Custodian of rule of law and national interest: Political journalism and the discourse of Philippines–China maritime tensions

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s maritime claim in 2016. Hostile activities by the China Coast Guard were documented years before the ruling but it was in 2023 when sustained attacks against the Philippine forces were first mainstreamed in the media. This article examines the Philippines–China maritime tensions as a momentous discourse that characterizes political journalism in the Philippines. The argument is that, while the leading news media outlets predominantly use official sources such as senators, military spokespersons, and international governments in their reporting, they do so not as neutral dispatchers of officialdom but as equalizers of voices and events that seek to uphold the rule of law and national interest. The equalizing role of media matters to how discourse is negotiated in the news as it highlights the potential and limits of political journalism in recounting conflicts and geopolitics.