Tensions in the South China Sea continue to mount. Enter the media — cameras ready, pens poised, and tweets prepped. Filipino and Chinese journalists are stationed on opposing ships and boats in the region, providing live media coverage of confrontations during resupply missions to contested areas like Ayungin Shoal. On the Filipino side, these missions often pose great personal risk to the journalists trying to document China’s continued harassment of Philippine vessels within its own waters.
The South China Sea dispute is one of the most volatile flashpoints in Asia, involving overlapping territorial claims by multiple nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. At the heart of the conflict is China’s expansive claim, represented by the “nine-dash line,” which encompasses nearly 90% of the sea and directly overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of its neighbors. This strategic waterway is rich in resources, including fisheries, oil, and gas reserves, and is vital to global trade, with one-third of the world’s shipping passing through its waters annually. China’s actions, such as constructing artificial islands, deploying military assets, and harassing vessels from other nations, have exacerbated tensions. For smaller countries like the Philippines, defending their sovereign rights in these contested waters has become a David-versus-Goliath struggle, with far-reaching implications for regional stability and international law.
The current Philippine government’s decision to embed journalists on these missions is a bold move to spotlight China’s aggressive maneuvers in the contested waters. This “transparency campaign” began last year when Manila adopted the strategy of embedding journalists on its coast guard patrol ships to expose China’s increasingly assertive actions in the disputed sea. Foreign journalists were also allowed to embed, and in March 2024, CNN joined the Philippine Coast Guard for two days — marking the first time foreign journalists had been permitted to do so in decades.
The Philippines has a vibrant yet embattled media landscape, shaped by a history of both resilience and repression. Under Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency (2016–2022), the media faced a hostile environment marked by verbal attacks, judicial harassment, and the weaponization of laws to stifle dissent. High-profile incidents, such as the forced closure of ABS-CBN’s broadcast operations and cyberattacks targeting critical outlets, underscored the precariousness of press freedom. While the current administration under Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has shown a less overtly antagonistic stance toward the media, the threats persist. Harassment through “red-tagging,” defamation lawsuits, and economic pressures on independent outlets remain significant challenges. Despite these constraints, Philippine journalists continue to push back, leveraging digital platforms to amplify their reporting and maintain a degree of independence. This tenuous balance of repression and resilience sets the stage for the media’s critical role in shaping the narrative surrounding the South China Sea dispute.
The role of the media in these circumstances is complicated by the conditions under which journalists gain access. Some reporters covering the South China Sea tensions are embedded with the Philippine Coast Guard or military on resupply missions, riding alongside military personnel in high-stakes confrontations with Chinese vessels. While this arrangement ensures their safety, it also inevitably shapes the narratives they produce. Relying on the military for logistics and protection, journalists are in close proximity to their sources, which may influence the tone and framing of their coverage. Operating under these constraints, embedded journalists have limited autonomy, which can subtly guide their reporting to align more closely with the military’s perspective, raising questions about the balance between safety, access, and editorial independence.
Furthermore, transparency, as always, cuts both ways. Broadcasting these tense confrontations risks fanning the flames of an already heated dispute. Journalists on the front lines aren’t just dodging physical dangers — they’re also caught in the crossfire of political accusations. China accuses Filipino reporters of twisting footage to paint the Philippines as the victim. The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) recently condemned allegations by China that Filipino journalists were manipulating videos to sensationalize confrontations. FOCAP emphasized that the journalists are risking their lives to document the “unvarnished truth” and pushed back against claims of distortion, underscoring the pressure journalists face when embedded in these high-risk missions.
The Spectacle of Conflict
When journalists are embedded in these high-tension situations, the nature of the confrontation shifts. Every maneuver, every shouted order becomes performative. The cameras roll, the stories swell, and what could be mundane maritime patrols morph into high-octane face-offs ready for broadcast. Dramatic language such as “deliberately ramming,” “dangerous maneuvers,” and “worrisome escalation” peppers these reports, heightening the sense of urgency and conflict. This framing doesn’t just document events — it amplifies the stakes, creating a narrative where every moment becomes a potential flashpoint.
The post-Duterte media landscape in the Philippines is as diverse as the tensions it covers. According to a recent report by AidData, a research lab at William & Mary, outlets like The Manila Times, which has a content-sharing partnership with Xinhua, often provide a more positive portrayal of China’s activities in the region, focusing on infrastructure projects and development. On the other hand, independent outlets like ABS-CBN, and The Philippine Daily Inquirer adopt a more critical tone, emphasizing China’s controversial actions in the South China Sea and broader governance and environmental issues.
Journalists on the front lines aren’t just dodging physical dangers — they’re also caught in the crossfire of political accusations.
As China flexed its political muscle in the South China Sea, the Philippines has responded through numerous avenues. In 2013, Manila brought China before an international tribunal to determine if China’s sweeping claims, based on the infamous nine-dash line, held any water under international law. Were those disputed land features truly islands, rocks, or just low-tide elevations? And had China overstepped by meddling in the Philippines’ right to tap into its own waters? In 2016, the tribunal ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s claims — including its aggressive land reclamation activities and incursions into Philippine waters — unlawful.
Journalists as Storytellers and Creators of Narratives
Journalists are not neutral. They are storytellers, yes, but also creators of narratives that influence the next round of diplomatic and military chess moves. And narratives are never impartial. Social media platforms, including TikTok and Facebook, are flooded with content crafted to evoke a visceral response. According to the AidData report, the Chinese government has capitalized on Filipinos’ heavy social media use, with pro-China content frequently promoted on these platforms. However, these efforts have largely failed to reshape public opinion in China’s favor.
Despite China’s pervasive media strategies, including efforts to frame the South China Sea dispute as a matter of Chinese sovereignty and benevolence, the Philippine press remains vocal in its criticisms. Stories critical of China, particularly around infrastructure projects and maritime disputes, continue to dominate, signaling a failure of China’s media investments to sway the narrative.
A Way Forward: Transparency as a Pillar of Accountability
Journalists in the Philippines have continued to serve as critical watchdogs in the face of mounting geopolitical tensions, particularly with China. Despite Beijing’s extensive efforts to influence media narratives — through training programs, content partnerships, and aggressive messaging — Philippine media has largely remained independent, often critical of China’s development projects and maritime activities. This demonstrates that even in the face of external pressure, transparency and accountability can thrive.
As tensions in the South China Sea persist, and despite the complexity of accurate reporting on remote conflicts at sea, the role of journalists in shedding light on these confrontations for global audiences remains indispensable.
Chief correspondent Jim Gomez of AP, who has covered multiple standoffs between Chinese and Philippine vessels, exemplifies the challenges journalists face. His team endured significant logistical difficulties, including sleeping on the floor due to the lack of space on the ship. As Gomez recalls, “The ship had no room for guests, so the team slept wherever there was space — on the floor under tables or any corner where they could fit.”
Despite the challenges, independent, transparent reporting remains the most effective tool in countering propaganda, building accountability, and preserving democratic principles.
