, he can impress everyone on how he can throw a hard-hitting line with a bit of humorous twist. And he speaks with a lot of sense, something that the world needs right now aside from doing any act of stupidity just to be famous. This guy? Well, can beat any shit out of there. Be it straight or sarcastic. He makes politics and current issues at least a not-so-boring one to talk to especially in the society where most of the people hate those said topics to be discussed (they can only resort to cuss anyway).

Some of the articles in his book are somehow worth the read for the 2nd, 3rd of the nth time, while the others is something that I can’t dig much, especially if it is against my beliefs as a person. But still, a good one to read.

A few days later, Summit Media organized an event related to his book. It’s a book-signing event actually held at SM Manila. I took advantage of the said event. Got my purchased copy and hurried at the mall on the event itself. I was on the 64th of the line containing more than a hundred book-signees and fans of the humorous commentary-maker. He read one of his works, “Ang Tunay Na Lalake, Walang Abs” before doing the main thing. And his numerous clips of TV interstitial Word Of The Lourd were playing on his background and even before the book-signing happening took place. He also signed copies of his other masterpieces Insectissimo! and Super Panalo Sounds, his books from UST Publishing.

I haven’t finished the event itself but it was a fulfilling experience seeing one of your present idols signing your copy of his book and meeting up his person. I could almost have a picture perfect moment with that man until one of the receptionists hit the camera on a wrong-timing basis, but it’s okay never the less.

And not to mention, a friend of mine was there, too by coincidence and alongside with a new-acquaint whom had almost the same ideology as I do. Nevertheless, it's nice.

My take on the book: 8 stars out of 10. If you are a fan of the mainstream bullshits, I highly recommend you to read his blog first before you think of purchasing this.

Author: slickmaster Date: 07/02/2012 Time: 11:20 am ©2012 september twenty-eight productions.