Career Research May 09, 2019

THE JOURNALISTIC PRACTICE OF AUTONOMY

by Shanin Kyle C. Manuel

Professional autonomy in journalism involves the ability of journalists to create stories in

the absence of pressures. This practice of autonomy rests on internal and external influences,
whether a journalist works under a mainstream or alternative press. I classify internal factors as
the personal beliefs and values and the external as private control of media ownership and public
control of the government. Specifically when a journalist works under a mainstream press, he or
she is likely to report or publish stories that are aligned with the agenda of the media corporation.
There are cases where they are asked to write specific-industry contents such as featuring
personalities, events, and ideas, which are susceptible to pressures from the government and
advertisers. Hence, they are expected to distance their personal views from the articles they are
writing. The overall content of articles can be controlled by both the government and editors by
changing the tone of stories and deciding which should be published or not. Supervisors and desk
editors select aspects to be highlighted through agenda-setting. On the other hand, the
government can advance its interests to the articles published by mainstream media outlets.
Journalism in the alternative press shows a different perspective. Unlike in the mainstream,
journalists and content creators are less concerned with profit or the popular demand. The
absence of public and private control gives them autonomy in writing or reporting stories of their
own. They are free to express their views and opinions, especially on issues of public concern
such as corruption in the government, marginalization in the grassroots, political activism, and so
forth. They can become less fence-sitters by giving specific angle to a headline or article.
However, this autonomy carries serious challenges such propaganda war, journalist killings, and
impunity. For instance, the government’s strategic way of counter-balancing the criticisms is filing
libel charges against them. This issue, nonetheless, does not only extend to the alternative press
but also to the mainstream press. The influence of our government to the journalistic practice of
autonomy is likely to justify that although the Philippines has one of the freest press, it is also one
of the dangerous countries for journalism.