Philippine media watchdog CMFR to close after 37 years

MANILA — The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) will close its operations on Sept. 30 after 37 years of monitoring media ethics and press freedom in the Philippines.

In a statement on Friday, Sept. 18, the CMFR attributed its impending closure to funding difficulties.

Rappler reported, citing the center’s executive director, Melinda Quintos de Jesus, that the CMFR board made the decision after finding that the funding environment had become increasingly difficult.

“Philippine and international funding support has sustained the work of CMFR; but multiple factors have affected the funding environment, making it difficult for CMFR to secure the necessary funds for its operations,” the organization said in its statement.

The CMFR also thanked its partners and patrons at home and abroad.

“CMFR would like to thank all who have been part of the journey – our past and present staff, the community of journalists and news organizations in the Philippines and abroad, various embassies in Manila, the schools and students, and civil society organizations – who appreciated and understood the value of our work and supported our efforts,” it said.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), the country’s largest organization of media workers, expressed regret over the closure while acknowledging the funding problems.

“Since 1989, CMFR has served a vital role in Philippine journalism, scrutinizing the work of the media even as it stood alongside journalists in defending their rights and the public’s right to know,” the NUJP’s National Directorate said in its statement.

“Its work has helped the press hold power to account while also reminding journalists that the freedom we exercise carries with it a responsibility to the public,” it said.

“The loss of a watchdog that watches over the watchdogs is a profound blow to Philippine journalism, leaving a void in an industry that needs accountability. At a time when the press faces mounting pressures from various interests, the absence of CMFR’s independent voice will be deeply felt,” it added.

Post-EDSA watchdog

The CMFR was established in 1989, three years after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution toppled the Marcos dictatorship, to address concerns about the power of the media and the role of a free press in Philippine democracy.

Since its founding, it has monitored activity in the media sector and published press freedom reports.

Its Cheers and Jeers feature lauds or criticizes media outlets and journalists for their journalistic content.

The center has also held the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism and selected the Marshall McLuhan Fellow in partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Manila.

Monitoring, publications

The CMFR has reviewed daily news reporting to point out ethical lapses, sensationalism, and political bias, and to highlight examples of responsible journalism.

It has maintained a database of threats and attacks against media workers, including an archive of journalists killed in the line of duty, and forwarded alerts to international groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.

Since 2001, the center has helped establish citizens’ press councils in Cebu, Baguio, and Palawan to give the public a venue for complaints about media errors without resorting to lawsuits.

Its publications include PJR Reports, or the Philippine Journalism Review, which offers critical reviews and case studies of news coverage, and Journalism Asia, a yearly magazine on press conditions across the region.

The CMFR has also published reference books used in newsrooms and journalism schools, among them “The CMFR Ethics Manual: A Values Approach to News Media Ethics,” “Libel as Politics,” and “Limited Protection: Press Freedom and Philippine Law.”

Its “CMFR Monitor” series analyzed television and print coverage of national elections, including those in 2004, 2007, and 2010.