SINAMPOLAN
Just got home from an all night TGIF gimmick with network news colleagues and the first thing I did was read my morning papers. I felt really guilty that I partied all night not knowing that the blogosphere’s “in crisis” or “under attack”.
Such bad news: “IN A LEGAL FIRST, A QC JUDGE ISSUES TRO ON PCIJ BLOG”
(here’s an excerpt of the bad news…)
“…..IN compliance with the order of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC), the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has removed from this blog a post, dated August 12, 2005, describing the background and credentials of Jonathan Tiongco, the audio expert presented the same day by Environment Secretary Michael Defensor in order to question the authenticity of the “Hello Garci” recording…..”
“….This is the first legal action, and the first TRO, issued against a blog in the Philippines…..”
(read entire item in this PCIJ blog entry)
Just two weeks ago, I was among journalist bloggers in a summit organized by the PCIJ and we were all rejoicing and celebrating the possibilities that the medium is offering media practitioners. We all agreed that Saturday that the freedom blogging offers us, should be nurtured and partnered with responsibility.
Yes, it was clear that bloggers were bent on finding ways to shun abuse. To stop the posting of lies and propaganda. To adhere to known journalistic ethics. To apply them in our blogs.
We were bent on policing our ranks.
And now, we get this “legal first”. Sinampolan ang PCIJ, but it can’t be denied that this is an attempt to “police” all of us who are in the blogosphere.
We don’t need this.
What’s next? A control over the activities inside the world wide web?
So please, visit the SAN JUAN GOSSIP MILLS blog and join us in sending letters.
Join us in preserving the constitutional right to freedom of expression.Look Whos Talking trailer
