About CMFR
2
T he formation of the Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility (CMFR) addresses one of the critical concerns confronting the Philippines after People Power toppled the Marcos dictatorship in February 1986. That concern calls attention to the power of the media and the role of the free press in the development of Philippine democracy. All over the world, press freedom has been found to be essential to the democratic system. Effective participatory government is possible only when it can count on a well-informed society where individuals freely exchange ideas, where public debate and discussion arise from knowledge and understanding of national affairs. That freedom involves not only media professionals, but also the public served by the media—public officials, the private sector, civil society groups, readers, viewers and listeners—who receive information and are part of the cycle of public communication. But freedom of the press, like all liberties, has its limits, for the simple reason that it is vulnerable to abuse. Democratic recovery confronts serious obstacles on the media front. The press and the media need to exert special efforts to measure up a collective vehicle of information, as an instrument for clarifying complex issues and dilemmas of development that the public should understand. Against this background, CMFR was organized in 1989 as a private, non-stock, non-profit organization involving the different sectors in the task of building up the press and news media as a pillar of democratic society. Its programs uphold press freedom, promote responsible journalism and encourage journalistic excellence. CENTER FOR MEDIA FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY PJR Reports (Philippine Journalism Review) The PJR Reports (formerly known as the Philippine Journalism Review) is not just a publication, it is the result of a continuing monitoring activity of how the press covers and reports events and issues.The PJR Reports fulfills the need for the continuing education of journalists.The PJR Reports also serves as a regular forum for the discussion of the issues and problems of the news media in the Philippines. It is sent to over 500 journalists nationwide. The PJR Reports also serves as a reference for journalism faculty in universities and colleges. The publication was first released as a quarterly and then as a bimonthly journal. Its present format, the PJR Reports, is released monthly to make the material more accessible to the public. Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) CMFR holds the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) yearly to promote the practice of investigative journalism and explanatory reporting. These involve basic building blocks for any kind of reporting: research, probe, inquiry and corroboration to insure the validity of one’s findings. CMFR serves as the technical and administrative secretariat of the Awards. In 1995, the program initiated the first Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar on Investigative Journalism in order to broaden public interest and support for the development of investigative journalism.The seminar, now known as the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar, invites journalism students from different schools to interact with a panel of finalists discussing their articles and views on journalism. Media Monitoring With content analysis, CMFR evaluates media coverage of major issues and events, such as elections and corruption. Based on findings, CMFR has recommended measures to improve media performance. In addition to special projects based on content analysis, PJR Reports includes case studies of media performance. Journalism Asia A yearly publication that reports on the state of the press and the issues affecting media in Asia. Contributors are media practitioners from the region who gather for a conference (the Journalism Asia Forum) To promote and strengthen the press as a pillar of democracy To establish a framework of responsibility and ethics in media practice To promote journalistic excellence To engage different sectors of society in the growth of a quality press in the Philippines PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES Objectives to discuss selected issues that will be taken up in the magazine. CMFR also publishes occasional reports and other books on major topics of media interest and performance such as media and gender issues and media and governance. Books Citizens’ Media Monitor: A Report on the Campaign and Elections Coverage in the Philippines 2004 Peace Process and Media Press Freedom in the Philippines: A Study in Contradictions The Media and Peace Reporting Five Source Books on Women z Understanding Women and Politics z Understanding Population and Development z Understanding Women, Work, and Migration z Understanding Violence Against Women z Understanding Reproductive Health Manuals Media in Court: The Criminal Justice System Guidebook for Reporters Reporting Public Policy: A Manual for Journalists Conference Reports Access to Economic Information Corruption in Media: A Multi-Sectoral Perspective Freedom of Economic Information for Effective Governance News Media and Civil Society The Road Beyond EDSA: The Post-Estrada Reform Agenda Media and Local Government: Corruption and Access to Information
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Transcript of About CMFR
T he formation of the Center for Media Freedom& Responsibility (CMFR) addresses one of thecritical concerns confronting the Philippinesafter People Power toppled the Marcos
dictatorship in February 1986. That concern callsattention to the power of the media and the role ofthe free press in the development of Philippinedemocracy.
All over the world, press freedom has been foundto be essential to the democratic system. Effectiveparticipatory government is possible only when it cancount on a well-informed society where individualsfreely exchange ideas, where public debate anddiscussion arise from knowledge and understandingof national affairs.
That freedom involves not only media professionals,but also the public served by the media—public officials,the private sector, civil society groups, readers, viewersand listeners—who receive information and are partof the cycle of public communication. But freedom ofthe press, like all liberties, has its limits, for the simplereason that it is vulnerable to abuse.
Democratic recovery confronts serious obstacleson the media front. The press and the media need toexert special efforts to measure up a collective vehicleof information, as an instrument for clarifying complexissues and dilemmas of development that the publicshould understand.
Against this background, CMFR was organized in1989 as a private, non-stock, non-profit organizationinvolving the different sectors in the task of buildingup the press and news media as a pillar of democraticsociety. Its programs uphold press freedom, promoteresponsible journalism and encourage journalisticexcellence.
CENTER FOR MEDIA FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY
PJR Reports (Philippine Journalism Review)
The PJR Reports (formerly known as the PhilippineJournalism Review) is not just a publication, it is theresult of a continuing monitoring activity of howthe press covers and reports events and issues. ThePJR Reports fulfills the need for the continuingeducation of journalists. The PJR Reports also servesas a regular forum for the discussion of the issuesand problems of the news media in the Philippines.It is sent to over 500 journalists nationwide. ThePJR Reports also serves as a reference for journalismfaculty in universities and colleges.
