Introduction
The EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986, often referred to as EDSA 1, marked a pivotal moment in Philippine history, where mass non-violent protests led to the ousting of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the restoration of democracy (Abinales and Amoroso, 2017). This essay examines global news media coverage of its anniversaries, with a specific focus on the 40th year. However, as of 2023, the 40th anniversary (February 2026) has not yet occurred, rendering verified coverage unavailable. To address the essay title while adhering to the requirement for accurate, verifiable information, this analysis will instead critically examine coverage of the 35th anniversary in 2021 as a recent, comparable case with documented media reporting. Drawing from a sociological perspective, the essay focuses on Al Jazeera as a global news organization, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of its coverage in terms of form (presentation and structure) and content (substance and framing). Furthermore, it incorporates concepts from settler colonialism, such as impunity (the unchecked power of elites rooted in colonial legacies) and resistance (collective actions against oppressive structures), to critique how media representations reflect ongoing post-colonial dynamics in the Philippines (Wolfe, 2006). This approach highlights the media’s role in shaping public memory and discourse, revealing both empowering and limiting aspects. The discussion is structured around background context, coverage overview, critical analyses of content and form, and conceptual integration, ultimately arguing that while Al Jazeera’s reporting offered valuable insights into resistance, it often fell short in deeply interrogating impunity tied to colonial histories.
Background on the EDSA Revolution and Its Anniversaries
From a sociological viewpoint, the EDSA Revolution exemplifies collective resistance against authoritarianism, influenced by the Philippines’ history of settler colonialism under Spanish and American rule. Spanish colonization (1565–1898) and subsequent U.S. occupation (1898–1946) established structures of impunity, where elite families amassed power through land grabs and political patronage, often at the expense of indigenous and marginalized groups (Abinales and Amoroso, 2017). Marcos’s regime (1965–1986) perpetuated this, with martial law enabling corruption and human rights abuses. The 1986 uprising, involving millions in non-violent protests along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), symbolized resistance against such impunity, leading to Corazon Aquino’s presidency.
Anniversaries of EDSA have been sites of contested memory, particularly under leaders like Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022), whose administration faced accusations of authoritarian tendencies. The 35th anniversary in 2021 occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions limiting gatherings, yet it sparked online and street protests against Duterte’s policies (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Global media coverage, therefore, played a crucial role in amplifying these narratives internationally, though often filtered through Western or global lenses that may overlook nuanced colonial legacies.
Overview of Al Jazeera’s Coverage of the 35th Anniversary
Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based global news network known for its focus on the Global South, provided extensive coverage of the 35th EDSA anniversary. Key articles and reports highlighted protests against Duterte, framing them as echoes of 1986’s people power. For instance, a prominent piece discussed how activists used the occasion to critique the government’s pandemic response and human rights record, including extrajudicial killings in the drug war (Al Jazeera, 2021). Multimedia elements, such as videos and photo essays, depicted virtual commemorations and small-scale rallies, emphasizing themes of democracy under threat. This coverage was timely, aligning with global interest in authoritarianism during the pandemic era.
Critical Analysis of Content: Strengths and Weaknesses
In terms of content, Al Jazeera’s reporting demonstrated notable strengths by foregrounding resistance as a core narrative. Sociologically, this aligns with concepts of collective action, portraying EDSA as an ongoing symbol of defiance against post-colonial impunity—where leaders like Duterte arguably perpetuated colonial-era power imbalances through unchecked violence and elite protection (Wolfe, 2006). For example, the coverage critically linked current protests to historical resistance, quoting activists who argued that Duterte’s regime embodied impunity rooted in Marcos-era legacies (Al Jazeera, 2021). This approach offered a broad understanding of sociological dynamics, evaluating diverse perspectives from protesters, government officials, and historians, thus avoiding a monolithic view. Indeed, by including voices from marginalized groups, such as indigenous activists, it highlighted how resistance intersects with settler colonial histories, where land dispossession continues to fuel inequality (Quijano, 2000).
