MASS MEDIA

1.

The influence of media on people may be seen in the study of Jessebel Lacbawan &

Tarah Layug (2001). Lacbawan & Tayug’s (2001) study aimed to know the impact of media on

the socio-cultural perspective of the people in Banaue, Ifugao.

The researchers did a survey and used random sampling in determining the respondents.

Using both qualitative and quantitative analysis, Lacbawan & Tayug (2001) found out that

because of what media have been portraying, the modern counterparts of songs, dances and others

were already more preferred by the people in Banaue than the ethnic ones.

2.

On the other hand, the study of Sabrina Dickey (2007) determined the effects of mass

media (television, internet, newspaper, radio and others) on a college male and female decision to

become sexually active as an adolescent.

Dickey (2007) used survey questionnaires which were given to 180 college students in a

public university in United States in order to gather the data and she quantitatively and

qualitatively analyzed those data.

As a result, Dickey (2007) found out that the males who were more exposed to sexually-

related contents of media were the ones who engaged in sex at younger ages than males who were

not. In addition, female respondents were found to be more exposed to sexually-related contents

of media than males. However, the males were still the ones who were initiating sexual

intercourse at younger ages than the females.

#3.
 Another study on the influence of media was the study of Shanto Iyengar (1987). He

studied the existence of the frame effects of media. By conducting a survey, he found out that in

United States, people think that the causes of poverty lies within the poor themselves not because

of their individualistic culture but also because of the mass media’s news coverage about poverty

wherein images of the poor predominates.

Thus, Iyengar (1987) concluded that the media really have frame effect: the manner in

which the media presents the issue to the public is relative to the way people explain national

issues.

4.

In the study of Fredayeen Veluz (2004) she sought to determine whether the political

advertisements, and campaign-related articles or editorials published in Baguio Midland Courier

preceding the 2001 Baguio local elections influenced the people’s voting decisions.

Veluz (2004) used survey questionnaires which were administered to the purposively

selected respondents in order to gather data. A question guide was also made for the researcher’s

interview with the newspaper editor. The survey results were divided into two major parts:

positive (newspapers do influence voters) and negative (newspapers do not influence voters). The

data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative measures.

Veluz (2004) found out that most of the respondents agreed that the political

advertisements and campaign-related articles and editorials published in the Courier influenced

their voting behavior.

5.
In her study, Kaitlin Vonderschmitt (2012) content analyzed different social networking sites

particularly facebook, twitter and youtube in order to identify how and why those networking

sites are used by people in different campaigns.

According to Vonderschmitt (2012), facebook is used in a campaign because it gives

campaign the opportunity to create a dialogue and extends the reach of the said campaign through

its pervasiveness. Twitter on the other hand allows candidates and campaigns to keep users up-to-

date with short messages, which humanizes the candidate and offers another way for citizens to

get involved and connected in the democracy (Vonderschmitt, 2012). YouTube has provided a

platform to post and watch videos over and over again, thus, innovating the conventional way of

disseminating the news (Vonderschmitt, 2012).

In conclusion, Vonderschmitt (2012) mentioned that online media or internet is used in

campaigns because undoubtedly, there have already been so many internet users today. Based on

Internet World Stats (2012), there were already 2,405,518,376 internet users as of 2012. Thus, the

political candidates have been using the internet in order to reach out the voters who are more

likely using the internet, and in order to better disseminate the political candidates’ platforms, and

their other campaign-related messages.

6.

The undergraduate thesis of Julius Calatan and Mary Jane Pili (2000) also showed that mass

media is powerful. In their study, they aimed to determine the impact of media to the community

of Kabayan, Province of Benguet. They also sought to know the aspects of Kabayan people’s life

which media affects. Through informal interviews with 150 respondents and personal

observations, Calatan & Pili (2010) were able to conclude that media affects the political, social,

economic and spiritual life of Kabayan people. According to the Calatan & Pili (2010), mass
media became a tool of information, entertainment and education for the people in Kabayan.

