For all its perceived power, the media does have limits when it comes to covering the news. The cases of Fr. Alexander Salve and Tarlac Rep. Monica "Nikki" Prieto-Teodoro are examples of this point.
The Cebu Archdiocese yesterday laid to rest Fr. Salve, who died under circumstances that invite a scandal. The church, his family and parishioners appealed to the media and the public to respect his good name and quiet the controversy.
In a Mass offered in Basak, Mandaue City last Sunday, Fr. Nash Inanoria vented his ire on the media, saying the incident was overblown.
It may be distasteful to dwell on the priest's death, the result of an apparent heart attack, in a room at a downtown inn.
But unless there is a satisfactory explanation given for the parish priest's presence there, and the discovery of his unconscious body by two young women, who quickly disappeared, the story will have a hard time finding closure.
Only facts brought in the light can deliver that. Perhaps later, when emotions have subsided.
At a time when Pope Benedict XVI is courageously dealing with old cases of clergy abuse which had been swept under the rug for decades, it is hoped that the Cebu Archdiocese, too, answers the need for full disclosure on questions about the conduct of its priests.
Nikki Teodoro's case also illustrates the choice of news subjects to shut off the media.
All of Sunday she campaigned in Cebu City for votes for her presidentiable husband, Gilbert, while avoiding reporters, who followed her hoping to get a minute of her time for an interview.
She and her campaign supporters in the Green Team Visayas explained that they perceived the media as unfair in its coverage of Gibo's campaign, with its constant mention of his low ranking in the surveys.
In both cases, the subjects or those around them begged off talking with the media out of a sense of self-preservation or privacy.
Here lies the tension in the media's role to unearth information of public interest and the choice of subjects not to cooperate.
In Fr. Salve's case, the publicity and questions were unavoidable.
For a society that holds priests in high regard, it was a shock to find that one had passed away alone, in a place of less than savory reputation, with no one to explain what he was doing there other than saying that he was "resting" in a state of undress.
For Nikki Teodoro, if her husband does get elected to Malacañang, she can expect to see her exposure in the public eye magnified as congresswoman and first lady. Griping about unfair press and hiding from reporters is not a positive step in that direction.
The media does respect the privacy of subjects who insist on keeping it. But when they wander into the area of public interest, expect the glare of scrutiny.