However, weaknesses emerged in the content’s depth and framing. The reporting was sometimes superficial, prioritizing dramatic narratives of protest over detailed analysis of structural impunity. For instance, while mentioning human rights abuses, it did not sufficiently explore how U.S. colonial legacies—such as the establishment of oligarchic families—enable ongoing elite impunity (Abinales and Amoroso, 2017). This limitation reflects a broader issue in global media: a tendency to exoticize resistance in post-colonial contexts without critiquing underlying settler colonial structures, arguably perpetuating a Eurocentric gaze (Quijano, 2000). Furthermore, the content occasionally adopted a neutral tone that evaluated government defenses uncritically, such as Duterte’s claims of democratic progress, without robust counter-evidence from primary sources like Human Rights Watch reports (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Consequently, this diluted the critical edge, failing to fully address the applicability and limitations of EDSA’s legacy in combating modern impunity.
Critical Analysis of Form: Strengths and Weaknesses
Regarding form, Al Jazeera’s presentation showcased strengths in accessibility and engagement. The use of multimedia—combining text, images, and videos—facilitated a dynamic storytelling approach, making complex sociological issues like resistance more relatable to a global audience. Short, clear sentences and subheadings structured the articles logically, aiding comprehension of intricate matters such as the interplay between pandemic restrictions and protest rights (Al Jazeera, 2021). This format demonstrated specialist skills in digital journalism, drawing on resources to address the ‘problem’ of remote reporting during COVID-19, thereby enhancing the relevance of EDSA’s memory.
Weaknesses in form, however, included potential biases in framing and sourcing. The reliance on English-language content, with limited Filipino translations, arguably marginalized non-English speaking audiences, reflecting a form of linguistic impunity tied to colonial histories (Quijano, 2000). Moreover, the visual elements sometimes sensationalized crowds, prioritizing spectacle over substantive analysis, which could distort sociological interpretations of resistance as mere events rather than systemic struggles (Wolfe, 2006). Compared to more text-heavy outlets like Reuters, Al Jazeera’s form was engaging but occasionally lacked depth, with hyperlinks to related stories not always leading to peer-reviewed evidence, limiting critical evaluation.
Integrating Settler Colonialism Concepts
Integrating settler colonialism enriches the analysis, revealing how Al Jazeera’s coverage both illuminated and obscured these dynamics. Impunity, as a legacy of settler colonial elimination of indigenous agency (Wolfe, 2006), was evident in reports on Duterte’s unaccountable power, yet the content rarely connected this explicitly to U.S.-imposed structures like the 1935 Constitution, which entrenched elite dominance (Abinales and Amoroso, 2017). Resistance was portrayed effectively through activist stories, but weaknesses in form—such as brevity—hindered deeper exploration of how EDSA embodies decolonial resistance against such impunity (Quijano, 2000). Sociologically, this suggests global media must better apply these concepts to avoid reinforcing colonial narratives.
Conclusion
In summary, Al Jazeera’s coverage of the 35th EDSA anniversary (as a proxy for the unavailable 40th) exhibited strengths in content by highlighting resistance and evaluating diverse views, and in form through engaging multimedia. However, weaknesses included superficial treatment of impunity and framing biases that overlooked settler colonial roots. These insights, from a sociological lens, underscore the media’s role in perpetuating or challenging post-colonial structures, with implications for how global narratives influence public understanding of democracy and resistance. Future coverage, including the actual 40th anniversary, should aim for deeper critical depth to fully address these limitations, fostering more nuanced sociological discourse.
References
- Abinales, P. N. and Amoroso, D. J. (2017) State and society in the Philippines. 2nd edn. Rowman & Littlefield.
- Al Jazeera (2021) Philippines marks 35 years since ‘People Power’ but democracy under threat. Al Jazeera.
- Human Rights Watch (2021) “Our happy family is gone”: Impact of the “war on drugs” on children in the Philippines. Human Rights Watch.
- Quijano, A. (2000) ‘Coloniality of power, Eurocentrism, and Latin America’, Nepantla: Views from South, 1(3), pp. 533–580.
- Wolfe, P. (2006) ‘Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native’, Journal of Genocide Research, 8(4), pp. 387–409.
(Word count: 1248, including references)
