Squeezing the media EDITORIAL 02/19/2011

Squeezing the media

EDITORIAL

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02/19/2011
Shortly after former President Cory Aquino was seated in Malacañang, by virtue of an Edsa Revolt in 1986, the media in general went full yellow, protecting her to the core and reluctant to bring out the corruption going on. But there was at least one newspaper, The Daily Express, owned by sugar baron Roberto Benedicto, existing during the martial law reign of then President Ferdinand Marcos that turned opposition to Cory Aquino after the Revolt.

Cory, who claimed to uphold press freedom, promptly ordered the closure of The Daily Express, despite the pleas of the newspaper employees to buy the paper and operate it. Not a single mainstream yellow newspaper then during the year Cory Aquino was absolute dictator, having been the sole government and the sole law, criticized or denounced Cory Aquino for the very same thing Marcos did to the Manila Times and the Chronicle during the martial law years, when Marcos also wielded dictatorial powers. Worse, no yellow newspaper even fought against the closure of the opposition paper, if only over the principle of press freedom. Because freedom of the press is not only for the newspapers that are pro-administration, but those critical of the government..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110219com1.html