Reaction to Malu Fernandez articles

This is an email i have sent to Manila Standard earlier this morning(circ@manilastandardtoday.com, kppi@manilastandardtoday.com, glshowbiz@manilastandardtoday.com, mst@manilastandardtoday.com) which i am hoping to receive a response to:


I am writing to your office to express my dismay over an article (Am I being a diva? Or do you lack common sense?) that was written by Malu Fernandez and had passed through Manila Standards’ editors and eventually published. This article stemmed from another article “From Boracay to Greece!” that was published by another magazine. I find her writings to be that from a bigot who discriminates people because of their state in life. For a person to express his/her opinion, though hurtful or unfair, is his/her right, but for a newspaper to publish this is quite unacceptable. I consider this to be an act of tolerance to bigotry and discrimination on Manila Standards’ part.

In her article “Am I being a diva?..” she has mentioned that she writes for a certain target audience and that if I find her writing offensive, I should just stop reading. Does that mean she only writes for an elite group who understands that to be in an economy class section of an airplane is so disgusting that if they find themselves in such situation, they would want to slash their wrist at the thought of being near OFWs? Is this also the group that considers being seated beside a domestic helper in an airplane and mistaken for one considers to be a private hell? Is this Manila Standard’s target readers in general?

If your writer does not think she can bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes in our country, what may I ask, is her role in your paper? Of course I do not expect her to bridge gaps between our country’s social classes, but I do expect her to possess ethics appropriate for a journalist. Isn’t objectivity, impartiality, fairness and public accountability included in a journalist’s principles?

I am expecting a response from your office if Manila Standard thinks my view is not accurate. Otherwise, I am content not to read your paper/website and to share my thoughts to other Filipinos (especially OFWs) who I know will find Malu Fernandez’ writings and your paper’s actions that from irresponsible journalists.