Thursday, July 22, 2010

Federico Pascual's Postscript to Ricky Carandang

Good friend, Federico Pascual Jr's "Postscript" today in Philippine Star tells you the state of the communications group President Noynoy Aquino has today. Ricky Carandang, a former anchor of ANC is not exactly a darling of the media, one of several key assets a palace communications expert should have. This probably explains why several or most columnists are now critical of the Aquino administration because of the apparent failure of the group to handle media.

Some, however, hope that this bad relationship would end quickly since the palace is slowly encountering major problems caused by bad governance for the past nine years. Even a water shortage such as what 100 barangays under the Maynilad water concession is encountering, is now being transformed into a "calamity" all because the Palace is simply mishandling the messaging aspect of this issue. The lack of an effective media relations man is causing tremendous damage to the new government.

Pascual is just one of many very influential columnists who are being "marginalized" by several members of the Communications group, a wrong move I should say. You don't alienate an enemy or a perceived critic---you warm up to him and explain him things are not what he perceived it to be.

3 comments:

  1. It wasn't Ricky's failure to check his sources, put up a credible and sincere apologies, but rather the arrogance of this newfound power from an obscure mid-level broadcaster pretending to be a journalist, who is, as proven now, is nothing but a ridiculous PR man molded in the lowest form.

    You don't see Rico Hizon treating senior Philippine journos that way, or reporting in that manner either.

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  2. I see that too. The communications group is not doing what it is supposed to do - maintain good relations with news reporters, especially newspaper columnists and radio commentators. It is also good to reach out to news columnists in local/provincial newspapers. Why? Because, the President and his cabinet may look good in national news but he does not know that he is being criticized from down below in provincial papers which are widely read by the masses that do not get copies of national papers.

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  3. @asmartrock,

    yeah, Rico Hizon is one kind of a guy. I met him several times and despite being a multi-awarded Pinoy journalist, he keeps his humility tugged right in his sleeves. I mean, humility goes him by every single time.

    I think it is high time that the group abandons the "we are better than you attitude" by reaching out to their colleagues in the media profession.

    @ david,

    yes. and because these people do not have the supervisorial nor the managerial experience to begin with. They started as writers and reporters but never had the chance to be managers. How in the hell would they be able to form a very effective communications group?

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