Journalism, Broadcasting, and Multimedia Marketing Communications

[simply_me]

relative to these journalists killings, news said that press may be given right to carry arms... i don't think this will solve the issue... "ARMED PRESS PEOPLE"

[bustero]

I think there is de facto press freedom in the Philippines. While there are theoretical roadblocks, The fact is you only have to read the newspaper, listen to tv and radio to know that this is the case. The ironic part is that decriminilizing libel is a joke as not a single case has actually prospered with this law. What actually exists is that everyone has something to say and the common tao is so wary and cynical that they believe nothing and only kurokuro.

There also needs to be some subtlety in analyzing this. Most of the journalist being murdered are in the province reporting local news. And it's most pr0bably the case that system ia being corrupted once again to prevent the murderes from being prosecuted. BUT this happens in many occupations as well. The fact is much more barangay policticians get killed in a year than journalist, but no reports and tracks that the PHilippines leads in public servants murder. AND they get solved with the same lack of speed and success. THere is no national policy or from Malacanang, to Provincial Governments or the Military to kill journalist and even the capability to execute such policy. The fact is they couldn't even prevent these murders if they wanted to as this is all local.

What stands out is that Media here in the Philippines is very similar to the lcoal senate, They are very self important considering themselves the only true guardian against tyranny, and corruption, hence are very keen to report on any attack on their fellow reporters. As I said earlier the rankings are not really accurate. We just have way more jouirnalist than most other countries. So it should be properly compared apples to apples if they really want to do this list properly. Otherwise it's the same sensatinoalistic, cheesy fast food reporting that is usually the standard here.

[Lili]

So, what is ineffective here is the criminal justice system -- the s--l--o--w grind of the law. Whoever the victims are, be they journalists, politicians, clergy or the common tao, the violence and murders should not be allowed to happen with impunity.

[dancethingy]

I wanted to start this thread because i was wondering if any of you know any good sources of journalism in the country.

I think something wrong happened while the country's press was developing. The press here is very sensationalist and very biased.

For example I don't get why almost every article i read mentions "arroyo has been under fire since june when tapes...." or "Arroyo has been accused of cheating...." These lines even appear in every business article i read for example. I know however, that "THE ISSUE" has something to do with business, but i hate it when article digress like that.

The Philippine Inquirer for example seems to almost want to favor choas by providing articles such as this http://news.inq7.net/top/index.php?i...story_id=44086 The polling of Metro Manila alone should not be significant for a NATIONAL newspaper. The polling itself seems illegitimate since in doesn't mention if it was done scientifically. Also, if Metro Manilans think that Lacson, Roces, and Estrada would make viable or good leaders, they are SERIOUSLY FUCKED UP.

There is so much irresponsible journalism going on. Also, why would some newspapers who were responsible for deposing most of the opposition now, like the Estrada family or Marcus family, be supporting them now? I just don't get it.

It would be nice to have sources that provide unbiased, objective, and responsible journalism.

I propose a list of those sources. Unfortunately, i don't know one yet.

[sandrin]

Inquirer is a tabloid newspaper. Advertisers must now boycott them because their headlines tend to ruin the Philippine's image and economy further.The advertising fees being paid to them would only serve as a liability for the company. Who in the heck would event think of posting an add to a newspaper who's main intention is to ruin business on a massive scale.

[dancethingy]

I knew it. There was something fishy about the inquirer for me since the day I got here. There something so Fox News-ish about it. I'm reading all the wrong shit.

[Mango]

Taken from manilabulletin
What makes a good journalist?
By LEAH C. SALTERIO

Someone who has worked for the world’s largest network and has an illustrious and unparalleled track record in the local broadcasting industry can give a truthful answer to that question.


Maria Ressa, who brings her awardwinning 17-year experience in CNN to her new job as ABS-CBN news chief, has spent her professional life learning how to define journalism, live it and institutionalize it.

