I was listening to Orhan Pamuk and Oe Kenzaburo’s Discussion about representing one’s country and I was struck by a comment made by Mr. Pamuk -”Most of the time it is easy journalism and sloppy reporting that give us a wrong representation of country’s real situation.”
In the book “Orientalism” by Edward Said he fought for the Western view about the Islamic movement in the Eastern world. Undauntedly correcting the representation made by the Western press about the real conditions in the Islam World. Clearly making a goos point on Iraq where years after the US is now thinking maybe Mr. Said is right.
Here in our country, I believe, journalism is dictated by patronage as ex President Fidel Ramos once quipped- “Kung pro government ka magbasa ka ng Star, kung galit ka Inquirer, pag di mo na alam kung sino ka, Malaya?” So who is going to write about what is the real situation in this country? Do we still have writers who have balls to write about what is right or moral? Do we have still young men of letters who can write for the future of their motherland? I still dream…..I can name a few but would rather keep it close to my chest and let the people judge for themselves.
In the meantime….I DREAM…..Tanga ako eh!
