With the 2025 elections fast approaching, the political noise is only getting louder. But beyond the promises and posters lies something more troubling—mudslinging.
Why do candidates, and even ordinary citizens, resort to it, even if it chips away at our democracy?
#MatalinongBoto2025 #ManilaBulletin
Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin
Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com @manilabulletin-
#ManilaBulletinOnline
#ManilaBulletin
#LatestNews
Why do candidates, and even ordinary citizens, resort to it, even if it chips away at our democracy?
#MatalinongBoto2025 #ManilaBulletin
Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin
Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com @manilabulletin-
#ManilaBulletinOnline
#ManilaBulletin
#LatestNews
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00People do it, people do it all the time because it works.
00:03Unfortunately, mudslinging works.
00:05Philippine politics has always been dramatic.
00:08With the 2025 elections fast approaching, the political noise is only getting louder.
00:15But beyond the promises and posters, lies something more troubling.
00:20Mudslinging.
00:22Why do candidates, and even ordinary citizens, resort to it, even if it ships away at our democracy?
00:28In this episode, MB explains why political mudslinging distracts from the real issues.
00:35Mudslinging, as defined by Martin Hazelmayer, is a political strategy where candidates attempt to damage their opponent's reputation,
00:44often through what appears to be substantive criticism.
00:48This includes character assassination, using derogatory language, throwing shade, or spreading implied rumors about their opponent.
00:58Simply put, mudslinging is the act of saying insulting or damaging things about someone to tarnish someone's name.
01:06But how can we spot mudslinging when it happens?
01:09And when does it typically begin in the political process?
01:12Political mudslinging, technically, means that the discussion makes a turn from issues to something personal.
01:26When the discussion, when the debate, when the argument makes that turn from that context to something personal,
01:36then that already, whether it's good or bad, well, in political mudslinging, it's almost always bad, no?
01:45But if it makes that turn into something personal, then that's a cue already that the person may be engaging in political mudslinging.
01:59In short, mudslinging starts the moment anyone shifts the conversation toward a person's private life, instead of focusing on the issue.
02:09Why do individuals or political groups engage in mudslinging in the first place?
02:13Unfortunately, mudslinging works.
02:16It grabs public attention.
02:19It fuels name recall.
02:20It mobilizes supporters and gets people talking.
02:25And not always in a bad way.
02:26For some politicians, attacking arrival is actually a strategy to boost their own image, no?
02:33In short, it's noise.
02:35But from a political communication strategy, it's a useful noise.
02:39Mudslinging can help candidates control the narrative.
02:43It distracts voters and the media from their weaknesses, from the candidates' weaknesses.
02:48If a person already touches on not only the personal life of the other party, but on the personal emotional aspect of their supporters,
03:03triggering hatred or anger or disgust towards the other person, then it concretizes the support.
03:14People do it.
03:15People do it all the time because it works.
03:17Why does it work?
03:19Because, as I've mentioned a while ago, the nature of Philippine politics has always been dramatic.
03:27Psychology professor Alison Ledgerwood and her colleagues point out that negative framing tends to stick more than positive ones.
03:36Our brains are hardwired to remember negative information.
03:39Throughout history, political mudslinging has proven effective.
03:45It captures the public's attention and distracts voters from the real issues.
03:50But why does it work so well?
03:52And why does it continue to pull us away from what truly matters?
03:56Mudslinging works because it simplifies complex issues.
03:59So, let's face it, for many of our voters, political decision-making can feel overwhelming.
04:06There's so much information, so many moving parts.
04:10So, when a candidate turns the race into a battle of personalities between who's good and who's bad,
04:16it suddenly becomes easier to follow and way more relatable.
04:19This is where mudslinging becomes effective.
04:21Like what I said, it grabs attention, it entertains, and it helps build name recall.
04:29So, in a system where visibility is important, then mudslinging is political currency.
04:36So, it distracts us from real issue by making the unreal seem more engaging.
04:43From a psychological perspective, researchers have found that people are more likely to focus on
04:48and give greater weight to negative information than positive,
04:52a phenomenon known as negativity bias.
