An Attack on the Press is an Attack on the Public’s Right to Know

World Press Freedom Day 2026 State of Media Freedom Report

THE STATE of press freedom in the Philippines remains weighed down by pressures. Persistent physical attacks against individual journalists are the most visible. Online harassment has risen, fueled by disinformation that erodes public trust in the media. 

The rise of disinformation has made the work of journalism significantly more difficult. False or misleading narratives swirled across digital platforms distort the public’s understanding of issues and weaken their ability to distinguish credible reports from propaganda. This environment fosters widespread distrust of legitimate news sources, an outlook that waters down the role of media to provide verified information. The inherent value of news declines as audiences receive information from all kinds of sources, including speculative commentary, and clearly partisan views. 

The media’s role in keeping the public informed has been undermined at a time when it is most needed.

Recent political developments highlight the critical challenge that the current case provides. Enough facts have been revealed about the corruption in the assignment of contracts for infrastructure projects along with the vice president’s confidential funds. The unprecedented magnitude of the sums channeled from public projects to private pockets has not quite caused critical impact. Journalists must pursue this as a separate angle, inquiring into the public’s high tolerance for large scale corruption.  

The complexity of these issues calls for sustained, critical coverage, deploying the highest levels of investigative skills.  Unfortunately, the news cycle diffuses the reality rendered by obvious facts. The news cycle itself has the effect of diffusing public reaction. 

At this point, coverage has not focused on the issue of accountability. Rather, news includes partisan efforts to mislead the public, reframing narratives that distract from the trail of evidence. 

In this context, the members of the press must commit to bear the the dual burden of reporting the truth while actively countering falsehoods.

CMFR’s review of current media coverage points to the need for more sustained and in-depth reporting. At this point, coverage has drawn from results of congressional hearings, presenting facts that viewers and listeners have received on their own. 

Journalism must provide added value, with members of the press undertaking their own in-depth investigations of related issues, pursuing different leads and angles and creating a broader perspective with which to understand the significance of yet another monumental episode of corruption. 

News reports must be consistent in providing context as issues may recur. Apart from updates and summaries, coverage must keep reviewing the background, sharing this to expand and deepen public understanding of the various parts that make up cycle of corruption in government. 

The public must understand so they can remember and include yet another layer of experience in our deeply flawed democracy. The burden of short memory is shared on both sides of the news trail. A forgetful public will enable the same corruption to happen again and again. 

But the media can help with tools of comparison and evaluation.  It can draw from similar cases in the past, presenting the unprecedented odiousness of corruption circa 2026, rooted in the rise of a new political dynasty. 

In celebrating press freedom in the Philippines, journalists must evaluate themselves in their shared performance as watchdog of power. In recent years, the public’s right to information has served to invigorate the delivery of news about what those in power would wish to keep secret. Journalists must foster this partnership with the public that has become better informed and hopefully better empowered. 

 A free press enables citizens to engage in informed discussions, hold power to account, and participate meaningfully in democratic life. The public can be further empowered with knowledge and appreciation of how journalism works. 

Producing credible news involves verification, multiple sources, and editorial processes; in contrast to unverified personal posts on social media. Strengthening public understanding of these crucial differences can help rebuild public trust in the Philippine press. 

This trust can grow with the knowledge of the perils that journalists face in many parts of the country.  Hopefully, the public stands with the media when it is attacked, stigmatized, or silenced.

Threats and Attacks Against the Press

From July 1, 2022, to April 30, 2026, CMFR recorded 239 cases of attacks and threats against journalists.

Intimidation remains the most common form of attack, with 107 cases. Among the most dangerous of these practices is red-tagging, the act of labeling individuals or organizations as communist or terrorist sympathizers. Its consequences are severe, often leading to harassment, arrest, or even violence.

The case of Frenchie Mae Cumpio, editor of Eastern Vista, who has reported human rights violations of state forces in eastern Visayas, underscores these risks. After several incidents of being red-tagged, she was arrested in 2020 on “illegal possession of firearms” and later for “financing terrorism” — contested charges frequently filed against red tagged individuals. However, she remains in detention, raising concerns about how legal mechanisms can be used to silence critical and community-based journalism.

In May 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that red-tagging poses real threats to life, liberty, and security and is not protected speech when it incites harm. Yet despite this ruling, the practice persists, especially in online spaces where disinformation and coordinated attacks amplify its impact.

Harassment, whether physical, verbal, or online, accounted for 49 incidents. CMFR notes that there were more incidents of online harassment that were not accounted. Several media organizations also experienced 20 cyberattacks, primarily distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and forced takedowns on social media. Other documented cases include cyber libel charges (14), death threats (10), censorship measures (17) such as coverage bans, arrests (9), and violent incidents such as shootings and a bombing targeting a journalist’s property (4).

These attacks are concentrated in key regions. Metro Manila recorded the highest number with 127 cases, followed by Eastern Visayas (24) and the Bicol Region (17) — areas that have consistently been hotspots for media harassment in previous years.

A significant portion of these incidents involves state actors. Of the total cases, 116 were linked to government officials or security forces. Notably, some individuals connected to the previous administration have continued to target journalists, suggesting that repressive tactics against the press persist across political transitions.

Addressing these challenges requires not only protecting journalists from physical and legal attacks but also confronting the spread of false information that undermines the foundation of public discourse. Without a free, credible, and resilient press, democratic accountability weakens and the space for truth continues to shrink.

A Call for Support

There is an urgent need for stronger institutional and public support for press freedom. 

The government must uphold policies that protect journalists and allow independent media to thrive in a democratic society. This includes improving transparency, collecting reliable data on attacks against the press, revisiting laws that may be used to target journalists, such as the criminalization of libel, and ensuring that access to information remains open and protected.

The public also plays a crucial role. Citizens must remain critical of media content where warranted, but also recognize and value the work journalists do in providing verified, public-interest information. Media literacy, especially the ability to distinguish between verified reporting and disinformation, is essential in this effort.

The media must remain steadfast. Journalists and news organizations must continue to pursue critical reporting, hold power to account, and keep important national issues in the public eye despite increasing pressures.

Protecting press freedom is a shared responsibility. Without it, the public’s right to know and the foundations of democratic society are at risk.