In terms of reach, radio ranks first, TV second, newspapers third, and internet last – this – by average perception. It will be a mistake to suppose that online users largely come from the As or Bs in the Great Cultural Divide as most do in fact come from the Ds and Es whose access to the computers are as easy as those who have one in their own household, what with too many internet cafes in every nook.
It can then be granted that tri-media environment is one that affords access to all in every kind of medium preferred or the whole combination of them. Thus, a political ad or jingle viewed on TV, broadcast on radio, published in newspapers, or posted on the web – are in varying degrees accessible across preferences. In short, for just one political jingle, a wannabe may have to shell out an awesome lot of money to maximize use in every medium available.
Perception-wise, Villar and Roxas are sustainably on top of the popularity chart. Perhaps, this explains why even in polling circuits, Manny and Mar, logically top the surveys and more so if they are the ones who commissioned them. In all these cases, a wannabe determined to enjoy the winning margin must be one who has at least that proverbial P2 billion bank account. And people do seem to know that again, these must be the two Ms – Manny, on one side of the scale, and Mar on the other.
About 40 million voters are supposed to vote and COMELEC probably has the distribution as to what percentage for example constitute the youth within certain age ranges, the adults, and the mid-aged and more so on their socio-economic backgrounds. Politicians never fail to look at the demographics so they can choose where to place their bets.
Truly, joining a presidential race is such a huge investment. And it starts and ends there, supposedly. There is actually a law that prescribes the rate per voter a wannabe can spend but then again, this comes more on the breach than on observance. In fact, every candidate is supposed to submit to the COMELEC a post-election report of expenditures although it is doubtful if these are even being browsed over.
In short, political spending resists any prescribed threshold, matter-of-factly. How does one poor candidate to the mad presidential race beat the odds then? Thus, the case of President Barack Obama has stood as a model in this direction. In this case, the candidate himself does not have to spend shiploads of money since he gets support from practically across the population in terms of contribution, pledges, or commitments.
There emerges an ‘imaginary money basin’ that has made itself manifest and from which calculations or estimates may be made. In the local scene, we do know of a sort of ‘fund-raising project’ that approximates the Obama model. There are certain candidates who receive pledges, commitments, and contributions to provide support for their political bid to run for public office even though all they have with them are the ‘moral intentions’ to serve the country.
Politics can be democratized to a lesser or greater degree with the entry of new names or new political players depending on how voters make their choices for both the local and national candidates. Whatever a wannabe thinks, does, or creates only reflects a fisherman’s dream to catch the fish in a pond or an ocean pool. This involves work in calculus.
With a cursory glance, we do know that the best business in this country is politics. It is a source of living. It is something that a father can pass on to a son, a mother to a daughter, a husband to a wife, a brother to another brother, a sister to another sister and so on. Even corporate CEOs do know that in this business of dirty Pinoy politics, no one goes bankrupt, just no one. Given Pinoy’s characteristic tribal politics, political families are here to stay and hardly an alteration in the entire configuration is permissible. Who to blame? Pray tell.
Popularity: 1% [?]
The old tri-media landscape no longer is, Manong Prine.
Tweeter, Plurk, Facebook, and YouTube are becoming platforms of choice…
The quad-media culture has dawned.
I have another perspective
It is very clear that the age of tri-media is about to pass.
I only disagree Tweeter, Plurk, Facebook, and YouTube will definitely replace the Old Media.
Old as it is, it still preferred as main source of information because the so-called replacements are still grappling for business platforms to satisfy the needs of people for news and info.
The Internet is still like a baby in a mother’s womb.
We still don’t know what it will look like once it grows.
I have no reason to doubt ding that quad-media culture has arrived but everyone seems to still enjoy two available paradigms so even New Media will take longer more time to take over Old Media.
It is refreshingly cool to hear your open acceptance of the new landscape. I think that, we are all on the same page on this.
We are, bro, we are :)
The US political experience has gotten decidedly expensive. As you pointed out, Mr. Obama changed the game entirely. He took a page-book from the failed candidacy of Howard Dean (failed because of one poor bit of public over-exuberance) and milked the internet, $5 to $50 per shot. The Philippines does not yet have a broad internet user base, so the internet is today not a practical source for raising money. Maybe in 6 or 12 years, it could be a legitimate medium for fund-raising. Today it can be the spear of public dissent (or assent), however, giving sharp voice (words) to views held broadly, and woe to the public servant who denies this voice. Because the three other media are PLUGGED IN to the internet. So I think it is already a valuable 4th medium; maybe the most impactful.
The other thing Barak Obama has is charisma to go with his clear principles and priorities, intelligent mind, and diplomatic, personable style. I’m not sure if anyone among the Philippine presidentiables has this kind of flair. It “sells”. Of course, staged mass rallies can present even a dull candidate as having an attractive public persona.
One more note about US politics. It has gotten nasty. There has been a general migration from “spin” to outright deceit to smear the opposing candidate. Obama was able to partially counter republican smears with his internet base (the looney aspersions based on who Obama associated with as a young man, for example).
So as the Philippine candidates progress to media-intensive campaigns, expect the slanders to come down the pike next. Any candidate should expect a lot of mud to come his way, and be ready to sling it back.
It is frankly very dismaying, but it is the reality . . .
Joe
joe american, obama may have “charisma” but where’s the beef?
Penta-media? Can you count word of mouth as a medium?
As the 4th medium, it has about arrived if we ask ding and rightly so. He points out precisely that the ‘quad-media culture has dawned’ and I believe him.
And Mar Roxas, Manny Villar, and even Bayani Fernando are taking turns to multiply their own following in cyberspace, although not necessarily soliciting funds. At least Mar and Manny have “funds of their own” to burn for this whole dirty exercise.
But I wouldn’t think it will all be that dirty replete with slanders or mudslinging as one may read in the internet precisely because, the Right of Reply bill has just been newly erected to create the desired “shark-attacks-effect” in our political beach.
It is foolish I guess to compare anyone to President Obama – they all fall below the mark.
Primer, that’s an interesting point regarding the Right of Reply Bill. I have been considering it bad policy because it goes against the grain of free press. But if it can suppress spiteful advertising and salacious opinions (don’t know where that word came from, salacious; popped into my head; hope it is correctly used), the bill has some redeeming qualities.
Joe
We cannot shed our cultural nature. Same as a house cat cannot shed
its own stripes. Let us us the Tribal Psyche as an advantage. The
ancient Filipinos built the Banawe Rice Terrces using this cultural
psyche.
Hyden, there must have been ‘lamp posts’ or turning points in history that our tribal psyche as a collective cultural trait may have been harnessed for the common good.
But in political tribalism as that we now have in perpetuity allows very little opportunity for the few good men to lead. We always complain of nepotism, of patronage politics, of being getting appointed not based on what they know but on whom they know, et cetera.
In other words, a tribal psyche goes either way – for the common good or just for their (the elites) own good. It then becomes difficult where to draw the line.
Joe, the bill’s redemptive value might favor the politicians and disfavor the 4th estate or the 5th state in the case of the blogging universe. Again, how good can courts really draw the line is all beyond us.