Through the things contained in media, the people were able to know the projects of the

government and the price of commodities. The information from the media did not just made the

people know but also made the people change. According to the researchers, the interview with

the respondents showed that as a result of media’s portrayal of different commodities, the simple

way of dressing among the Kabayan people was altered; people began to wear dresses like those

which they have seen on the television. Moreover, people became materialistic; they feel thay

they should also have very good houses with appliances and washing machine, karaoke, computer

and others like what they have watched on the television.

7.

The undergraduate thesis of Joy Allas and Desiree Balolong (2012) also showed that the media is

capable of influencing the values and beliefs of the people. Allas & Balolong (2012) sought to

know the impact of the presentations of different family stories in the segment Juan for all, all for

Juan Sugod-Bahay sa Barangay of Eat Bulaga to the familial views and values of out-of-school

youth in Malanay, Sta. Barbara Pangasinan. In order to get data, Allas & Balolong (2012)

analyzed five (5) selected episodes of the said segment and then they conducted some focused

interviews with selected out-of-school youth. Allas & Balolong(2012) found out that the way

segment hosts present different family stories in the segment influenced the familial views and

values of the out-of school-youth. Moreover, the respondents incorporate some values, presented

in the segment, in their own lives because those values were presented as significant. Some of

those values are: loving their parents, striving harder, valuing education and others. The

respondents mentioned that they related to the families being presented in the segment because

what those families experience is seems to be experienced by the respondents’ families as well.

The connection between the respondents’ life situation and the presented families’ situation may

have also allowed the respondents to be influenced by what they saw in the segment; however,
Allas & Balolong (2012) did not make any claims about that. In sum, Allas & Balolong

concluded that Eat Bulaga’s Juan for all, all for Juan served not just a medium to entertain the

out-of-school youth but also as a tool to educate & influence their familial views and values.

MEDIA IS NOT POWERFUL

1.

In the study of Tunyaluk Anekjumnongporn (2004) the campaign strategies of the

winning Thai political candidates in Bangkok was determined. The campaign strategies basically

pertained to the use of political advertisements or face-to-face communication in the candidates’

campaign. In gathering the data, the researcher used survey questionnaires and interviews.

Anekjumnongporn (2004) found out that most of the winning candidates did not use

political advertisements in campaigning but personal communication instead.

The study of Anekjumnongporn (2004) showed that in some situations, the use of mass

media or basically political advertisements are not useful in persuading or even influencing the

voters to vote for a candidate. The claim that mass media do not have influence on the voters may

be supported by the study of Bautista & Bautista (2010).

2.

Bautista & Bautista (2010) argued that television advertisements do not necessarily

influence the voting decision of the voters. Through interview with some youth and group

discussion with them, Bautista & Bautista (2010) were able to determine how pre-campaign

television commercials affect the youth.

 According to Bautista & Bautista, pre-campaign television commercials or basically,

political television advertisements are being used by politicians to make the audiences remember

or recall the politicians. However, the voting preferences of the youth were not affected by

political advertisements or even the frequency of airing of those advertisements.

SOURCES:

Veluz, F. (2004). Political ads, articles, editorials in the

Baguio Midland Courier: Do they influence people’s voting

decision? (Unpublished undergraduate thesis). University of

the Philippines, Baguio.

Iyengar, S. (1987). Television news and citizen explanation of

national affairs. American Politics of Science

Review, 81(3).

Lacbawan, J. (2001). The impact of media on the socio-cultural

perspective of the people in Banaue, Ifugao. (Unpulished

undergraudate thesis). University of the Philippines, Baguio.

Dickey, S. (2005). A study to determine the effects of mass media

on a college age male and female decision to become

sexually active as an adolescent. Undergraduate

thesis. Florida State University, Florida USA.

Vonderschmitt, K. (2012). The growing use of social media in

political campaigns: How to use facebook, twitter and

youtube to create an effective social media campaign.

(Undergraduate thesis). Available from http://digitalcommon

s.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/360/

Anekjumnongporn, T. (2004). The study of campaign communication

strategies of Thai political candidates in Bangkok.

