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This is the f***ing front page of the effing Philippine Star?

Lactum's advertising hacks had this to say about mothers and revolutions in the "headline story":
"A small effort makes a small impact. Mothers can easily participate in the Nourishment Revolution by serving three balanced meals a day and a glass of Lactum to their children. Discreetly, as they mix the milk solution, mothers are incorporated into the movement through every revolution the spoon makes. With more mothers participating in the Lactum Nourishment Revolution, they can help Pinoy children achieve proper nourishment and moms can be 100% panatag."
DISGUSTING. Where's the real news?


Arundhati Roy had this to say about selling headlines in The Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire (2004):
"There's been a delicious debate in the Indian press of late. A prominent English daily announced that it would sell space on page three (its gossip section) to anyone who was willing to pay to be featured. (The inference is that the rest of the news in the paper is in some way unsponsored, unsullied, 'pure news.') The announcement provoked a series of responses -- most of them outraged -- that the proud tradition of impartial journalism could sink to such depths. Personally, I was delighted. For a major, mainstream newspaper to introduce the notion of 'paid for' news is a giant step forward in the project of educating a largely credulous public about how the mass media operates. Once the idea of 'paid for' news has been mooted, once it's been ushered through the portals of popular imagination, it won't be hard for people to work out that if gossip columns in newspapers can be auctioned, why not the rest of the column space? After all, in this age, of the 'market' when everything's up for sale -- rivers, forests, freedom, democracy, and justice -- what's special about news? Sponsored News -- what a delectable idea! 'This report is brought to you by...' There could be a state-regulated sliding scale for rates (headlines, page one, page two, sports section, and so on). Or on second thought we could leave that to be regulated by the 'free market' -- as it is now. Why change a winning formula?"
Buy your news here!
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Comments

Unknown said…
I KNow!!! A new low in Philippine Journalism...
3 February 2010 at 19:29
padma said…
Not to mention a new low in thinking about revolutions in general. But don't get me started.
7 February 2010 at 10:05
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