MALAYBALAY CITY (BukidnonNews.Net/29 August 2024) A free and responsible media is essential to promoting accountable governance and advancing peace and progress, Mr. Walter I. Balane of Bukidnon State University (BukSU) emphasized during his guest appearance on KBP Bukidnon Interaction on August 25, 2024.
Balane, then Head of the Kalandang Taw Center for Peace Studies and Associate Professor of Development Communication at BukSU, served as resource person for the episode on “Free and Responsible Media in Partnership with the Government, A Perfect Tool for Peace and Progress.”
The program was aired over more than 15 member stations of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Bukidnon.
During the discussion, Balane stressed that only a media environment that is both free and responsible can effectively help promote responsible and good governance. He said the media’s role of informing the public and scrutinizing matters of public interest is protected under the 1987 Philippine Constitution and must be respected by government and other sectors of society.
At the same time, he emphasized that media practitioners and organizations themselves have the responsibility to uphold and protect press freedom through professional, ethical, and relevant journalism.
“Every practitioner must invest in capacity building, training, and professional development to help ensure free and responsible practice,” Balane said. “Every citizen, government, and other sectors must respect and support the work of respectable journalists so they can exercise their rights and responsibilities of reporting the truth.”
Mr. Walter I. Balane of Bukidnon State University Development Communication Department and Kalandang Taw Center for Peace Studies speaks as resource person of the KBP – Bukidnon Interaction on the August 25, 2024 episode. KBP-Bukidnon Interaction photo
He added that responsibility is incumbent upon the media because of the influence it wields in society. Journalists must therefore avoid abusing that power and instead strive for excellence, accuracy, fairness, ethical practice, and relevance in their work.
Balane also discussed how a free and responsible press can contribute to peace and development. By providing verified information, giving citizens a platform to raise legitimate concerns, and holding institutions accountable, the media can help create conditions for informed public participation and responsive governance.
During the program, Balane introduced the Kalandang Taw Center for Peace Studies, which had been established at BukSU to advance peace through research, education, and community engagement.
He said one of the Center’s areas of interest was research that could contribute to conflict-sensitive, ethical, and responsible reporting, particularly in Bukidnon and the wider Mindanao context.
Balane brought to the discussion his experience both in the academe and journalism. Aside from heading the Center and teaching Development Communication at BukSU, he had served as president of the Bukidnon Press Club.
Through his participation in KBP Bukidnon Interaction, Balane underscored that media freedom and media responsibility should go together: journalists need the freedom to pursue and report the truth, while the profession must continuously uphold the standards that sustain public trust (BukidnonNews.Net).