Retrieved January 12, 2013 from http://www.bu.ac

.th/knowledgecenter/epaper/jan_june2004/tunyaluk.pdf
Bautista, B. S. & Bautista, G.P.H. (2010). Political ADgenda: How the politicians

use pre-campaign television advertisements and how the youth react to

it.(Unpublished undergraduate thesis). University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Calatan, J. & Pili, M.J. (2000). The impact of media to the people and to the community of

Kabayan. (Unpublished undergraduate thesis). University of the Philippines, Baguio.

Allas, W.J. & Balolong, D. (2012). Impact of eat bulaga’s Juan for all, all for Juan on the

familial views and values of out-of-school youths in Malanay, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.

(Unpublished undergraduate thesis). University of the Philippines, Baguio.

MASCULINITY

Ross Horsley’s research entitled Men’s Lifestyle Magazines and the Construction
of Male Identity (2005) said that a new masculine identity has emerged in men’s
magazines. This “New Man” according to Tim Edwards (1997) has a different
characteristic: caring, nurturing and sensitive. These traits oppose the traditional
characteristics of men namely: more narcissistic, passive, and introspective. Edwards
(1997) saw this “New Man” in Calvin Klein’s advertisement of the fragrance Eternity,
presenting a brawny man cradling a baby (as cited by Horsley, 2005). In addition to this,
several films also manifested the ‘caring’ aspect of the new man: 3 Men and a
Baby (1987), Three Fugitives (1989), 3 Men and a Little Lady (1990) My Girl and Curly
Sue(both 1991) and Mon père, ce héros (a 1991 French film remade in America as My
Father the Hero in 1994). These media forms present a ‘caring’ phase of the new
masculine identity which we seldom see in typical males; since showing some ‘care’ is a
trait we frequently see in women.

Another study that presented man’s progression was Andrea Roedel’s The
Evolution of Masculinity: Marketing and the Appearance of Man (n.d.). This research
provided an in-depth look at how the male gender evolved into a new representation,
and how marketers influence man’s appearance particularly the metrosexuals. Mark
Simpson (2006) in his article “Here Come the Mirror Men” defined metrosexual as
“…narcissistic young men sporting fashionable clothes and accessories” (par.14). As
time progresses, more men are starting to pamper themselves and embark on
conventionally female behaviors. Before, more products are offered to women but now
they are being geared towards men. In this regard, Roedel (n.d.) delve into the altering
psychological, sociological, and economical aspects of urban society concerning the
significance of man’s appearance and behavior. Primarily, history and development of
male beauty are examined, followed by a study on psychological reasons on
metrosexuality, and lastly, the impact of economical marketplace by the male self-image.
In conclusion, Roedel (n.d.) reiterated that “civilizations evolve, society’s change, and
people adapt as time moves on” (p. 37). She perceived that both sexes are accepting
modern beliefs as the gender roles interchange one another.

(NASA’YO YUNG REFERENCE NITONG DALAWA)

A study by Cornel entitled ‘Macho Guapito’: A discourse analysis on how Colt 45

TVC series promotes and maintains patriarchy (2011) was used to explain how male
dominance is furthered in the Colt 45 television commercial series. Though there were
numerous traits of subordinate men shown in the, hegemonic masculine traits were still
the ones described as the most apt behavior for men. The findings of the study were
categorized into physical appearance, lifestyle, and emotions of men. For the physical
appearance, there were no subordinate qualities found in the commercial. However
there are activities that can be considered to be subordinate. This includes being too
decisive about fashion, being too affectionate to the girlfriend, and being too concerned
with cleanliness and physical appearance. On the contrary, activities under hegemonic
masculinity include watching and playing basketball, drinking of beer, and interest in cars
and sexy women. Men who performed unmanly acts received emotions detest from the
hegemonic group. In contrast, subordinate men present emotions of questioning as a
reply to the hegemonic men. The study concluded that there are three levels of
patriarchy found in Colt 45 TV commercial series: “by further promoting the hegemonic
masculine qualities, by attaching a stigma to the subordinate masculine qualities, and by
killing off attempts of the subordinate men to continuously display and practice their
activities”.

