Gordon bats for foreign investments in RP media

by Edson C. Tandoc Jr. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100224-255118/Gordon-bats-for-foreign-investments-in-RP-media

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, Philippines—Lamenting that his “message” for the country has been underreported in the media, presidential candidate and Senator Richard Gordon said he was in favor of allowing foreign companies to own media outfits in the country.

Pushing to amend the Constitution, Gordon said that one of the amendments he would introduce would be relaxing the ban on foreign ownership of media companies.

He told the Philippine Daily Inquirer: "I would open up media for foreign participation so we will really have a competitive media."

Told that national interests might be compromised in the daily reporting, Gordon replied: “It will still be Filipinos who will write the stories.”
He said having international media companies in the country would also result in "better paid journalists" to help weed out corruption in the industry, adding that one of the bad practices that should be eliminated was the "AC-DC culture."

In journalism jargon, this term stands for "attack-collect, defend, collect," a practice where some crooked journalists extort money to stop attacking or start defending a news source.

Gordon added: “Our current leaders don’t demand excellence. The media don’t demand excellence. We don’t really have a free press. Whoever has the money plays the tune. Maybe not all the media, but certainly we all notice this.”

Gordon and his running mate Bayani Fernando went around towns and cities in Pangasinan, Bataan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija starting on Sunday until Wednesday.

But unlike in the out-of-town campaigns of the presidential candidates leading in recent surveys, no Manila-based reporter, except the Inquirer, covered the first three days of Gordon's four-day campaign caravan in Central Luzon.

Gordon campaigned in public markets and universities. He and Fernando also had a motorcade in Pangasinan where they displayed the "Optimus Prime" truck Fernando had designed. They also spoke at the Holy Angel University in Angeles City Wednesday morning.

Sought to elaborate on their “message," which he said had not been fully reported, Gordon said: “We want a better Philippines. We just don’t want to watch our neighbors and say they have overtaken us.”

He said: “If the message is delivered, more Filipinos will be able to address our problems by electing better leaders.”