Designated Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles. Contributed photo
The number of followers and a high engagement are the likely key factors in accrediting the bloggers and vloggers who will cover President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malaca帽ang.
The appointed press secretary, Trixie Cruz Angeles, on Thursday said Malaca帽ang鈥檚 existing accreditation policy on bloggers and vloggers was currently under review. The lawyer-vlogger who served as 鈥渃hief social media鈥� of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) from 2017 to 2018 was apparently referring to Department Order No. 15 issued by Communications Secretary Martin Andanar in August 2017. DO 15 states that accreditation will be issued to any Filipino citizen at least 18 years old and with at least 5,000 followers on any social media platform.
鈥淲hat we are doing now is to review that [policy]鈥攚hether it is the right time to include them in press briefings, how often, what are the qualifications, and so on,鈥� Angeles said in an interview with ABS-CBN鈥檚 Teleradyo.
She said the review included 鈥渃onsidering both the following and engagements鈥� of bloggers and vloggers for accreditation.
鈥淩ight now, we are looking at engagements, because engagements really mean that people are responding to what you have written or shown, and they are interested or 鈥� involved in what is being said,鈥� she said.
鈥楲evel of inclusion鈥�
But the 鈥渓evel of inclusion鈥� of bloggers and vloggers in the coverage of presidential events is still being studied, Angeles clarified. 鈥淲ill they be regular, like the [members of] the Malaca帽ang Press Corps, or will they just be able to cover events? Do we create events for them?鈥� she said.
Asked if there would be a difference in the treatment between journalists and bloggers covering the Palace, she said: 鈥淚 think, initially, there may be, but it is subject to review.鈥�
According to University of the Philippines journalism professor Danilo Arao, social media followers and engagements such as comments and likes 鈥渃an be bought, so metrics can be gamed.鈥�
鈥淧COO鈥檚 planned accreditation of bloggers/vloggers, content creators and influencers should focus more on quality, not quantity, of output,鈥� Arao said in a Twitter post.
Angeles earlier said that accrediting bloggers and vloggers would be a priority of the PCOO under her watch.
In a statement on Thursday, Andanar said 鈥渢he plan to grant press credentials to bloggers in Malaca帽ang鈥� would be 鈥渁n internal decision of the incoming administration.鈥�
鈥淎ny reaction or queries on the matter should therefore be best answered by the next administration鈥檚 press secretary designate,鈥� he said.
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