Cornel, N. (2011). ‘Macho Guapito’: A discourse analysis on how Colt 45

TVC series promotes and maintains patriarchy. Unpublished Undergraduate
Thesis, University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Maria Zabina Junsay’s The creation of the father: Patriarchy in the anime
Fullmetal Alchemist (2013), showed that even in the anime world, male dominance
exists. The phallus is used to symbolize the idea of male power in the society. According
to Junsay (2013), “the phallus represents power and domination because these women
who hold some significant position in the story are portrayed with phalluses” (p. 70). This
showed that patriarchy persists to pervade media not by absolute presentation of
suppression to women, but by entailing the male dominance through ingenious and
concealed symbols of male power. In this regard, the phallic symbols add to the
formation, pervasiveness, and the persistence of the subsistence of patriarchy in the
animated show. But, despite of these, the emblems were also used against it – to
overthrow the patriarchal social order. In conclusion, Fullmetal Alchemist, a seemingly
innocent show for young men, can be an avenue to promote distinct messages that can
contribute in formulating new ideologies. In addition, the show can also “provide the
audience with the picture of a society that seems to glorify one’s sex and subjugates
another, but in fact it does not” (p. 72).

Junsay, M. (2013). The creation of the father: Patriarchy in the anime Fullmetal
Alchemist. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines
Baguio.

Kayrell Padilla and Zhyra Patacsil’s study entitled From the outside looking in: A
study on a fraternity’s culture in the University of the Philippines Baguio and the
stereotypes held by non-fraternity members (2010) served as a means to discuss the
true meaning of a fraternity. In order to be understood by the UPB community, Padilla
and Patacsil (2010) first defined a fraternity as not the typical organization but an
uncommon organization that consider one another as brothers; since “brotherhood is the
center of a fraternity” (p 12). Moreover, a fraternity promotes the importance of solidarity
among its members and they also render service according to their convention.
However, when freshmen students were asked, a different perspective emerged. For
them, fraternities have a “not-so-good” image – “gang wars”, hazing and snob. This
perception has been influenced by internal and external factors: the media, and their
family and peers. With their 3-month stay in the University, freshmen students witnessed
the different projects brought by the fraternities, sororities, and other organizations.
These projects were perceived to be University-oriented and service-oriented. Because
of this, freshmen students have altered their view on fraternities. In conclusion, this study
gave way to non-fraternity members to have a better knowledge about the culture of a
fraternity; thus, “misunderstanding and miscommunication between fraternity members
and non-fraternity member diminished” (p. v).

Padilla, K. & Patacsil, Z. (2010). From the outside looking in: A study on a
fraternity’s culture in the University of the Philippines Baguio and the stereotypes
held by non-fraternity members. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of
the Philippines Baguio.

Cordero and Tabangcura (2012) discussed in their study the portrayal of

masculinity in three local men’s lifestyle magazines namely: Garage, Men’s health, and
FHM. In which they analyzed the advertisements, photo spreads, and articles from these
magazines. To be able to determine prominent physical, non-physical, and social
attributes of Filipino men portrayed in the magazine, the researchers use the summative
content analysis and textual analysis. The researchers found archetypes from the
literature review that were used as guide in identifying the portrayal of men in the
magazines. These archetypes are: 1) Philantropist, who is involved in civic activities; 2)
Intellectual, who is educated, competent, and disciplined; 3) Greaser, who is street
tough, rugged, and cocky; and 4) Health Buff, who is a health and fitness enthusiast.
These existing and research-defined archetypes still symbolized traditional
characteristics of a conventional man in Philippine society, such as machismo,
patriarchy, and heterosexuality.
Cordero, U. & Tabangcura, J. (2012). It’s a man’s man’s world: The portrayal of
masculinity in three local men’s magazines. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis,
University of the Philippines Diliman.

FILM

Ivor Montagu, in his book Film World (1964) defined film as a ‘moving picture’ or
‘motion picture’ – which implies that the object described has two aspects, both are
evenly vital. “It is apicture, that is, it is a representational, not actual, not real, and it
conveys the appearance of motion” (p.13).