"I am passionate about journalism," Maria said. "I believe societies are made and broken by the quality of its journalists. In my job for CNN, I looked at myself as a conduit, and in every story, I realize I am bridging cultures. It’s not my job to judge people and events and customs. It’s my job to explain them. It’s about the whys."

Journalism was the topic which Maria discussed during the recent Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines (EJAP) forum, where she talked about "News Reporting: A Global Perspective."

Maria insists there is no such thing as an objective journalist. "That animal doesn’t exist," she maintained. "If someone tells you it’s possible to be objective, they’re lying or naïve. The best we can do is try to present a comprehensive, balanced perspective. A good journalist is someone who weaves together different perspectives and tries to give a complete picture. He also adds context and analysis – Why are we here? How did we get here? What’s the mood?"

Born in the Philippines, Maria moved to the United States with her family soon after Martial Law was declared. She grew up in New York, so the Philippines existed as a "vague, intriguing memory."

She was in her last year at Princeton University when People Power toppled a dictator. "I couldn’t afford to come back to Manila on my own – starving student then – so I did what all students do, I applied for a fellowship, the Fulbright. That would give me a year to understand the Philippines, I thought. My one-year fellowship turned into a life choice: I never returned to the United States. In 1987, I helped start a company called Probe Productions."

Before accepting the ABS-CBN post, Maria was CNN’s lead investigative reporter in Asia. In 1988, she was named CNN’s Manila Bureau chief and in 1995, she became CNN’s Jakarta Bureau chief, responsible for CNN’s coverage of Southeast Asia.

For nearly 18 years that she covered Southeast Asia for CNN, Maria was there at every historic event, not just in our region but also in North and South Asia. "I’ve lived through riots, beheadings and so much violence," she shared. "But I’ve also lived through some glorious moments, watching societies transition to democracy, seeing the resilience and goodness of human nature in the face of disasters. It has been a tremendous privilege – a chapter of my life I voluntarily closed at the end of last year because I felt it was time to come home."

Until she joined ABS-CBN at the start of the year, Maria attests the best and most fulfilling experience she had as a journalist was not with CNN – although there were many high points. It was Probe Productions, a company few outside the Philippines had even heard of, "because I felt we were doing what journalists are supposed to be doing. We created a company that lived our ideals."

Maria laments that international media has been dominated by a decidedly western perspective. She is referring to countries with the resources, with the networks which placed news on a high priority and invested in news-gathering. But companies like CNN, BBC, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, then got to determine the news. Inevitably, it’s filtered through their cultural lenses.

"There is a global marketplace of ideas out there, and one of the things I constantly lament is the noticeable absence of Asian and non-western perspectives," she observed. "As a journalist who has worked in different countries, I have seen first-hand how perception becomes reality, how moods and feelings – not facts – have shaped the world we live in.

"Those moods and feelings – if manipulated by someone ignorant of their effects – can topple the best-laid plans of any government. I’m not talking of hidden agendas or conspiracy theories. I’m talking about just plain ignorance and vested interest – of not being aware of how what you do fits into a bigger picture.

"That’s what happens when journalists don’t do their jobs well, when we play to the public or deadline pressures instead of being thorough and accountable, when we work like a pack instead of thinking and analyzing on our own. In television, when personalities and ratings become more important than the stories we cover."

Maria advises journalists "to push cynicism aside, remain open to all, listen and keep reminding yourself why you wanted to be a journalist. And above all, stay true to your ideals."

She hastens to remind, though, that journalists are only as good as their last story, and in order to get better, they have to practice the craft every day in order to create a sophisticated message. These are the skills Maria says she wants to pass on. With CNN, she learned the form, the style, how to use the medium.

"That is something you can pick up. It’s like learning the scales of the piano. You have to know technique before you can actually play, let alone, write music. So I encourage you to work on your skills. The message becomes more sophisticated as your skills level increases. That’s certainly what happened to me, but you have to benchmark yourself not just against local standards but against the higher ones set internationally.