The publication was first released as a quarterlyand then as a bimonthly journal. Its present format,the PJR Reports, is released monthly to make thematerial more accessible to the public.
Jaime V. Ongpin Awards forExcellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ)
CMFR holds the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards forExcellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) yearly topromote the practice of investigative journalismand explanatory reporting. These involve basicbuilding blocks for any kind of reporting: research,
probe, inquiry and corroboration toinsure the validity of one’s findings.
CMFR serves as the technical andadministrative secretariat of theAwards. In 1995, the programinitiated the first Jaime V. OngpinJournalism Seminar on InvestigativeJournalism in order to broadenpublic interest and support for thedevelopment of investigative
journalism. The seminar, now known as the Jaime V.Ongpin Journalism Seminar, invites journalismstudents from different schools to interact with apanel of finalists discussing their articles and viewson journalism.
Media Monitoring
With content analysis, CMFR evaluates mediacoverage of major issues and events, such aselections and corruption. Based on findings, CMFRhas recommended measures to improve mediaperformance.
In addition to special projects based on contentanalysis, PJR Reports includes case studies of mediaperformance.
Journalism Asia
A yearly publication that reports onthe state of the press and the
issues affecting media in Asia.Contributors are mediapractitioners from the regionwho gather for a conference(the Journalism Asia Forum)
To promote and strengthen the press as apillar of democracy
To establish a framework of responsibility andethics in media practice
To promote journalistic excellence To engage different sectors of society in the
growth of a quality pressin the Philippines
PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES
Objectives to discuss selected issues that will be taken up inthe magazine.
CMFR also publishes occasional reports andother books on major topics of media interest andperformance such as media and gender issues andmedia and governance.
Books
Citizens’ Media Monitor: A Report onthe Campaign and Elections Coveragein the Philippines 2004
Peace Process and Media Press Freedom in the Philippines: A Study
in Contradictions The Media and Peace Reporting Five Source Books on Women
Understanding Women and Politics Understanding Population and
Development Understanding Women, Work, and
Migration Understanding Violence Against Women Understanding Reproductive Health
Manuals
Media in Court: The Criminal Justice SystemGuidebook for Reporters
Reporting Public Policy: A Manual for Journalists
Conference Reports
Access to Economic Information Corruption in Media:
A Multi-Sectoral Perspective Freedom of Economic Information
for Effective Governance News Media and Civil Society The Road Beyond EDSA:
The Post-Estrada Reform Agenda Media and Local Government: Corruption
and Access to Information
CMFR has developed training modules in thefollowing areas:
Campus Journalism Media and Civil Society Media and Corruption Media and Disaster Media and Economic Information Media and Judiciary Media and Peace Media and Public Policy Media and Women
Journalists on Alert
CMFR monitors attacks against and threatsto press freedom in the Philippines. It maintainsa database of journalists killed in the line of dutyand trains a national network of journalists toreport on assaults against the press.Correspondents provide updates on unsolvedcases of journalists killed and issue calls for actionwhen necessary. CMFR serves as a clearing housefor information to international groups.
CMFR forwards alerts and reports on thestate of press freedom in the Philippines to theSoutheast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), theInternational Free Expression Exchange (IFEX),the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), andReporters Sans Frontieres (RSF).
Press Councils
CMFR has been working with local partnersin the press, academe, and non-governmentalorganizations to plan, build, and launch local press
Works with PRINT BROADCAST and ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Government Academe civil society groupsREADERS, VIEWERSAND LISTENERS
To strengthen PRESS FREEDOM promote RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM
and encourage JOURNALISTICEXCELLENCE
for PHILIPPINE DEMOCRACY
councils since 2001. To date, it has helped establishregional press councils in Cebu, Baguio, and Palawan.
Network
CMFR is a founding member of the FreedomFund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ) and currentlyserves as its secretariat. It is also a founding memberof the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) anda member of the International Freedom ofExpression Exchange (IFEX).
Awards
CMFR is a recipient of the Catholic Mass MediaAward for Public Service in 1993 and the JoaquinChino Roces Award in 1998. In 2005, CMFR wonsecond prize in the “ethics and values” category ofthe Templeton Freedom Awards of the UnitedStates-based Atlas Economic Research Foundation.
Melinda Quintos de JesusExecutive Director
Melinda Quintos de Jesus, a founding memberof the Board of Directors of CMFR, has served asCMFR’s executive director since 1989. De Jesuswrote as a columnist for leading newspapers in thePhilippines. She was also part of the alternative pressthat tested the limits of control during the Marcosregime. She was a journalist-in-residence at theUniversity of Michigan in Ann Arbor and was a fellowat the Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics andPublic Policy at the John F. Kennedy School ofGovernment, Harvard University. She was namedthe 2000 Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Fellow forProfessional Development.
Board of Directors
Dr. Jose AbuevaFr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J.Atty. Fulgencio Factoran Jr.Melinda Quintos de JesusMaribel OngpinTina Monzon-PalmaPaulynn Paredes-SicamVergel O. Santos
CMFR Contact
2/F Ateneo Professional Schools130 H.V. dela Costa St., Salcedo VillageMakati City 1227 Philippines
Telephone numbers
(+63 2) 894-1314/894-1326(+63 2) 840-0903/840-0889
Fax Number
(+63 2) 840-0889
Website
http://www.cmfr-phil.org
Email address