Another good definition that is mentioned in the book is the one given by
Michaelis (1955),

“A series of separate images recorded on the same continuous ribbon and exposed at
standard intervals of time, to represent successive phases of movement; when exhibited
in rapid sequence above the fusion frequency of human vision, the separate images
persist long enough in the mind of the observer to reproduce the appearance of
continuous motion.” (p.14)

This description separates two characteristics of cinema which Montagu (1964)

describes in ‘motion pictures’: picture and the appearance of motion. It is also
highlighted in Michaelis’ definition that there is no genuine movement in films; it is only a
collection of motionless images that makes movement appear.

Montagu, I. (1964). Film world: A guide to cinema. Baltimore Maryland: Penguin

books.

Other terms for film are movie, motion picture, cinema, and moving pictures. In
the Philippines, the famous term “sine” which means film comes from the first two
syllables of Cinematographe that originated from Europe, specifically France.
Cinematographe means camera and projector at the same time.

Lim, J. (1998). Creative imaging: An introduction to film.

Another book that discusses essays on audiences, films and film-makers is Allan
Lovell and Gianluca Sergi’s Cinema Entertainment (2009). One of the essays featured in
the book isCinema as Entertainment, this article talks about what cinema mean for
Alfred Hitchcock. Alfred Hitchcock is a director, and he is “best known as one of the
supreme entertainers” (p. 35) in mass culture. For Hitchcock, the foundation of the
cinema was the audience which he believed is “the centre of the film-making process”
(p. 37). His fundamental aim was to have a poignant impact on the audiences. According
to him, people came to cinemas to be entertained and not to be bored; that is why
Hitchcock does not have the modernist antagonism with regard to his audiences. He
also assumed that people went to cinemas to be amused; not to hear sermons,
preaching nor to hear philosophy. In addition, Hitchcock mentioned that the most
efficient way to entertain his audience is “through the creation and manipulation of
images” (p. 38). This essay about Alfred Hitchcock can be a guide on how to analyze
audiences.

Lovell, A. & Sergi, G. (2009). Cinema entertainment: Essays on audiences, films

and film-makers. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.

According to the Philippine Journeys website (1995), film is “the youngest of the
Philippines arts… evolved to become the most popular of all the art forms” (par.1). It was
introduced in the Philippines in 1897, and started to be known as silent movies to talkies
then black and white to colored. By early 1980s, movie goers from Manila rose up to 2.5
million. The article regards films as very vital since it “reflects the culture and beliefs of
the people it caters to and most times, is the one who shapes their consciousness” (par.
1).

The first chapter of the essay discusses the early Filipino films that were created
in 1919. However as early as 1897 two Swiss entrepreneurs have already introduced
film shows in Manila showing recent events and natural calamities in Europe. It was not
until 1912 when movies market, two American entrepreneurs made a film about Jose
Rizal’s execution, and because of that the Filipinos became aware that they need a
material close to their hearts. This indicated the creation of the earliest Filipino film made
by Jose Nepumuceno “The Father of Philippine Movies”. His first film was “Dalagang
Bukid” (Country Maiden) a much admired musical play of that day (par. 5-6). Enormous
capital was needed in the early years of filmmaking; that is why the early filmmakers
were the upper-class Spaniards, Filipino landlords, and politicians, creating films based
on socio-economic standing and religion. Early films delve into traditional theater
forms: Sarswela was the standard comedy, and Sinakulo was the melodrama. By 1930s,
Julian Manansala produced the first patriotic-themed film, Patria Amore. For this, he was
hailed as the “Father of the Nationalistic Film”. At the end of the 1930s, “it was clear that
moviegoing had established itself in the Filipino” (par. 10).

The Japanese Occupation established propaganda as the new role for film. On
the contrary, they are unsuccessful to attract the Filipino audience like what the
Spaniards had. This period was favorable to the theater industry; hence forgotten artists,
directors, and technicians found a way to go back to the stage and earn a living. In 1945,
the film industry was once again rising. “The entire nation had gone through hell and
there were many stories to tell about heroic deeds and dastardly crimes… A Philippine
version of the war movie had emerged as a genre in which were recreated narratives of
horror and heroism with soldiers and guerillas as protagonists…audiences still hungry
for new movies and still fired up by the patriotism and hatred for foreign enemies did not
seem to tire of recalling their experiences of war” (par. 15). Garrison 13 (1946), Dugo
ng Bayan (The Country’s Blood, 1946), Walang Kamatayan(Deathless, 1946),
and Guerilyera (1946), are the movies that have stories of heroes and villains of war.

