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Mocha Uson asked Rappler’s reclassification to Social Media.
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Mocha got slammed for wrongfully requesting Rappler’s reclassification.
PCOO Assistant Secretary Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson got to experience her own fire after requesting for Rappler’s reclassification from being a member of the Malacanang Press Corps to Social media.
On Tuesday, November 7, Uson sent a letter of request to PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar asking to re-classify Rappler as part of the traditional media to social media which is under her watch.
“I respectfully request that Rappler be reclassified and moved from Malacañang Press Corps to Social Media,” Mocha wrote to Andanar
Uson and her followers and other DDS bloggers are at odds with Rappler ever since for allegedly being biased against President Duterte.
But Mocha’s request was immediately countered by Rappler for being “misplaced” and “misinformed”.
In their fact check article, Rappler cited 3 reasons why Mocha’s request is unfounded and wrong.
Rappler stipulated that being an independent private media company, they are guaranteed by the constitutional provision on freedom of the press (Article III, Section 4) preventing the government from regulating independent media.
It also added that Rappler is a member of The Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) which is an independent group unattached to any government agency. Thus it is neither under government control nor under the supervision of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
MPC by-laws are explicit on accreditation and cover online news organizations like Rappler. Section 2 under “Qualifications for MPC Membership” states: “For internet-based media, the reporter must represent a website affiliated with a duly-recognized print/radio/TV agency, or established online news organization with regular deployment of personnel in major beats.”
And lastly, PCOO’s memorandum on Social Media Practitioner Accreditation only covers individuals bloggers and not news organizations. Section 5 of the PCOO’s Department Order 15 says: “Social Media accreditation shall be issued to a Filipino Citizen who is at least eighteen (18) years of age, with not less than five thousand (5,000) followers in any social media platform.”
Aside from Rappler, journalist and social activists Inday Espina-Varona also burnt Uson’s proposal against Rappler.
In her blog, Varona reminded Uson that not every digital media is social media.
“Asec Uson, digital media is not synonymous with. social media. Stop harassing Rappler,” she said.
Varona also added that it is not the news outfits platform that distinguishes it from traditional to social media but rather, their process.
“It doesn’t matter whether or not a news outfit has roots in traditional media. It’s not also the platform that distinguishes news outfits from social media. It’s the PROCESS.”
