Ang Pahayagan

As the media community mourns the loss of photojournalist Armelito “Itoh” Son, who collapsed and died while covering the Traslacion in Manila on Friday, we should also see this as an opportunity and an urgent need to review our safety protocols.

Saksi Ngayon, the newspaper that Son was shooting for, confirmed that he had flu-like symptoms before Christmas and still had cough and cold when he deployed for coverage.

We remind colleagues that our health, safety and security are a priority when going out on coverage.

Self-assessment on our ability to cover safely as well as establishing when and how to pull out of coverage is an essential step in coverage planning.

But making these decisions is harder because of understaffing in newsrooms and by the economic conditions that many of our colleagues — including and especially photojournalists — face.

Photojournalists and reporters for tabloid newspapers, for example, may be paid on a per-piece basis, at rates of as low as P50-P100. In consultations we have held with colleagues, we found that others are not paid at all or have their pay delayed.

These practices practically force media workers to report for work even when they are not physically, mentally, or emotionally ready and also lead to ethical dilemmas and corruption.

We acknowledge that Saksi Ngayon has, as it should, promised financial assistance to Son’s family and call on media managers and owners in general to help keep their staff, stringers, and contributors safe and healthy.

– MOVEMENT FOR MEDIA SAFETY PHILIPPINES