Chapter two discusses 1950s to the 1970s of the Philippine cinema. The 1950s
is the time for “rebuilding and growth”. “Critics now clarify that the 50s may be
considered one ‘Golden Age’ for the Filipino film not because film content had improved
but because cinematic techniques achieved an artistic breakthrough in that decade”
(par. 18). Four studios have earned reputation because of its films. These studios are
said to be the “Big Four” of the period namely: Sampaguita, LVN, Premiere, and Lebran.
They have their own set of artists, technicians, and directors, which are aligned for
sequence of movies each year. This upholds their monopoly in the industry.

In the 1960s, there was “rampant commercialism and artistic decline” (par. 20).
Foreign films were selling action pictures sensationalizing violence and soft-core sex that
are still illicit from Philippine theater screens. The labor movements brought the studio
systems down, and the movies were designed to cater the revolt culture of the youth.

There were also film genres that emerge during the 1960s, and one of these is
the action films.

“Action movies with Pinoy cowboys and secret agents as the movers of the plots
depicted a ‘society ravaged by criminality and corruption’. Movies being make-believe
worlds at times connect that make-believe with the social realities. These movies
suggest a search for heroes capable of delivering us from hated bureaucrats, warlords
and villains of our society. The action films of the 1960s brought into the industry ‘a new
savage rhythm that made earlier action films seem polite and stage managed.’ The
pacing of the new action films was fast as the narrative had been pared down to the very
minimum dialogues…” (par. 24).

In addition, the bomba genre is also an embodiment of the revolt. During its
reign, social movement became recognized through the campuses and of Manila. The
emergence of the bomba films has become an “exploitative product of a profit-driven
industry and as being a ‘stimulant’, it can be analyzed as actually being a ‘subversive
genre’ playing up to the establishment while rebelling and undermining support for the
institutions” (par. 27). As we can see the two genres namely, the action films and the
bomba films have contributed to the accounts of the Philippine cinema.
 During the Martial law, a new type of bomba genre emerged, “…which showed
female stars swimming in their underwear, taking a bath in their camison (chemise), or
being chased and raped in a river, sea, or under a waterfall” (par. 34). These movies are
called the “wet look”. Filmmaking throughout Martial law was being controlled by
Ferdinand Marcos and his technocrats. They regulate the movie’s content by asserting
some kind of censorship. In connection to this, the Board of Censors for Motion Pictures
(BCMP) demand on the submission of a finished script before to the creation of the film.
This became an innovation to the industry which developed into a tradition out of
devising a screenplay.

The last chapter discusses films after the reign of Ferdinand Marcos. Filmmakers
started to create movies opposing the former dictator. There were various contents on
films surfaced in the industry: “…images of torture, incarceration, struggle and
oppression”, “patricide ends a tyrannical father’s domination”, “theme of oppression and
tyranny” (par. 39). During this era, Kidlat Tahimihik’s film “Mababangong
Bangungot” (Perfumed Nightmare) won the International Critic’s Prize in Berlin Film
Festival. This made the independent cinema rose to its fame. Since then, independent
films “became an accomplished part of Philippine film” (par. 40).

Nowadays, we are apparently in a cycle of genres, plots, characterization, and

cinematic styles – that is lacking in quality. Since concepts are being recycled repeatedly
with the same narratives. In this regard, studies show that Hollywood films are favored
to be watched over the local films; but despite that “Filipino movies… wield an influence
over the national imagination far more intense that all the others combined” (par. 46).

Philippine Journeys. (1995). History of Philippine cinema. Retrieved November 5,

2013 from http://www.aenet.org/family/filmhistory.htm.

