hello world
Pat Ray M. Dagapioso December 4, 2009
Contemporary Issues in Philippine Politics Prof. Elaine M. Baulete
NEWSMAKERS: A Film Critic
If there is one instrument in the society that can be described as powerful, influential and dynamic, then it could never be anything less than the media. The mass media is such a powerful institution in the society even for the foremost purpose of transmitting news and information. Its influence centers on how it affects the people’s perception towards important events and personalities. Thus media’s colorful portrayal of a public figure is a prime consideration of how the public responds to that certain public figure’s actions. Newsmakers: The GMA News and Public Affairs Special (2008), details the lives and times of the past four presidents and one incumbent president of the republic. Further, Newsmakers documents how each president is portrayed in the media and conversely how the media sees the president during his/her term. Furthermore, the documentary feature offers an inside look of the highlights and lowlights of each president’s career. First of the presidents featured is the former strongman, Ferdinand Marcos. At the onset, Marcos was portrayed as a man full of ambition and talent, and the greatest of his ambitions is to become the president of the Republic of the Philippines. Media portrayed Marcos as intelligent, consciously aware of the law, and as a visionary of real and tangible development. Indeed the media was right, not only was Marcos a visionary, he did make his visions of the country stand and erected as massive infrastructures were implemented.
The pace of the documentary then shifted to the excesses, and the abuse of power on the part of Marcos and his family. It is of common knowledge that Marcos was implicated as the cause of the huge foreign debt the country is dreadfully facing. ‘Newsmakers’ then connected the abuses of the Marcoses with the lavish and Imeldific
Contemporary Issues in Philippine Politics Prof. Elaine M. Baulete
NEWSMAKERS: A Film Critic
If there is one instrument in the society that can be described as powerful, influential and dynamic, then it could never be anything less than the media. The mass media is such a powerful institution in the society even for the foremost purpose of transmitting news and information. Its influence centers on how it affects the people’s perception towards important events and personalities. Thus media’s colorful portrayal of a public figure is a prime consideration of how the public responds to that certain public figure’s actions. Newsmakers: The GMA News and Public Affairs Special (2008), details the lives and times of the past four presidents and one incumbent president of the republic. Further, Newsmakers documents how each president is portrayed in the media and conversely how the media sees the president during his/her term. Furthermore, the documentary feature offers an inside look of the highlights and lowlights of each president’s career. First of the presidents featured is the former strongman, Ferdinand Marcos. At the onset, Marcos was portrayed as a man full of ambition and talent, and the greatest of his ambitions is to become the president of the Republic of the Philippines. Media portrayed Marcos as intelligent, consciously aware of the law, and as a visionary of real and tangible development. Indeed the media was right, not only was Marcos a visionary, he did make his visions of the country stand and erected as massive infrastructures were implemented.
The pace of the documentary then shifted to the excesses, and the abuse of power on the part of Marcos and his family. It is of common knowledge that Marcos was implicated as the cause of the huge foreign debt the country is dreadfully facing. ‘Newsmakers’ then connected the abuses of the Marcoses with the lavish and Imeldific