EDITORIAL - Misunderstanding media’s role

In case you missed it, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has filed libel and cyber libel lawsuits against several news outlets that made public the charges against him, businessman Dennis Uy, and several others for alleged graft in relation to the sale of the Malampaya gas-to-power project.

In filing the cases against seven media outlets as well as 17 writers and editors, Cusi said he was defending the honor of his family, as well as that of other people who faithfully serve their countrymen, but were instead made targets of unfair and baseless charges of corruption.

"I am filing these cases to protect their integrity, to support and honor them, to defend my family's honor, and to send a strong message that there is a fair and humane way to settle misunderstanding and differences without resorting to malicious news reporting," Cusi was quoted as saying.

Therein lies the rub. Malicious news reporting? What malice does Cusi see in a news outlet that is only doing its job? What malice does Cusi see in a news outlet reporting something that actually happened? In this case the filing of charges in court by three respondents against Cusi and several others for alleged graft.

Perhaps if the news outlets said he was already guilty, then there would be malice. Perhaps if they had written that he had stinky armpits, then there would be malice. But there can be no malice if a news outlet only reports that something took place. The story involving Cusi et al being charged in court may involve prominent people and a huge government agency, but it is actually no different from a common stabbing story or a common accident story in the fact that it happened and there were verifiable records to show that it did.

If Cusi is worried he will not get the chance to air his side regarding the graft cases, he need not be; he can defend himself in court.

In case Cusi doesn’t understand it, the role of the media is to report what happened, and in this instance that’s exactly what it did, no more, no less, and definitely with no malice.