the moon is made of cheese

Here's the thing: I am even surprised that she's called a journalist. She did make good points about journalists having to put their names (and thereby there credibility) as an identity stamp of sorts on the pieces they write. How she does not mention having balls to withstand nasty comments and mud-slinging escapes me. You're in the world where people smile charmingly say something and mean a totally different thing. You should be less thick in the head.

Read Malu Fernandez's article here

Journalism and blogging ARE two different mediums, although both are rooted in the fine (sometimes not-so) composition of a piece. Blogging is a culture, journalism is a craft. Sometimes, the two overlap, but there are certain distinctions.

Blogs are supposed to be personal commentaries based on perhaps self-promotion and the effort to illicit strong responses to what one has written. Yeah, journalism is that, but it hardly is rooted in personal opinion. Unless you're writing an opinion column, which you seem to have been doing for a long time.

While blogging is a commentary, journalism is telling a story based on facts. Blogging is participatory journalism, where citizens get involved with the latest news by gathering, analyzing, and disseminating facts. However, blogging is usually tainted with personal opinion, a thing journalists should stay away from when delivering news. However, it remains the same that in both, what you put into words create reactions, whether you like it or not.

Journalism is about letting your balls hang out there and brace yourself for smashing or stroking because it's what the job entails. Blogging, meanwhile, allows one the liberty to hide behind false names (thus, usernames) or anonymity. I do understand that it can get frustrating, annoying, or even hurtful that some people "hide behind a false name" because of "cowardice", but that's one of the risks when you start a blog. And have you even read the "Letters to the Editor" section? NOT EVERYONE gives their name when expressing opposition. Even if they do put names, how sure are you anyway that it's their real name?

Hiding behind anonymity is part of one's freedom of speech. The right to state an opinion coupled with responsibility does not require one to put a face behind the shout or whisper. Nominal identity and self-expression are not necessarily tied together. It's not exactly the name beside the opinion that matters, but what one says. Well, some situations may require a person to identify himself when expressing something, but in blogging, you shouldn't hold it against people if they don't want to identify themselves.

If you still want to write, STOP WHINING. It's part of the job. There are times that you are lauded for your brilliance and there are times when you'd get tied down to a chair and will be forced to eat your own words. This time, maybe you should go grab a glass of water, a plate, and cutlery. Expect another barrage of angry comments regarding your "Perhaps it is the Filipino culture to foster backstabbing because they never mean what they say face to face" statement. Dear God, woman, do you not learn? Has the fat finally gotten to your brain and made you impossibly thick? You got blasted the last time you made a sweeping statement of your countrymen and now, you're just stirring the hornet's nest.

I am not a person who would overlook flaws and blindly highlight the beauty of Filipino culture, but i have to say this: HOW THE FUCK DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT CONCLUSION? Is backstabbing mutually exclusive to our culture? Remember Brutus? Benedict Arnold? Do you not watch Mexican telenovelas?

Ms Fernandez, stop whining and start defending. You have at least 15 minutes before the first wave of angry (and to piss you off more, anonymous) comments coming your way. Here's a bat and a shield. You have three minutes. Go.