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Spin masters for the new congress have generally portrayed it as a den of new politicians. This is not new. Previous Congress sessions have done likewise- to mixed results. But if the starry quality of the current session is any indication, the new congress has its work cut out for itself. It cannot afford to fail because it has practically covered all bases, including the media. But what’s new about the new Congress is not exactly new. Then, as now, politicians hogged the limelight with flair and publicity stunt. The only difference is that while before they huffed and puffed to pander to the media, nowadays they settle themselves in the comfort zone of the television studio, made to look glamorous by makeup men and hairstylists, and act out or enunciate their lines before the cameras. The others have newspaper columns with fancy logos or titles and their own digitally enhanced photographs where they can at east appear serious and authoritative even in their commentaries are not.

In short, politicians have not only invaded the media, they have conquered them.

Time was when journalists pounded the beat and wrote hardhard-hitting stories that became their ticket to the political big time. That was the case of Claro M. Recto, Lope K. Santos Amado Hernandez and even Ninoy Aquino Jr. Now, it appears that politicians use elective posts to gain air time or column space in the media.

We exaggerate, of course. Ambitious politicians generally prefer making it big first in the media using their popularity as a catapult to win elective posts. Television and movie actors who have parlayed their popularity into votes have become models of political success, particularly for wannabe politicians.

The denizens of show buisiness have shown that in the imperfect democracy that is the Philippines’, all that one has to do is look handsome or pretty, act tough or cute before the camera, and wait for the movie box- office, TV ratings and election returns to ring merrily. As a result, they have won legions of fans among our politicians who have become masters at aping the stars.

Not everyone can look as glamorous as the stars, but even politicians can dream, can’t they?

Media in Government

But we are not concerned here with the entertainment media, but the news media. We are concerned about the lawmakers and government officials who take on the mantle of newsmen and public affairs commentators, blurring the distinction between the government and the press, between the watched and the watchdog, the hounded and the hound. We are talking about Blas Ople, Franklin Drilon, Gregorio Honasan, Rene Cayetano, Noli de Castro, Loren Legarda and several other legislators, who have television and radio shows or newspaper columns.

Their example shows their woeful disregard of the ethics of both press and public service. The press, because the institution calls for keeping a critical but conservative watch on government. And the public service, because elected officials are required to work full time in the interest of the people, setting aside all distractions, including media appearances and opportunities to profit from such.

People expect a relatively more demanding deportment of members of the news media as they do of elective officials. The print media, for instance, have a strict code of ethics which, while more honored in the breach than in the compliance, with the utmost dignity and dedicated regard for the public good. Some sectors of the broadcast media require from their news anchors and readers not to appear in commercials and trivialize their image. In contrast, we have the case, for instance, of Legarda, who not only has held on to her media ties while occupying an elective seat, but also appears in a detergent commercial.

Clearly, much I required of members of the news media. They should have the skill and the critical acuity to gather and process information as well as dispense with honest and properly balanced opinion. Much is also required of elective officials who have to craft legislation based on the needs and interests of the people. Our lawmakers and other officials cannot be both in media and in government. They only do so by exhibiting indifference to ethics.

The SHOW

Philippine Daily Inquirer Opinion
May 12, 2003

http://www.inq7.net/opi/2003/may/12/opi_editorial-1.htm

THE ILLUSTRATION that accompanied last Thursday's front-page cartoon story hit the nail on the proverbial head.

The news that first-term senator and broadcaster Noli de Castro had topped the latest Pulse Asia survey of possible presidential candidates -- actually, he was in a statistical tie with former education secretary Raul Roco -- drew a pointed rejoinder in black and white.

In the word balloon drawn beside the likeness of De Castro, who is known for his "Magandang gabi, bayan" opening line, the artist wrote, "Gabi na, bayan!"
And so it is. It is late in the day for the country's democratic project. Ninety-six years after the first nationwide elections, almost 68 years since the drafting of the 1935 Constitution, nearly 57 years since the birth of the Third Republic, more than 17 years since the restoration of democracy-surely enough time has passed, enough experience has been gained, for the Filipino people to know that mere popularity is not enough qualification for elective office. And yet there are more celebrities in public office today than ever before.

In historian Daniel Boorstin's famous formulation, a celebrity is someone who is well-known for being well-known. In many countries, television is the primary celebrity-making factory, and the Philippines is no exception. Like the plot line of the average situation comedy, the reason is easy to follow. In the assembly lines of TV programming, content-hungry industries like entertainment and news converge.

In many cases, the product that comes off the line is pure celebrity: someone becomes well-known because he has appeared on the medium that makes people well-known, and he keeps appearing because he is now known for having appeared before. But because quality and character are at best secondary factors, what this vicious cycle means is that television has become the great equalizer. On TV, the mediocrity is on equal footing with the genius, the rich co-equal with the poor. They are both "content," and candidates for celebrity.

This explains the promiscuous TV-hopping of Rep. Imee Marcos in recent months. She has guested on variety shows, guest-hosted magazine shows, even guest-starred in a popular soap opera. She has also made herself available for news shows, script and sound bite conveniently at hand. Her game plan is obvious even to those who don't play the game. She wants to win a seat in the Senate, and is busy transforming herself from dictator's daughter and Ilocos Norte legislator into something altogether more potent: a celebrity. If she succeeds in her strategy, she will become the first Marcos (excepting the sham presidential election of 1981) to win national elective office in almost 34 years.

The reach and influence of television also explain the spate of well-produced TV commercials featuring Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, which started airing a few weeks ago. Reyes, the most influential ex-general since Fidel Ramos, is capitalizing on his ex-officio role as chair of the National Disaster Coordinating Council to win perception points. His strategy, however, is as transparent as Imee Marcos'. By emulating the advertising career of former defense chief Orlando Mercado, Reyes hopes to position himself for a run for a national office in a year's time.

Television's power to bring in the vote has been proven in spectacular fashion: in the last two elections, TV news anchors topped the Senate race. This explains why candidates and aspirants are ready to do just about anything to get on TV. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is casting a moist eye on the presidency, agreed to endorse a liquor in spite of his teetotaling ways, because of the media exposure. Sen. Juan Flavier, another member of the Moist Eye Club, is endorsing a multi-vitamin, for the same unhealthy reason. And so on, ad nauseam.

They all want to be on The Show -- our news and entertainment culture, as caught and magnified on the boob tube. I t is a shame that, at this late hour, many of us continue to mistake celebrity for political entrée. "Gabi na, bayan!" It is time for us to expect more from our political candidates than sheer name recall.