04:56Given that mudslinging easily diverts attention from pressing issues,
05:00and that many Filipinos tend to gravitate more toward personal stories than policy discussions,
05:07could public figures be using political mudslinging deliberately
05:10to distract us from urgent concerns like poverty, education, and health care?
05:16When politicians resort to mudslinging, it's rarely accidental.
05:22It often serves a very specific purpose, and that is to control the narrative,
05:28to gain visibility, and basically shift the people's attention away from the topics that might harm them.
05:35I think politicians are very knowledgeable with how the media works,
05:40and with how social media works.
05:41They understand that sensational stories, even the messy ones, make headlines and go viral.
05:48People who join and participate in mudslinging are aware of it and done it intentionally.
05:54But are they also aware of the broader effects of this?
05:58Since the strategy of political mudslinging is deliberately done,
06:03candidates, politicians who use it are very much aware.
06:07Again, they know that it works, they know that it will be effective,
06:14but some politicians may have to be cautious now,
06:23because what we are seeing now is that
06:27even if you have planned everything accordingly,
06:33it may backfire.
06:37Because now, in the context of politics today,
06:44the access of people to various sources of information
06:51makes us, makes it possible for us to verify,
06:57makes it possible for us to confirm.
07:00Mudslinging, because it's a trade-off,
07:02is a short-term and a long-term trade-off.
07:05It may deliver short-term wins,
07:07but in the long run, it's bad news for the health of our democracy.
07:12It's a trade-off between short-term attention
07:14and long-term damage to democracy.
07:17So, the danger is that in the race to win votes,
07:22we might be losing something bigger,
07:25and that is, you know, the very spirit of Philippine democracy.
07:30And because political mudslinging works,
07:32and we might lose the spirit of our democracy,
07:35we need to know how to recognize
07:37whether an attack against an opponent is grounded, in fact,
07:40or if it's simply a false accusation.
07:43But how can we identify it?
07:45Assistant Professor Ignacio shares that there are a few ways to tell.
07:51First, when the discussion turns personal,
07:53that alone is already a cue
07:55that the conversation may be veering into political mudslinging.
07:59Second, two extremes.
08:01If the statement is too vague,
08:03like claiming someone is corrupt
08:05without offering any clear evidence.
08:07While the other extreme is if it's very personal or specific.
08:13Lastly, if the statement becomes exaggerated
08:15to the point that it resembles fake news.
08:18Spotting the difference between fact-based criticism
08:22and mudslinging requires effort.
08:24But it starts with one thing,
08:26knowing the facts, you know?
08:28That means going beyond the news headlines.
08:31It means checking credible sources,
08:34following in-depth political analysis,
08:37and watching debates where candidates are pressed on the important issues.
08:41So the more context you have, I think,
08:43the easier it is to tell if mudslinging or an attack
08:48is grounded in truth or just thrown to provoke.
08:51Fact-checking, looking for credible resources,
08:54and watching debates will help us determine
08:57whether the information is true or not.
09:00But what role can voters play in educating others
09:03about the dangers of mudslinging
09:05and promoting more informed political discussions?
09:09Professor Gloria says voters should be active participants,
09:12not just passive consumers.
09:14We need to demand substance from candidates,
09:17ask the tough questions,
09:19and push past all the noise.
09:22Professor Ignacio adds that our responsibility
09:24starts with educating ourselves
09:26and that we should dig deeper,
09:28validate, and infer.
09:31He also said we should not engage in political mudslinging,
09:35and whenever we see someone doing it,
09:37we should call their attention.
09:39I think mudslinging isn't going away.
09:42Negative campaigning has been part of our political discourse ever since.
09:47But instead of trying to stop it completely,
09:50we should focus on how we can respond to it.
09:52It's difficult to stop this practice
09:55because it has been very effective for so many people.
10:00But it doesn't mean that we should allow it to continue.
10:04Political mudslinging may never fully disappear.
10:07But that doesn't mean it should go unchallenged.
10:10It doesn't mean people will stay silent.
10:13Because change doesn't start in silence,
10:16it begins with awareness,
10:18with action,
10:19and with those who dare to demand better.
10:21Whether an ordinary citizen,
10:24a public servant,
10:25or a politician,
10:27everyone has a role to play.
10:29The system isn't just something to observe.
10:31It's something that can be shaped.