The Media Crisis: A Call for Filipino Americans to Engage

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Corporate influenceLoss of journalistic integrityPublic apathyNot sure

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For <a href="https://usa.inquirer.net/category/fil-am">Filipino Americans</a>, paying attention to the news isn’t a hobby.   It’s survival.   We come from a people who know what propaganda looks like.   We know what happens when power controls the story.   We know colonialism wasn’t just guns and soldiers. It was newspapers, schools, churches and official narratives telling us who we were supposed to be.   That’s why what’s happening in American journalism right now should concern all of us.   <h2 id="h-scott-pelley-is-not-heroic" class="wp-block-heading">Scott Pelley is not a hero</h2>   This week, many defenders of democracy found a new hero in Scott Pelley.   The longtime 60 Minutes correspondent <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbs-news-60-minutes-pelley-fired-db75daea29a1996f9db5e7951e6f5064">publicly criticized</a> the corporate direction of CBS News and the people now running it. He suggested journalism was being sacrificed to business interests and political pressure.   A lot of journalists cheered.   Social media practically nominated him for Mount Rushmore.   Forgive me if I don’t join the parade.   I knew Scott Pelley years ago when we both worked in Dallas television.   He’s smart. Ambitious. Talented.   He’s also very good at playing the game.   That’s how television news works.   The people who rise to the top aren’t usually rebels. They’re survivors.   They’re climbers.   They understand power.   Pelley understood it better than most.   So while many see his comments as an act of courage, I see something more complicated.   He didn’t stop the train.   He simply announced that the train was heading somewhere dangerous.   Important? Yes.   Heroic? Maybe not.   Let’s remember that Pelley spoke after decades of success, multimillion-dollar contracts and a career already secured.   He risked something.   But not everything.   <h2 id="h-the-business-model" class="wp-block-heading">The business model</h2>    Real courage in journalism often comes from people who don’t have pensions, prestige or a network protecting them.   It comes from reporters who can actually lose their jobs.   It comes from independent journalists who can be erased with a phone call.   And let’s be honest.   If an Asian American reporter, a <a href="https://usa.inquirer.net/192338/maria-ressa-to-be-honored-with-la-press-clubs-daniel-pearl-award">Filipino American</a> journalist or some young reporter of color had made the same stand years ago, would America have listened?   Or would they have been labeled “difficult,” “angry” or “not a team player”?   That’s the part of this story that gets overlooked.   Because what Pelley described isn’t just a CBS problem.   It’s an industry problem.   Corporate interests increasingly outweigh journalistic values.   News divisions used to exist partly as a public service.   Today they’re expected to perform like entertainment properties.   If outrage sells, produce outrage.   If fear sells, produce fear.   If division sells, produce division.   The business model isn’t democracy.   The business model is attention.   <h2 id="h-market-propaganda" class="wp-block-heading">Market propaganda</h2>   And once ratings become the goal, journalism slowly starts looking like propaganda.   Not government propaganda.   Market propaganda.   Whatever keeps viewers watching.   Whatever keeps shareholders happy.   If a certain cable network can make billions feeding viewers exactly what they want to hear, every media company notices.   The lesson becomes simple: Be more like Fox.   Maybe not politically.   But financially.   That’s good for profits.   It’s terrible for democracy.   And that’s what Filipino Americans should be paying attention to.   Not whether Scott Pelley is a hero.   Not whether one executive wins or loses a power struggle.   The bigger question is whether Americans still have institutions willing to tell uncomfortable truths when those truths cost money.   Because once journalism becomes just another product, the public becomes just another market.   Citizens become consumers.   Facts become content.   And news becomes something closer to propaganda.   Pelley didn’t create that alarm.   He just rang the bell a little louder.   The real question is whether anyone is listening.   Before the ringing becomes the soundtrack of American democracy’s decline.   Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, news analyst, comic stage performer and former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He writes for the Inquirer.net’s US Channel. He has written a weekly “Amok” column on Asian American, race and social justice issues for more than 30 years. Find him on <a href="https://youtube.com/@emilamok1">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://www.patreon.com/emilamok">patreon</a> and substack.   Get tickets to his live show <a href="https://sdfringe.org/events/69-emil-amok-anchorman-the-news-made-me-do-it/">here</a>.

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Jun 8, 2026

The Media Crisis: A Call for Filipino Americans to Engage

OPINION | Why Fil-Ams should worry about America’s media crisis

Inquirer

·6 min read·Scott Pelley Emil Guillermo

OPINION | Why Fil-Ams should worry about America’s media crisis

Image: Inquirer

💡 In a Nutshell

Filipino Americans must be vigilant about the current state of American journalism, which is increasingly influenced by corporate interests over journalistic integrity. The recent comments by Scott Pelley highlight a troubling trend where media prioritizes profit over truth, raising concerns about the future of democracy and informed citizenship.

◆🔑 Key Points

01Scott Pelley criticized CBS News for prioritizing business interests over journalism, but his position raises questions about true courage in media.
02Real journalistic bravery often comes from those without job security or institutional protection, unlike established figures like Pelley.
03The shift in journalism towards a business model focused on ratings has led to a form of market propaganda, undermining democratic values.
04Filipino Americans should focus on whether media institutions can still deliver uncomfortable truths, rather than individual media personalities.
05The transformation of journalism into a profit-driven enterprise risks turning citizens into mere consumers of content rather than informed participants in democracy.

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✎📝 Full Summary

The article emphasizes the critical state of American journalism, particularly for Filipino Americans who understand the implications of propaganda and controlled narratives. It discusses Scott Pelley's recent criticisms of CBS News, suggesting that while he is celebrated, true courage in journalism often comes from those without the protection of established networks. The author argues that the media's shift towards a profit-driven model has resulted in market propaganda, prioritizing ratings and shareholder satisfaction over journalistic integrity. This trend poses a significant risk to democracy, as it transforms citizens into consumers and facts into mere content. The article calls for Filipino Americans to pay attention to the broader implications of these changes in the media landscape, questioning whether institutions can still uphold their duty to report uncomfortable truths in a financialized environment.

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!❗ Why It Matters

The decline in journalistic integrity affects public discourse and the ability of communities, including Filipino Americans, to access truthful information.

👥 Who is affected

Filipino Americans and the broader American public who rely on journalism for accurate information.

ℹ️ What to know

Engage critically with media sources and advocate for journalistic integrity.

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?❓ FAQ

The article suggests that corporate interests increasingly outweigh journalistic values, leading to a focus on ratings and market-driven content rather than objective reporting.

The author acknowledges Pelley's criticisms but questions the authenticity of his courage, noting that true bravery often comes from those without job security or institutional protection.

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