Lastly, Maria imparts to journalists the essence of hard work. "Work hard, harder than anyone around you. That is the reason my perspective is different, the reason why I broke so many stories for CNN. When you do the news and you take it seriously, everything you do is part of it, helps define the news – after all, the best case studies are the ones you find when you’re living your life…

"Remind yourself of the power journalists hold and be humbled by it. Strive to be worthy of it. Journalists have tremendous power, and if you don’t think it through, you may be making decisions that will have incredible repercussions in a developing society like ours. Reality as we see it – and know it – is being crafted every day, every hour, every minute, by people like you and me. If we do our jobs well, we will have done our part in creating a better world."

Maria graduated from Princeton University and received a Fulbright Fellowship to attend graduate school at the University of the Philippines. Her recent awards include the Asian TV Award in 1999 for Indonesia, the SAIS-Novartis International Journalism Award in 2000 for East Timor, the Ferris Professorship of Journalism in 2001 and the National Headliner Award for Investigative Journalism and the TOYM Philippines in 2002.

In 2003, Maria received an Emmy nomination for "Terrorism: Al-Qaeda" in the category of Outstanding Investigative Journalism. In 2004, she received a Judges’ Citation from the US Overseas Press Club for best documentary, "Seeds of Terror." It is also the title of her book, published by Simon and Schuster in the United States. A groundbreaking investigation of Al-Qaeda’s links in Southeast Asia, the book became a bestseller in the Philippines after its first month of release.

[dancethingy]

Wow, thanks sooooooo much for that Mango.

I completely agree with her. The founding fathers of the United States placed so much importance on the role of the press, that it pains me to see it when the press becomes manipulated.

I believe that press was to be called the fourth estate. You know there are three branches in Government in the US and here in the Philippines. The three branches would watch each other in a checks and balance procedure. Well, the founding fathers never institutionalized it, but the fourth estate, which is the PRESS, is supposed to be THE FOURTH CHECK.

I think sometimes that journalism in this country is so irresponsible and undisciplined that they do their fare share of keeping our economy so stagnant. After all, what journalists put on our newspapers are what the rest of the world perceive to be what is going on in the hearts and minds of ALL Filipinos.

Maria Ressa is light at the end of our tunnel. I hope that she uses all in her pool of knowledge to establish a more credible source of information here in the Philippines. In other words, she needs to start a grassroots newspaper that would hopefully someday turn into a heralded national paper, the same way the New York Times is respected. I also think establishing a Philippine School of Journalism would be great. I don't know if UP has a program like it, but if they do, then they haven't produced enough to benefit the country.

So only Mango and Sandrin cares about this topic. How about the Philippine star or the Manila Bulletin? Are these newspapers meet the honorable standards of journalism? I've been reading Manila Bulletin and the paper itself seems to be fair.

[bagel]

I do not think that the Inquirer is a tabloid paper. On the contrary it is the newspaper of record in the Philippines and has been so since after the first People Power that catapulted Corazon Aquino into the presidency. The secret to the success of the Inquirer and its nearest rival the Star (rival in terms of editorial and journalistic practice and not circulation-- if circulation is counted, then I believe the Inquirer and the Manila Bulletin are neck and neck, but I'm going by numbers from at least 2 years ago) is the independence of the paper's editors.

I do believe that the press is there to act as a check on the government and on the businesses. For this reason, newspapers like the Standard and the Bulletin cannot sufficiently be called independent newspapers that serve the public good. To see how these papers operate, you need to look at the paper's leadership and the independence of its editorial staff and the business goals of the paper's owners. It has been noted that the owner of the Bulletin, Emilio Yap uses the paper as a way to further his own business interests, and since the Marcos regime, its editorial pages and journalistic practices have tended towards the safe side in that they are cautious in criticizing power players in Philippine politics.

