"In this global age brought about by the internet, it’s first and foremost a war of perception."
"In this global age brought about by the internet, it’s first and foremost a war of perception."
It’s West Philippine Sea, not South China Sea. Recto Bank, not Reed Bank. Panatag Shoal, not Scarborough. Kalayaan Islands, not Spratlys.
When reading the news, it is disturbing to see some reporters and editors use terms that are not pro-Philippines, using instead the names a colonizer devised, particularly when we have our own word, name, or term for the subject.
Words and language shape how you and others think and act about something. Riffing off the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, “Language influences thought and behavior.” Without going deeply into linguistic determinism and the debate around that, it stands to reason that how a concept or idea is communicated to the audience affects their view and perception of it.
This manipulation may be done deliberately by media platforms and is called ‘framing,’ part of the agenda-setting tradition. “A frame,” according to the University of Twente in its document ‘Communication Theories’ (2003), “refers to the way media and media gatekeepers organize and present the events and issues they cover, and the way audiences interpret what they are provided…
“Frames influence the perception of the news of the audience, [and] this form of agenda-setting not only tells people what to think about, but also how to think about it.”
Why write and publish an editorial that calls Recto Bank ‘Reed Bank’ and then rant that a Chinese vessel rammed a Philippine boat there? By using ‘Reed’, it might be construed that the island is not within our territorial scope and jurisdiction, where in fact the opposite is true—the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled in 2016 that the area is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.
Framing it this way does not help the Philippines. So call it Recto Bank.
Perhaps some are using the international name to make it easy for foreigners to understand the story. This argument would be acceptable if the local name were also mentioned, as in “Recto Bank (Reed Bank).”
But some articles I’ve read only use the international name. This smacks of a colonial mentality—why should we be the ones to adjust? Let others learn our names for these places.
Did American diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski change his name to something more pronounceable for his adopted country and for the foreign community? Heck, no. He proudly kept his Polish name and forced the world to learn how to say it.
In ‘The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives’ (1997), he wrote, “The language of the internet is English, and an overwhelming proportion of the global computer chatter also originates from America, influencing the content of global conversation.”
Whether inadvertent or not, as in the case of the internet, Brzezinski’s insight shows the existence of tendencies to linguistic imperialism, where the language of, and terms used by, the colonizer or imperial power buttress and disseminate attitudes related to dominance and supremacy.
As post-colonial philosopher Frantz Fanon wrote in ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ (1952), language is often used as a tool of imperial ideological domination. Again, there might not be any such intent, but in not being mindful, one could be unconsciously working in the colonial interest.
Perhaps people are more used to the old terms. As President Rodrigo Duterte said in his speech at the recent Philippine Navy event: “With all the galit, even urging sending grayships doon sa China sea…” (as quoted in a DZRH News tweet), rather than saying “West Philippine Sea.” It was probably a reflex more than anything.
But is it so hard to learn new things? And as president, he needs to prioritize his country’s sovereignty at all times and be heedful of the words he uses. This goes for the media too, that works with words and uses the power of words to convey ideas and calls to action.
China is cognizant of the power of words, and uses Chinese terms to refer to the territories they are attempting to take over (and have taken over) in the WPS. It’s likely that this tactic confers upon them a sense of entitlement over the islands, reinforcing to their citizens and the world their claims made on whatever basis.
In this global age brought about by the internet, it’s first and foremost a war of perception. Attitudes and behavior are influenced by the media content people consume. China is a step ahead of us in that regard.
Our use of international place names points to nothing less than a colonial mentality that we can’t seem to shake off, a belief that our own names for things are inadequate or inferior, a feeling that we are so insecure about other folks finding us and ours on a map.
Stop giving our power away to others. Call it Recto Bank.
‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’ does not apply here, because Shakespeare knew jackshit about linguistic relativity. / FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO