DID PDI STASH ITS ETHICS IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS?
The Philippine Daily Inquirer did it again. In our last evaluation of the PDI, and its failure to follow the Society of Professional Journalism’s “Code of Ethics,” we were at least a little hopeful that they would do the ethical thing and acknowledge many of their failures with their attack-article on the INC. Our hope was unjustified.
Does posing the title of an article in the form of a question exonerate the writer from having to prove the claims of his piece? If that were the case, then every insult and accusation known to man could be hurled with no repercussions if posed in the form of a question.
The main character now in their new story is a person very familiar with all who have been keeping up with the news. Isaias Samson, Jr. is another “disgruntled ex-employee” but with an even bigger chip on his shoulder than Vincent Florida. The case he filed with the Department of Justice, in which he made numerous claims against the INC, was thrown out because it lacked “an iota of evidence.” And what does the PDI give him as a reward? Front page headlines where he once again makes numerous claims with, yet again, not even “an iota of evidence.”
Does the fault here lie with PDI reporter TJ Burgonio for not verifying any of Samson’s statements and for not asking him any difficult questions, including questioning his motives? Or perhaps are we seeing an “obedient” employee following dutifully a newspaper policy with a hidden agenda tied yet again to powerful friends with unethical interests?