J. Eddie Infante (1991) featured in his book an essay regarding films as

reflections of national character. According to him, “there is no quicker nor a more
accurate way of knowing a country than through her films” (p. 154). As evident in his
statement, Infante (1991) gave Japan as an example. When they make a film on the life
and times of feudal Japan, “grandiose spectaculars, replete with emperors and warlords
in regalia, kabuki and chrysanthemums and temples of worship, or even a simple story
woven around a small fishing village interwoven with their traditions, superstitions, and
culture” were the things perceived in the movie. We have come to know Japan better
because of their produced motion pictures. As a result, we can say that films are indeed
an effective tool in transporting messages to the public.

Infante, J. (1991). Inside Philippine movies 1970-1990: Essays of Philippine

cinema.Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
MEDIA

Joanne Lacsina (2006) believed that media plays a big part in the construction of
stereotypical concepts. With this, she discussed in her study the broadcast media
presentation of street gangs on the formation of stereotypical concepts of Baguio
residents. Information was gathered from Bombo Radyo, RPN, Sky Cable and Viacomm,
the Baguio City Police Office Director, representatives from two famous local street
gangs: Bloods and Crips, and man-on-the-street interviews. There were also gang-
related movies, music videos, and news report that emphasized gang’s stereotypical
concepts that are frequently negative. Films like Baby boy(2005), City of Gods or Cidade
de Deus (2003), Dangerous Minds (1996), Honey (2003), andState Property: Blood on
the Streets (2001) are seen as examples of the traditional gangster stereotypes “high
class, gun-slinging men, who are feared by the public that won’t dare to respect them”
(p. 9). These movies reinforce the perception that gangs are vicious and would not do
any good. Moreover, during the 1990s rap music popularized, and tales of thrashing and
public humiliations emerged. Then, rappers started to disparage each other with
escalating violence. Their dispute increased from just a wrangle into a bloody war. In
addition, there are local news articles that were published concerning how street gangs
portrayed in the broadcast media; saying that they are a group of violent people.
However, Lacsina (2006) insinuated that everyone must be critical to the things they
want to absorb in the broadcast media since “not everything they see or hear is entirely
true” (p. vi).

Lacsina, J. (2006). “A gangster ‘till I die” The effects of broadcast media depiction
of local street gangs on the stereotypical perception of Baguio
residents. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis. University of the Philippines
Baguio.

Another study that discussed the impact of media is Rona Lean Sales’ Media’s
Coverage of Dogeating and its Effect on Both Dogeaters and Non-Dogeater (2003). This
thesis analyzed twenty (20) news and feature stories of media that have a prevalent
stand, moreover, fifty (50) dogeaters and non-dogeaters were asked to answer
questionnaires concerning the dogeating activity. The researcher found out that the
stand of media about the said activity is negative. Thus, dogeaters were disgruntled by
how media dealt with the issue. They were portrayed as vicious and callous. In addition,
the custom was sensationalized while its cultural of historical background of this practice
was seldom explained. As a result, non-dogeaters wanted less correlation with
dogeaters after they have been exposed to media. This study greatly affirmed how
media significantly affects the perception of the public.

Sales, R. (2003). Media’s Coverage of Dogeating and its Effect on Both Dogeaters
and Non-Dogeater. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the
Philippines Baguio.

Maricris Aficial, Marical Calimquim and Jemelle Esita (2003) have studied Disney
animated films (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Mulan) and its effect on the gender-role
perception of the grade one student of Saint Louis Laboratory Elementary School. The
researchers analyzed the three movies using content analysis and found out that there
are many gender-role stereotypes that are affecting the gender-role perceptions of the
children. Most of the portrayals of girls are usually obedient, meek, fragile, patient, and
beautiful. On the contrary, boys are masculine, strong, and heroic. These stereotypes
suggest a powerful message that girl is the weaker sex and boy is the stronger sex. In
addition, the culture that has been passed by the parents also contributes to the gender-
roles presented in the films. With this, children affirm to the idea and less likely to
change their perception on gender-roles. Thus, “they are more likely to hold that girls
should be feminine and boys should be masculine” (p.44).

Aficial, M., Calimquim, M. & Esita, J. (2003). The effect of Disney animated films
(Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Mulan) to the gender-role perception of
children.Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines Baguio.