I know of some ‘legit journs’ who are equally corrupt

By Alex P. Vidal

“Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.” – Karl Kraus

IT’S understandable for some of our media colleagues to jump the gun on the five bogus Manila journalists (the four only actually acted as “bagmen”) led by a social media madcap, Franco Mabanta, for “shaming” the media profession after being arrested by the NBI in a sting operation for alleged extortion on May 6.

The venal and mercenaries weren’t even legitimate members of the working press, but many online platforms, newspapers and TV networks identified 43-year-old Mabanta as “media executive” and his cohorts—including the Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) charlatans—as “(digital) media commentators.”

The word “media” was a slammer.

For many ordinary people, Mabanta and his ilk were real journalists or dyed-in-the-wool news/commentary anchors.

Normal news listeners and readers, after all, don’t (have time to) distinguish between mainstream professional reporters and social media influencers who act as political paid hacks. All colors agree in the dark.

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Thus, the revulsion from the ranks of the mainstream press what with the breathtaking NBI entrapment operation turning into a swashbuckling nationwide blockbuster event.

The holier-than-thou among us naturally cried foul: “We (the legitimate press) worked hard and protected our reputation over the years only to be destroyed in scandalous degree by the likes of Mabanta, et al?”

For a while, it became a sweeping black eye on the media industry as a whole—until legitimate journalists started to quickly correct the “false” impression Mabanta, et al and the real working press are one and the same.

The striking narrative is, “you’re not one of us, of course, that’s why you are corrupt, or that’s why you are capable of doing extortion activity.”

As if all legitimate journalists are pristine and immaculate as Caesar’s wife while all pseudo-journalists like Mabanta, et al are filthy like manholes.

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The bad news is Mabanta, et al don’t have the monopoly of infamy they had brought themselves into.

There are also scoundrels in the ranks of active or regular media, and they’re as guilty as the ones they dread calling “our colleagues” like the embattled PGMN dregs.

Based on personal knowledge and experience, we know a lot of broadcast and print media thugs who operated (and are still operating) worse than Mabanta, et al.

The only difference is the amount involved in larceny. But whether the ripoff amounted to P300 million or P3,000, it’s still plain and simple extortion.

This identity crisis, or the sweeping generalization of the legit and fake ones, is what we have been worrying about ever since media technology evolved over the years and morphed into a giant octopus with mind-boggling tentacles. Confusing and unstoppable.

The assertion that some legitimate journalists are as corrupt as “bogus” or unethical journalists, meanwhile, is a subjective, heavily debated statement that cannot be classified simply as correct or incorrect.

It is a matter of perspective on media ethics.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)