Family of Jam Sebastian asking P5000 in exchange of media interviews?

A Facebook post by Benjie Dorango, a TV5 news correspondent, has received a lot of attention from netizens the past two days (go to this link).

He recounted a scene at a wake where the parents of a recently departed celebrity is asking a P5000 “honorarium” from media persons in exchange of an interview. We are reposting his Facebook status update below:

Tagpo sa isang wake ng sikat na personality:

Media: “mam/sir, nakikiramay po kami sa pagkawala ng anak ninyo.”

Parents: “salamat. Magi-interview ba kayo? May honorarium kasi kami pagini-interview. 5000 pesos lang naman. Salamat.”

‪#‎AnoRaw‬?
‪#‎SinitchItich‬?
‪#‎PatayNaNgaPinaghanapBuhayanPa‬
‪#‎DiAkoMakaGetOver‬

When asked by ABS-CBN correspondent Jacque Manabat in the comment thread if his interview pushed through, Dorango said: “May kakilala ako, nakiusap na lang na sasabay sa isang interview rin para makatipid.”

Although the TV5 reporter did not mention who exactly he is writing about, some Facebook users easily surmised that he is referring to the family of Jam Sebastian. Jamich fans didn’t waste time defending their idol:

Giving payments to news sources is a universally unaccepted journalism practice. According to the Philippine Press Institute’s Code of Ethics, reporters “shall resort only to fair and honest methods in (their) effort to obtain news, photographs, and/or documents.”

Meanwhile, the United States-based Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) advises reporters to be always “wary of sources offering information for favors or money” and that they should not pay for access to news.

SPJ says the involvement of money immediately calls into question the credibility of the information. “Readers or viewers have a legitimate right to wonder whether the source is disclosing this information because the information is important or because the source is getting paid for it,” the group wrote in a position paper.

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Mark Pere Madrona

The Filipino Scribe (TFS) is managed by Mark Pere Madrona, a multi-awarded writer and licensed professional teacher from the Philippines.

Mr. Madrona earned his master’s degree in history from the University of the Philippines-Diliman last 2020. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude from the same university back in 2010. His area of interests includes Philippine journalism, history, and politics as well as social media.

Know more about him here: https://www.filipinoscribe.com/about/.

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