Covering the Uncovered: A Critical Discourse Analysis on Mainstream and Alternative News Coverage of the Araneta‘s Land Grabbing Issue Against the Tungkong Mangga Farmers
The thesis compared the mainstream and alternative media‘s coverage of the Tungkong Mangga land grabbing issue. A critical discourse analysis was derived which illustrated the power play that prevailed between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat represented by the Araneta Family and the Tungkong Mangga farmers respectively.
The study analyzed how the big companies who place million worth of advertisements affected the role of media in reporting objectively to the public.
The study answered the question why the issue of the Tungkong Mangga farmers was not given an objective space or reportage in the mainstream media specifically in the leading newspapers in the country such as Philippine Daily Inquirer and Manila Bulletin. Those stories of abuse that were not reported by mainstream newspapers landed on the websites of Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly.
The issue of the Tungkong Mangga farmers is related to the construction of the MRT 7 that will link the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1 and MRT 3 and will run from Tungkong Mangga in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan, to SM City North EDSA, and pass through Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City and Tala, Caloocan City.
Through this study, the researchers found out that the mainstream newspapers (PDI & MB) and alternative media (Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly) have their own distinct biases. PDI and MB were not objective in handling issues that dealt with conglomerates who have strong ties to the government while the articles of Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly portrayed slants towards the masses.
The study recommended the improvement and strict implementation of ethical policies governing objective media practice.
Malabonga, R.L. & Pangilinan, R.M. (2013): Covering the Uncovered: A Critical Discourse Analysis on Mainstream and Alternative News Coverage of the Araneta’s Land Grabbing Issue Against the Tungkong Mangga Farmers , Unpublished Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication
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