Unnecessary

The Department of Health – apparently caving to pressure from big media – has gone ahead and released the names of the doctors and nurses involved in the Black Suede incident. Did they have to?

The other day, Ted Failon didn’t make attempt to hide his disgust at the person he was interviewing who refused to divulge the names of the docs and nurses involved. He kept saying that since the names had been submitted to the DOH, they were “of public record” and therefore, fair game. Which is ironic because, just a few minutes before he sneered at that guest, Ted Failon was criticizing the government’s practice of parading suspects in orange t-shirts – in some cases, even before they’ve been charged.

And yet today, Ted Failon mock solemnly announced the names of the doctors and nurses, before they had been found guilty of anything. Exactly like the practice he was deriding. I would have hoped that he would choke on the irony of what he was doing, but that man is oblivious to his own faults.

Like anyone in his right mind, I was disturbed by that video – apart from the gross-out factor. I was disturbed by the idea that in that moment of utter vulnerability, people could ridicule you with complete impunity, and hold you up to the entire world for ridicule. That’s just not right.

But equally wrong is this pervasive practice of parading people before the bar of public opinion even before they’ve had a chance to go through due process. Media should really do something about policing their ranks. Unfortunately, it seems that too many media practitioners simply relish the idea of their being part of an alternative justice system; one that condemns without due process, and very rarely apologizes for murdering reputations unjustifiably.

Or is that just ABS-CBN? LOL.

Filed under: journalism, musings, Quick Posts, black suede, media