Recent history shows that papers that have more independent news editors (by independent, I mean the lack of interference from ownership) have been targets by sitting governments. In 2000, the Gokongweis, then owners of the venerable Manila Times, whose paper's mission included an independent editorial staff were targets of the Estrada regime for their supposed "smearing" of the president. They called Erap the unwitting ninong of a corrupt business deal. For this, Erap sued them for libel and their ownership got pressured into reining in their editors and eventually sold out because this press business could endanger their other businesses. If you ask me, the Times board were doing what they were supposed to do: report on anomalies by the government and act as the fourth estate. I don't know if it's still the same today but shortly after the Gokongweis escaped the press business, Mark Jimenez, a close ally of Erap purchased the Times. I seriously doubt that their editors are as intrepid now as their editors were during the Estrada administration.

At around the same time, the other paper that had a similarly independent editorial group, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, were also doing their own investigations into the anomalous dealings of Erap. For this, Erap pressured his friends in the entertainment industry to instigate a boycott of the Inquirer. Advertising revenue from the entertainment industry disappeared and through this, the Inquirer stayed the course and kept on investigating the president. Back then they were called sensationalistic by the Erap regime, like their Manila Times counterparts. And yet no outrage came from supporters of the Lakas bloc back then.

Fast forward to today. Some people call the Inquirer a sensationalistic newspaper (the way the Times was called sensational in 1999-2000). But is it sensational or are they doing their job of acting as a check on abuses of power? Are they bringing to light the dark truths of politics or are they playing politics? Is being a "safe" paper also not playing politics? Is there a way to be a journalist and be non-political? I feel that the comparison between Fox News and Inquirer is incorrect. The Bulletin, and perhaps the current incarnation of the Times may be a more apt comparison to Fox news, particularly because in some of these newspapers, the line between the business interests of the owners and the sitting government can be more clearly seen. I suppose if you're the target of criticism, then you call your critics sensational. But what if your critics are simply doing what they are called upon to do as the fourth estate? Are the Star and the Inquirer doing anything different now than they were in 2001?

[bagel]

Here's an interesting article on the Philippine press. It examines the ownership and interests of the owners of the various newspapers. Because of the length, I will not post the article here.

Instead, a URL:

http://www.pcij.org/imag/PublicEye/lords.html

This article is about the state of the press around 2000.

[Lili]

Bravo Mike! That is a well-argued piece on the role of the fouth estate and the history/background of the leading newspapers in the Philippines.

Quote: Dancethingy: "It would be nice to have sources that provide unbiased, objective, and responsible journalism."

I doubt if there is such thing as unbiased and objective journalism nowadays. The presentation of news is always seen through the filters of the journalists' own subjective views and biases. Even the selection of what news to present will be based on what may be of interest to the readers. But perhaps we can still aspire for responsible journalism.

[jbkayaker12]

If you are interested in reading newspapers in the Philippines then check out Web Filipino. The Inquirer is not tabloid newspaper. It a fair and balanced newspaper. All you have to do is compare its content with the rest and you will see that it is a reliable source of information.

I find the Daily Tribune to be anti government, it seem like all its headlines are negative toward the current administration. It does not publish anything positive about the current administration and I am not even talking about what is going on currently, it has been this way for a long time now, I dont read it anymore.

[dancethingy]

The editors of a newspaper can be as independent as they want, but their integrity as good journalists can definitely influence the slant of their articles.

I guess i'm used to New York Times or Washington Post Journalism. I have doubts on the Inquirer because it never really tackles issues in a thorough investigation. I haven't read a long study from any journalist in the inquirer regarding social issues; infrastructure; international diplomatic and security issues; and absolutely no significant insight on any of the politicians in Congress. The New York Times's investigative work on the hundreds of tons of weapons lost by the US army when they invaded Iraq is a great example of giving the public something they don't know. The Chicago Tribune, which i deride, published a great five part series on the Chicago's evolving south side neighborhood (if any of you don't know, the place is like a war zone between the Chicago police department and the African American's that live in the area) and it's work like this that convinces you of a newspapers ability to delve into issues in order for their audience to gain insight. In all honesty, you can't gain insight from the Inquirer.

