Perspectives on the Integrity of Philippine TV News Programs

1. PERSPECTIVES OF VIEWERS ON THE INTEGRITY OF PHILIPPINE TELEVISION NEWS PROGRAMS CHARLENE E. LUNA LEODIL P. MICABAO MARK CHRISTIAN JEFFERSON B. TUAZON SAIDAMIN P. BAGOLONG

2. SULTAN HASANAL BOLKIAH GRAND MOSQUE COTABATO CITY STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

3. Background • Television is the most prominent source of entertainment in the Philippines and is swiftly displacing radio as the nation’s foremost source of news and information. This form of media has lately gone into an astonishing development in other extents of the world. • Perceived integrity of news presenters, news content and interviewed sources were hypothesized to influence integrity perceptions of TV News Programs (Dumdum & Garcia, 2011).

4. Background • Media integrity refers to the ability of media outlet to serve the public interest and democratic process, making it resilient to institutional corruption within the media system (Lessig, 2013), economy of influence, conflicting dependence and political clientelism. • It encompasses qualities of a media outlet like independence from private or political interests, transparency about own financial interests, commitment to journalism ethics and standards and responsiveness to citizens.

5. Background • It is in this context that the researchers were motivated to determine the perspectives of viewers on the integrity of Philippine televisions news programs. • To find out the significant difference of the viewers’ perceived integrity of the Philippine TV News Programs when analyzed according to socio-demographics.

6. Framework • This study is based on three known theories related to media integrity. The first is an integrity concept where media industry with high integrity is an important advantage. This suggests that in a period of doubt, with a diversity of sources contending for audience attention, the consumption of information for opportunistic gain, political impact, commercial welfare, or even sociopolitical control is prevalent(Bakir and Barlow, 2007). • Second, the Theory of Uses and Gratification by Blumler and Katz (1974), which explains and suggests that the viewers are active participants in the communication proceedings. They selected media texts to gratify their own intentions - such as the need for information, individuality, integration, social communication, or entertainment. 　　　　 • The last theory examines the long-term effects of television, the cultivation theory states that the more time people spend living in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television (Cohen and Weimann, 2000).

7. Method • This study utilized the descriptive-survey method as part of using quantitative research. • A total of 150 respondents was randomly selected from the three most populous urban barangays in Davao City, the Bucana, Buhangin and Talomo Poblacion. • The research instrument utilized in this study was the researcher-made survey questionnaire. • For valid reliable interpretation of data, statistical treatments using mean and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were employed.

8. Findings • Level of Integrity of the Philippine TV News Programs in terms of News Presenters, News Content, and Interviewed Sources by the Viewers • Based on results, indicator on news presenters integrity obtained high mean. This denotes that the respondents see the news presenters as exercising the elements of timeliness, professional competence, fair and balance, accuracy, and ethics. • On the other hand, news content indicator has the lowest mean which indicates that the respondents see news contents to have precise and accurate information, to be easily understood, freed from political bias and commentary, respects persons’ privacy and organized in a well-structured manner. • The overall mean suggests that news presenters, news content and the interviewed sources have great and significant contribution in measuring the integrity of Philippine TV news programs, as respondents assessed.

9. Findings • Significant difference in the level of integrity of Philippine TV News Programs when analyzed in terms of Sex, Age and Educational Attainment • The null hypothesis is accepted which implies that there is no significant difference at all on the basis of the level of integrity between news contents when analyzed in terms of sex. This means that respondents do not affect the way they assess the content of the news reports. • Based on the results, clearly all indicators got an accepted null hypotheses, meaning, there is no significant difference. This entails that respondents’ different ages do not directly signify their various views and perception in evaluating the integrity of the Philippine TV news programs, hence, do not rely on their ages. • Respondents’ educational attainments affect their critical evaluation in analyzing the level of integrity among the news contents and interviewed sources. Hence, the null hypothesis is accepted. This implies that the educational attainment of a person affects on how he/she understands and interprets the integrity of Philippine TV news program.

10. Conclusion • Upon analysis of the data gathered, the researchers conclude that the level of integrity of Philippine TV news programs as perceived by the viewers depend of the news presenters. • To have integrity in the media would mean to be ethical, accurate, balanced, fair, timely, and competent in delivering the news. • Similarly, there is a significant difference between the level of integrity of Philippine TV news programs when it comes to news presenters and interviewed sources as analyzed according to respondents’ sex and educational attainment. • Respondents firmly believed that males and females have different perceptions on evaluating the integrity of Philippine TV news programs and educational attainment may affect their individual perceptions towards evaluating the integrity of Philippine TV news programs.

11. References Dumdum, Omar O., and Ma. Criselda A. Garcia. "Casting credibility: Patterns of audience assessment of TV news programs." Plaridel 8.1 (2011): 51-70. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Omar_Dumdum/publication/231557353_Casting_credibility_Patterns_of_audience_assessment_of_TV_news_programs/links/09e41506c4d40c52f6000000.pdf dated September 10, 2014 Lessig, Lawrence. "Institutional corruption defined." JL Med. & Ethics 41 (2013): 553. Retrieved from http://heinonlinebackup.com/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/medeth41&section=50 dated September 10, 2014 Bakir, Vian, and David M. Barlow. "Exploring relationships between trust studies and media studies." Communication in the Age of Suspicion. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2007. 9-23. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230206243_2 dated September 11, 2014 Blumler, Jay G., and Elihu Katz. "The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research. Sage Annual Reviews of Communication Research Volume III." (1974). Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED119208 dated September 10, 2014 Cohen, Jonathan, and Gabriel Weimann. "Cultivation revisited: Some genres have some effects on some viewers." Communication Reports 13.2 (2000): 99-114.Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08934210009367728 dated September 15, 2014

12. Shukran for Listening… SAIDAMIN P. BAGOLONG, DPA saidamin_bagolong@umindanao.edu.ph 09057284346