Atom Araullo talks about his first book and why 'kurakot shaming' works

Atom Araullo has once again struck a chord online after posting a reflection on corruption and accountability in the Philippines.

In a Facebook post, he contrasted the “performative outrage” of politicians with what he described as the “righteous anger” of ordinary citizens.

"Performative outrage mula sa mga trapo. Righteous anger mula sa mamamayan. Gets ko ang panawagang huminahon. Pero mas naiintindihan ko ang galit ng mga matagal nang ginag*go," he wrote. 

His remarks come as various government officials face renewed scrutiny over alleged irregularities in infrastructure and public spending. Araullo stressed that the anger of citizens is rooted in repeated disappointments and long-standing corruption.

In the fifth episode of PhilSTAR L!fe's Generations Podcast, Araullo has engaged in a conversation about "kurakot shaming," his journalistic approach, the problem with performative outrage, and how to sustain anger against corruption. 

For him, the "performative outrage" from politicians versus "righteous anger" from citizens highlights a growing frustration with what many perceive as a cyclical pattern of corruption and superficial responses.

"I am at that crossroads where I still get angry, but I'm also exasperated," Araullo said. "Parang paulit-ulit na siya nangyayari at alam naman ng lahat kung sino yung mga nakikinabang. Pero 'pag nagkakasingilan na, parang puro palabas na lang."

He continued, "When you say the cognitive dissonance, actually, it's a product of the structural corruption. It's designed that way, where garapal talaga at dahil sa walang napaparusahan, sometimes yung displays of corruption are so overt and in your face." 

'Kurakot shaming' as accountability

“Kurakot shaming” or calling out corruption publicly lies not just in its capacity to embarrass politicians, but also to pressure them. Araullo stressed that accountability rarely comes from within the halls of power. 

“Walang mangyayari kung kahayaan lang natin sila na mag-imbestiga sa sarili nila,” he noted. Real justice, he argues, comes when officials feel compelled to answer to public disgust.

"Dahil ang totoo niyan, nagkakaroon lang naman ng totoong hustisya kapag kailangan na nilang managot sa mga tao." 

Araullo went on to emphasize the effectiveness of public shaming, often compared to cancel culture, saying it can serve as a form of accountability for corrupt officials.

“Kung nabuhay ka sa korupsyon, finu-flaunt mo pa yung kayamanan na yun in the face of widespread hardship among Filipinos, then you should be ready for some cancel culture coming your way,” he said. “That’s the least inconvenience they should feel."

Asked about what he thinks about public shaming on social media, Araullo admitted it’s a double-edged sword and that it can become a mob mentality. But when the target is a public official flaunting unexplained wealth “in the face of widespread hardship among Filipinos,” Araullo argued, then shaming is not only deserved but expected.

“Kumbaga, that’s the least inconvenience they should feel,” he said. “Dapat nga nakakasuhan itong mga ito, nababawi yung nakaw. Ano ba naman yung makabasa sila ng mga mean tweets?”

While Araullo acknowledged that online outrage has limits and can sometimes be disproportionate, he said it remains an important tool in reminding officials that the public is watching. 

“I think to an extent, magdadalawang isip din yung mga nagpuflaunt ng kanilang nakaw na yaman dahil dun sa nagbabantay yung mga mamamayan,” he said.

The journalist, however, stressed that real change cannot rely on social media outrage alone. He pointed to past demonstrations, such as the Million People March, as examples of how online anger can spill into mass action.

“Wala namang meaningful changes na mangyayari kung puro ingay lang online ang ating madadatnan,” Araullo said. “Pero yung ingay online… nag-feed din yan yung kagustuhan ng mga tao na kumilos.”

He emphasized that both outrage expressed online and organized movements on the ground are necessary in pushing for accountability. 

“Kung hindi sila nakakaramdam ng pressure mula sa taong bayan, mas madaling i-hush-hush na lang yan at hintayin na lumamig,” he warned.

On writing his first book

In the podcast, Araullo discussed his first book, A View from the Ground, a collection of narrative journalism pieces that highlight the lives of people on the margins of society, accompanied by his own photos.

He explained that while he never initially planned to write a book, his journalism career inspired him to.

"I'm a child of broadcast media," he said. "I've been working on TV since I was young, as a reporter and a documentarian for GMA7. But I always thought text stories were a unique and important way to discuss issues and tell stories."

He shared that the book "began as an itch" during his reporting on Rohingya refugees for the show i-Witness. "I had so much material," he explained, "not just the photos that I took, but also the notes that I had."

Araullo explained that his writing is often inspired by his photographs, which he said he wanted to "hold this moment open."

He also noted that while documentaries last longer than a typical TV report, nothing compares to the longevity of a text story.

A journalist's 'righteous anger'

Araullo was asked how his experiences documenting marginalized communities for his book fuel the outrage he feels about national issues. He replied, discussing the debate about whether journalists should be objective and how to separate personal feelings from the stories they cover. He argued that it’s pointless to pretend they don’t have feelings when they report on difficult stories.

"I always say that it's futile to pretend that we are robots and that we don't feel things when we cover all of these stories," he said.

He called this feeling "righteous anger," explaining, "Kasi marami sa mga bagay na nangyayari sa Pilipinas, talaga naman nakakagalit eh." He described the anger that comes from seeing people who struggle just to eat, to go to school, or to afford a tricycle ride. Meanwhile, officials are flaunting their wealth.

"Sino ba naman ang hindi magagalit? At yung galit na 'yun, tama lang 'yun para sa akin," he said.

He noted that the anger itself is not the problem; what you do with it, while also controlling your emotions, matters. Instead of letting anger turn into despair, it can be channeled into positive action. Araullo believes that as a journalist, you must feel these emotions, especially in narrative journalism.

"Definitely, you have to feel things. Kasi, at the end of the day, especially in narrative journalism, it's important for the audience to also feel those emotions. Hindi lang naman siya straight up reportage. And the first conduit of those emotions is the reporter, the writer," he said.