Boy Abunda on traditional media's relevance, AI fears and showbiz relationships

October 25 ------ Television host Boy Abunda weighed in on the changing media landscape, saying traditional and social media will eventually find their respective spaces as audiences learn where to turn for specific kinds of content.

Abunda acknowledged that the media industry continues to evolve, with stories and content moving between platforms in a process known as media convergence. “There's a thing we call media convergence, yung inter-migration nang materials. Yung laman ng social media napupunta sa mainstream, and vice versa so, walang definitive answers diyan,” he told us during a chat.

For Abunda, staying relevant is not simply about following trends or allowing others to determine one's place in the industry. “Kung hahayan mo ang iba ang magsabi what makes you relevant, problema yun. Kasi meron yung trajectory, may pataas, may pababa. Of course, it comes with the territory,” he said.

He noted that stories can gain traction on one platform before spilling over into another, making it important for media practitioners to understand how the landscape works. “Everyday is just a story,” Abunda said, adding that stories can break in mainstream media and gain a longer life on social media, or the other way around. “May pumuputok sa mainstream na pinatatagal ng social media, and again vice versa. It's just being able to live with it.”

Rather than resist the changes, Abunda said media practitioners must decide whether they are willing to adapt. “You have to be cognizant na marami nang pagbabago, you have to adapt if you need to, kung ayaw mo pwede rin naman,” he said. He also expressed confidence that traditional and social media would eventually establish their own roles, allowing audiences to distinguish what each platform offers. “Eventually, mainstream and social media, they will find their space. You would know where to go to for a specific thing, social media or mainstream. It's down to the physiology of the thing. Alam mo kung mainstream siya o social media siya. So, parang outlet lang siya,” he said.

Abunda pointed to radio as an example of a medium that endured despite the emergence of a new platform that once threatened its place. “Radio was afraid when TV came, but radio is still here,” he said.

On artificial intelligence and online negativity

While Abunda recognizes the changes brought by digital platforms, he admitted that artificial intelligence worries him more than the evolving relationship between mainstream and social media. “To be honest, mas takot dun sa artificial intelligence,” he said.

Abunda also reflected on how social media has made it easier for people to post hurtful comments, warning against mistaking the ability to speak freely for the courage to be unkind. “I'm not very techy. I have enough humility and experience and self-respect to know where, and who I am. Reading the nastiest comment makes you matapang. Mali e,” he said.

For Abunda, the growing power people have to express themselves online should come with a stronger commitment to treating others with fairness and compassion. “Now that we can do anything, we should lean more towards the power to be compassionate to be fair, kinder. That resolve should be stronger,” he said.

On lasting relationships in showbiz

Beyond the changes in media, Abunda also addressed what he considers one of the biggest misconceptions about the entertainment industry: the belief that relationships formed within it do not last. “That relationships in this business are ephemeral, I think that's the biggest misconception,” Abunda said, pointing to the meaningful relationships he has built with fellow celebrities over the years, as well as the enduring love he shares with his longtime life partner.

Source: mb.com.ph