Bad Reporting on a Mechanical Fan Invention

LALAKI, NAKA-IMBENTO NG BENTILADOR NA DE KWERDAS, NAHINGI NG TULONG
Posted by Bayan Bangon at Alamin on Friday, 13 November 2015

Here's an example of news reporting that can make my blood boil. If you watch the report, you'll notice the slow humanization of our creative hero. It started with how to use the fan. But that's the deepest it would go with regards to the product. These sentences would follow:

"Ito ang Salfan, ang imbensyong bentilador ni Mang Ramon Salva mula Lucena City na sagot aniya sa mahal na singil sa kuryente. Hindi kasi ito gumagamit ng kuryente dahil sa mekanismo ng Salfan. (This is Salfan, a mechanical fan invented by Mr. Ramon Salva who hails from Lucena City. According to him, it is the answer to expensive electricity bills because it doesn't use electricity because of its mechanism.) "

So, it doesn't use electricity. Ok. But how effective is it? If I crank the mechanism, how long will the blades spin? If it can last a suitable amount of time, is it possible to enlarge the prototype? How long did it take for Mr. Salve to build his small machine? None of these questions were answered.

The report went on to share that Mr Salva has 10 kids.  He's still persevering as a watch repairman so that 2 of his kids could study. The report also shared that the family supports Mr. Salva in his endeavors. This is basically the entire report.

My question now is why would the report focus on something that has nothing to do with Mr. Salva's product? It's like the product of his creativity took a backseat to his current situation. Yes, Mr. Salva is like a lot of our countrymen who strive to make an honest living. But Mr. Salva is of the different breed. He potentially did something awesome. Why focus on how hard his life has been? Why focus on how his family supports him? Why not focus on his machine? It's like the report dismissed it.

I don't think Mr. Salva is some poor schmuck with a stupid child's play thing that the report portrayed. To me, Mr. Salva is a creative man who was able to translate the gears he repaired in watches into something that could be really helpful.

Hopefully Mr. Salva finds an investor. Or at least, he finds a proper avenue that would focus on his creation instead of how he his life has been.