Chronicle

CMFR issues primer on RP press freedom
TO MARK World Press Freedom Day last May 3, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) released its latest publication, the Philippine Press Freedom Primer: Quick Answers to Your Questions, a quick and easy-to-read reference on the state of press freedom and a review of press conditions in the country.
Written and edited by CMFR deputy director Luis V. Teodoro, the primer was launched in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the joint United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organiza-tion and Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) program on press freedom last May 3.  The commemoration had the theme, “Press Freedom, Journalists Safety and Impunity.”
SEAPA is a press freedom advocacy group with media advocacy and journalists’ groups from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines as members. CMFR is a founding member of SEAPA.  CMFR executive director, Melinda Quintos de Jesus, is a member of SEAPA’s Board of Directors. The Philippine Center for Investiga-tive Journalism is the other Philip-pine representative in SEAPA.
In her preface, De Jesus describes the primer as “designed to serve those making their first step of inquiry into the subject. It should be useful in planning research strategies for academic papers and as a quick reference for those writing articles and reports. For the general public, it is a ‘quick fix,’ a resource that will help contextualize current news about the press, from the violent attacks as well as the cases of libel which have caused journalists to be jailed.”
The primer contains a short history of the Philippine press as well as its ownership and market. Threats to press freedom in the country like the killings of journalists and intervention in the management of news organizations are also covered.
In its summary of press freedom laws in the Philippines, the primer cites several instances in which the right to free expression is being threatened through legal means, among them the rash of libel suits by the President’s spouse against 46 journalists and the recently approved anti-terrorism law.
Self-regulation systems in the Philippine media are also taken up, among them the Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas’ radio and television codes, citizen press councils, and media monitoring publications, among them CMFR’s Philippine Journalism Review (PJR) and PJR Reports. To be revived this year as an annual publication after releasing its last bimonthly issue three years ago, PJR will be a refereed journal for academics and senior journalists.

Inquirer joins UNICEF-PPI Hall of Fame
THE PHILIPPINE Daily Inquirer was named to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef)-Philippine Press Institute (PPI) Child-Friendly Awards Hall of Fame for being named Child-Friendly Newspaper of the Year for the fifth straight year last April 23.
Leyte Samar Express and Baguio Midland Courier were adjudged Child-Friendly Newspaper of the Year in the community daily and weekly category, respectively.
The Inquirer was cited for championing children’s rights and advancing child-friendly practices Trisha Joi Esperanza, 11, was named Outstanding Child Writer for her piece,“How to Make Baguio a Child-Friendly City,” which was published in the Baguio Midland Courier last Aug. 27.
Other winners were Michael Tan of the Inquirer and Tony Figueroa of Mindanao Times for outstanding columns in the national and community categories, respectively. Health Care Magazine’s Nicolas Tayag (national) and Sun.Star Weekend’s Stella Estremera (community) won for Outstanding Stories on Children.
Baby Magazine was named Child-Friendly Magazine of the Year while Kidstuff-The Freeman was named Outstanding Children’s Newspaper/Section.
In the 11th annual Community Press Awards the following day, Sun-Star Davao bagged four out of the five awards in the daily division. The Mindanao-based publication topped the Photojournalism, Business and Economic Reporting, Science and Environmental Reporting, and Editing categories. Cebu Daily News was best in Editorial Page.
In the weekly category, the winners were Baguio Midland Courier for Photojournalism and Business and Economic Reporting, Bandillo ng Palawan for Science and Environmental Reporting, Minda-nao Cross for the Editorial Page, and Pangasinan’s Sunday Punch for the Best-Edited Newspaper.
The awards were organized by the PPI in cooperation with UNICEF, the Philippine Informa-tion Agency and the Asian Institu-te for Journalism and Commu-nication. The contests’ objective is to improve and promote excel-lence in community journalism.

Gov’t postpones sale of RPN-9, IBC-13
THE SALE of government-sequestered television networks RPN-9 and IBC-13 has been postponed.
The government has decided to focus first on its shares in other assets like the San Miguel Corp and Manila Electric Co., which are deemed more attractive to the private sector and could therefore be sold more quickly.
The government has yet to decide if Channels 9 and 13 would be sold separately.
The sale of the networks is not expected to make a lot of money but their disposition would help ease some of the government’s financial burden.—from a report in The Philippine Star.

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