Members of the Senate media on Thursday strongly condemned Sen. Rodante Marcoleta after he alleged during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that many mainstream journalists are “paid hacks,” calling the statement an unfair attack on the press and a threat to democratic discourse.
In a collective statement, Senate media practitioners said Marcoleta’s remark was “irresponsible” and a “reckless attack” on an institution essential to democracy.
“Such remark of the senator during Thursday’s Senate blue ribbon proceedings was not only irresponsible, but a reckless attack on an institution widely acknowledged as essential to any functioning democracy,” the statement read.
The group said the allegation unfairly maligned journalists who face intimidation, harassment, and danger in the course of their work.
“Marcoleta’s statement unfairly maligned media workers who risk intimidation, harassment and even their lives to inform the public and hold the powerful accountable,” it said.
The statement also warned that accusations against the press, if unsupported by evidence, contribute to declining public trust and heighten hostility toward journalists.
“At a time when disinformation and political polarization continue to undermine public discourse, government officials should exercise greater restraint and responsibility in their pronouncements,” the media group said.
It added that while criticism of coverage is part of a healthy democracy, there is a clear distinction between criticism and the “wholesale vilification” of the profession.
“Criticism of media coverage is fair and even healthy in a democratic society. But there is a profound difference between constructive criticism and the wholesale vilification of an entire profession,” the statement read.
The Senate media emphasized that journalists are not aligned with political factions and should not be treated as participants in political rivalries.
“The Fourth Estate exists to serve the public interest. Its duty is to pursue facts, verify information, question those in power and report developments without fear or favor,” it said.
The group also underscored that press freedom must be protected from political pressure, intimidation, or coercion.
“A free press can only perform its constitutional role when it is allowed to operate independently—free from pressure, threats, intimidation, or political coercion from any side,” it said.
The statement concluded by reiterating that journalists are accountable to the public and the truth, not political actors.
“Again, the press is not the enemy of any political faction. It is not an extension of any political machinery. Its allegiance must remain solely to the truth and to the public it serves,” it said.