Like today, the Philippine star highlighted on their web site that the "opposition group" has formed a proposed "transition or government caretaker body" in the scenario that Arroyo and DeCastro will be replaced. That is the story now, but in the days that will follow, this so called transition government will not be deconstructed, analyzed, and evaluated by the paper that wrote the news. In other words, there is no follow up on the specifics.

Let's also take this article by the inquirer for example http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index....story_id=44401

While Lacson is someone the inquirer should listen to and their reporting of his "rant" (as i believe it should be labeled) is good, the Inquirer has or will never really delve into some of the things that Lacson has "ranted" about. For example the Inquirer has not and probably will not explore:

- Factors worsening poverty in the country; several alternatives on how to relieve it; how the people can help; and what direction the current administration is taking to curve poverty among the masses.

- The state of the Nation's debt and where it is headed. Where is the administration taking this debt and what programs and steps are they taking to curb it

- The inquirer also has not written in EXTENSIVE detail the veracity of the
accusations of corruption being hurled at Arroyo. Has the paper attempted
to clarify exactly what the tapes say? I don't mean to just careen over the jueteng and wired tape issues, but i just don't see the paper writing stuff about it that the public really doesn't know.

- The paper also quotes this from Lacson,
"On the true state of health and hunger, Lacson said 56.9 percent of Filipino got less than 100 percent dietary energy requirement and 50 percent of the population had no health care access."

Now will the paper delve deeper into the social impact of lack of healthcare to 50% of Filipinos or lack of food? Will the paper someday write an extensive article regarding different ideas that could relieve such hardships? Will the paper elaborate on exactly what the President and PAST PRESIDENTS have done wrong regarding this issue? Will the paper cite any progress by the Arroyo administration on the issue?

PROBABLY NOT

There are lots of things a good newspaper can write about and the INQUIRER has focused on only one thing, and that is POLITICS. Why, because that is where the drama is! and that is what makes a tabloid newspaper, its ability to publish drama without taking sides instead of exploring more pressing issues.

The Inquirer to me, just reports whatever the opposition and the administration says and then the editors write their opinion about it. Their editorial board seems all anti-arroyo with no balance that favors the current administration. What fox news and inquirer have in common is that they scratch the surface of all the "news" going on. They also have the knack of reporting "rumors," and making them sound to be true. I like my news to factual.

I guess what i'm saying is that there is news reporting, but no REAL ANALYSIS or exploration of the issue being covered.

Boybaha, corporate ownership of the press is exactly the threat i HIGHLIGHTED in my earlier post. That is why I hope, Maria Ressa, will find the strenght and resources to start her own grassroots paper.

[bustero]

As I posted previously, in the inquirer website there are links to newsbreak which is weekly newspaper. I think the journalism standards there are higher. Of the local broadsheets, I think Business World has the highest standards. Then Star over inuirer. The bulletin is more like a newsletter, and the others have such a small circulation. I would classify the inquirer as very tabloidish if not an outrought tabloid, I will never forget the fact that they highlighted Chris Aquino getting married as a HEADLINE, (what news!) and then actually slink away with a quiet retraction. Also with the headless gory bodies, there's no doubt in my mind which is more important to them (journalism vs. business). fox fox fox fox

None of the local news agencies whether print or tv has the same levels as the NY times, the economist or the BBC. I do not accept the reason that we are a 3rd world nation. (afterall the international press is full of filipinos themselves)Nevertheless you take what you can get.

[sandrin]

Try to compare the headlines of the major Philippine Newspapers such as The Philippine Star, Manila Standard, Manila Bulletin, Business World, People's Journal, Abante, etc. Most of the Inquirer's headline is almost at par with tabloids like People's Journal and Abante. Oftentimes, the inquirer's headlines mislead the article body itself.

Advertisers particularly the Real Estate Industry must boycott them. The main reason why the Real estate companies post adds to the Inquirer is because of their popularity. But do you really think the audience will buy when all they see on the headlines is chaos. The inquirer scares away the potential real estate buyers. The advertising fee being paid by the companies only go into waste.

[dancethingy]

Thank you Bustero, the Business World will do for now.

