ABSTRACT
Press freedom in the Philippines is strong and enduring. There are robust constitutional protections for the media, and Filipino journalists jealously guard their freedoms. But at the same time, the independence – and freedom – of the press has been continually undermined by political and business elites, the demands of the market and the news media’s own professional and ethical lapses. This is the Philippine paradox: the press as an institution is powerful and influential, yet it is far from safe from the predations of power. At the local level, political bosses, crime lords and rogue police and military have targeted reporters for assassination, making the Philippines among the deadliest countries in the world for journalists. Rodrigo Duterte, elected president in 2016, exposed the vulnerability of the press to political pressure, regulatory harassment and online threats. Thirty years since the restoration of democracy, press freedom in the Philippines remains a work in progress.
