President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Saturday night that although media is not kind to her administration, she upholds freedom of the press, "which is important to us as a democratic country."

Speaking at the Gridiron Night of the National Press Club at the Manila Hotel, the President noted that the Philippine press enjoys so much freedom that it can write anything under the sun. However, good news is seldom published, while bad news gets prominent treatment because it is what sells the paper, she said.

"The media always makes it appear that our country is in deep trouble," she said, adding that "the truth is that we are progressing economically and compared with other Asian countries, except may be China and Malaysia, we’re doing comparatively well".

The family that Gridirons together, stays together could as well be the message of the President to the newsmen’s gathering. She brought the entire First Family, including First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, to the annual Gridiron show.

Showing that all is well within the First Family in the wake of a spate of controversies, the President requested Atty. Arroyo, children Mikey, Dato and Luli and two daughters-in-law to stand up from their seats and the audience, mostly media men, gave them a resounding applause.

This marked the first time that the President and the First Gentleman were seen publicly together after Sen. Ping Lacson made that controversial Jose Pidal expose and the ensuing political intramurals made everybody else uneasy.

The anemic show presented by newsmen paled in comparison with the wit and humor surprisingly pulled out by the President that sent the sparse crowd at the Fiesta Pavilion on the edge of their seats.

Saying that she would uphold the right of the journalists for as long as "you report the good news," the President said that "kung bad kayo sa akin ipapa-lifestyle check ko kayo… alam ko kung sino ang naughty at alam ko kung sino ang nice sa akin."

In another joke, she recalled when the journalists felt too harsh with her in dealing with GMA reporter Tina Panganiban Perez, her media adviser suggested that she give a bunch of roses to the TV newshen.