By: Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said yesterday that bloggers and other social media practitioners accredited to cover presidential and palace events should follow basic journalism ethics.
Andanar revealed that he has signed Department Order No. 15 or the interim social media practitioner accreditation allowing Filipino bloggers and social media practitioners who are at least 18-years-old with at least 5,000 followers to cover President Duterte.
Andanar, in an interview over DZMM, clarified that bloggers, who create original news content on a daily basis, will be accredited as such but not as journalists or reporters.
“We want to differentiate and give premium and respect to the industry. Tayo po ay media at ginugol natin ang ating panahon para maging reporter, nag-aral ng apat na taon,” Andanar said.
But even if that’s the case, the PCOO Secretary said bloggers should know the basic journalism ethics.
“Iba po iyong turing natin sa journalists, sa mga professionals, but we will encourage them to observe journalism ethics,” Andanar said.
“Pinaka-basic noon is iyong the right information, basic information, iyong when, where, what, who, how – iyong mga ganoon, kailangan po basic po iyon,” he added.
Most importantly, Andanar said the bloggers need to produce stories with accurate information or they will be in danger of not having accreditation for future events.
“We are fairly distinguishing kung ano po iyong roles ng journalists at kung ano po ang roles ng mga bloggers,” he said.
To enable them to cover events, they first need to apply for accreditation from the PCOO Social Media Office headed by Assistant Secretary Margaux Uson and another from the Presidential Security Group.
