THE College Editors Guild (CEG) has condemned the proposal for state regulation and licensing of journalists in both print and broadcast media.
CEG National President Jose Mari Callueng asked Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian and other lawmakers who want to “professionalize” journalism to reconsider supporting a proposal that actually looms as a Sword of Damocles over a “free and untrammeled press”.
Callueng said, “Regulating the media profession is a misguided attempt to address the proliferation of malicious and fabricated information on the Internet, particularly on social media.”
Callueng noted that newspapers, as well as radio and television news programs, are governed by professional rules and ethics that set the parameters for the conduct of journalists in the print and broadcast industry.
“First of all, the Constitution explicitly states that ‘No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances’ [Section 4, Article III of the Philippine Constitution]. This constitutional freedom guarantees our right to freely utter and publish our thoughts without prior restraint, so long as it is found not injurious to a third person with a right recognized by law, or is not contrary to law,” Callueng argued.
“The rationale behind this inalienable freedom of speech is not only to protect an individual’s right but also to give the public at large the duty to speak out and criticize the state whenever it abuses the citizenry, or violates the Constitution. Without this right, there can never be any platform for the people to dissent or even form opinion on pressing issues faced by the country,” he added.
“Hence, legally speaking, a proposal to ‘professionalize the journalism industry’ is contrary to the highest law of the land. The proposal infringes on the people’s right to know and impart what someone deems to be necessary and correct. It also smothers our moral and intellectual development,” Callueng added.
“Moreover, a state-sponsored regulatory body designed to ‘weed out incompetent and unethical journalists’ is, in itself, prior restraint. This body will inflict upon the press the standards based on the biases and sensibilities of lawmakers,” Callueng warned.
“Journalism is a noble profession, and it practices at the highest code of ethics that goes beyond serving the interests of any individual, group, or even the government for that matter. It is a principled profession that aims to air the voices of the unheard; it is public service that one puts effort on, even at the expense of his or her own life, to deliver what must be known about the society’s crises. The only license journalists need to practice their profession comes from people’s mandate to tell the truth and make it prevail,” Callueng said.