ALTHOUGH she has already extended the invitation to so-called ‘bloggers’ to get their accreditation to cover the Malacañan beat, press secretary-designate Trixie Cruz-Angeles clarified that approval of their accreditation will be dependent on “engagement and following” as these are important factor on being recognized as such.
Cruz-Angeles, who has been designated by president-in-waiting Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to head the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) raised this possibility but stressed that policies on blogger accreditation are still being fine-tuned.
“What we’re doing now is we’re reviewing if they should be allowed in press briefings, how often, what their qualifications should be, and so on,” she explained.
The incoming press secretary also disclosed that they are reviewing policies on whether to allow bloggers to have access to regular press briefings or limited Palace events only. “Right now, we are listening to all forms of feedback,” she added.
Traditionally, media practitioners from institutional groups like those from newspapers, television and radio networks and online news sites were the only ones permitted to events attended by the president but in August 2017, outgoing PCOO secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar issued an interim policy through a department order to accredit bloggers who wanted to cover the events of graduating President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Cruz-Angeles noted, however, that no blogger was accredited to be part of regular Palace briefings under the Duterte administration.
Thus to make good with Andanar’s interim policy, his successor is now working on the accreditation of bloggers in Malacañang as one of her priorities, which may enable them to join press conferences at the Palace usually reserved for journalists, veteran newsmen expressed opposition to the policy.
Still, veteran journalist Vergel Santos opined that blogging should not be considered journalism because in contrast, journalists are trained and are governed by ethics and a system of checks for truthful reporting while bloggers may lack these two aspects in the performance of their job as broadcast media men.
