The report looked at the new Aquino administration's attitude and response to press freedom issues during its first six months.
(CMFR/IFEX) – 10 February 2011 – The victory of Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 presidential elections was widely expected to usher in a new era of governance. Aquino was also perceived as committed to ending the culture of impunity that encourages the killing of journalists, human rights workers and political activists.
The “Philippine Press Freedom Report 2010”, an annual review of the state of press freedom published by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), looked at the new Aquino administration’s attitude and response to press freedom issues during its first six months.
The Report also reviews the legal environment and the prospects for the successful prosecution of the killers of journalists and the brains behind them, in addition to a scan of the media situation prior to Aquino’s inauguration as President on June 30, 2010, and to updates on the ongoing trials of the suspects in the Ampatuan Massacre as well as other cases of slain journalists.
Of interest to media organizations and advocacy groups are the bills on the press and the media, the working conditions of journalists and media workers, freedom of expression, and access to information in the Philippines pending before the 15th Congress. Ongoing efforts to assure the safety and protection of journalists and media workers in 2010 are also among the issues the Report addresses. The Report also looks into how the public views the media’s performance in the coverage of major events in the Philippines, and gauged how students view mass communication studies.
The Philippine Press Freedom Report is an annual CMFR publication. The first Report was issued in 2004. The 2010 Report will be available in selected bookstores and the CMFR office.