[jbkayaker12]

I like the old set up of Busines World Online compared to their recent set up. In the past everything was in columns, easier to navigate and read, now it is a mess, have a look.

Business World Online

[Mango]

This is an interesting analysis from a respectable mediaman herself...
It shows how some media are guilty of "dagdag-bawas", too.
Get Real : The media and the lynch-mob mentality

First posted 11:40pm (Mla time) July 22, 2005
By Solita Collas- Monsod
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A12 of the July 23, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


I THINK I may have been one of the fiercest critics of President gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the years, with my criticisms particularly focused on, but not limited to, her economic policy. I also admit that I may have imposed higher standards on her because she is an economist. But in any event, I would like to think that these criticisms were based on solid grounds rather than on conjectures and speculations. And they were definitely not partisan or ideological in motivation. The objective was always to look out for national rather than personal interests.

Which is why I want no part of what has to be called the lynch-mob mentality that has seemed to grip the nation, fed by, I am sorry to say, the media, which, more often than I am comfortable with, cannot seem to distinguish between generating news and reporting it. When that happens, a vicious cycle occurs: We generate our own excitement, then we panic because of it, and people get caught up in the hysteria, which then results in generating more excitement....

Take for example the June 27 nationwide broadcast where the President apologized for her lapse in judgment. Who was immediately asked to react? Certainly not the man-on-the-street. Tremendous emphasis was given to the opposition's reactions, starting with the jailed Joseph Estrada, which were predictably unfavorable; and much less emphasis (and I think column-inches or air-time analysis will bear this out) on the reaction of administration stalwarts, which were predictably favorable. Even more unfortunate, the "I am sorry" part of the President's statement was focused on, practically ignoring the rest.

Let's just follow one thread in that reaction pattern: Susan Roces on the basis of the President's statement and her (Ms Arroyo's) eyes, accused her of stealing the presidency -- not once, but twice -- and of insincerity. No one bothered to ask what in the Arroyo statement, or for that matter the tapes, could possibly have been the basis of that accusation. But it has caught hold of the public's imagination. Anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon: My upholsterer in Subic asked me what should happen now that President Arroyo had admitted that she cheated in order to win. Is it any wonder that a very large majority of the population want her to resign or be impeached?

And yet one recalls, the President made no such admission. But the opposition fanned the flames, repeating the accusation that she stole the elections with practically every breath they took. This was duly recorded by the media. And while I may be casting too much blame on a sector to which I belong, there were at most only feeble attempts to bring balance to the reporting.

Couldn't there have been at least an attempt to determine whether those conversations could have indeed resulted in stealing an election? Because if the attempt had been made, some timing inconsistencies would be revealed. The conversations took place from May 27, after all the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) were already in Congress. With all the security attendant to those COCs, not even a Houdini (much less a Virgilio Garcillano) would have been able to alter them to suit his evil purposes. The "dagdagan, dagdagan" [vote-padding] theory falls apart.

Couldn't there have been a brief review to remind ourselves of what transpired in the run-up to and the aftermath of the elections? Because if there had been one, the releases of the poll groups Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia at the time would show that Ms Arroyo had overtaken Fernando Poe Jr. in the polls and as of the week before the elections, the difference between them was statistically significant nationwide. While Metro Manila and Luzon and Mindanao could go either way, the lead in the Visayas was so commanding (57 percent Arroyo, 20 percent Poe) as to ensure her victory. Which is what happened.

Also, Bill Luz of the election watchdog group Namfrel was quoted as saying: "We didn't see enough electoral anomalies at the national level to have a material effect on the national results"-i.e., of course there was cheating (there always is, and this must be punished), but nobody stole an election.

And a year later, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through Archbishop Fernando Capalla, said: "It is the view of the bishops that the results of the elections reflected the will of the Filipino people." Unfortunately, not much attention was given by the media to this statement.

And finally, amid all the furor over the latest survey results, surely it would not have been too much to report that in one survey (June 28-30), while 18 percent wanted resignation and 20 percent wanted status quo, 26 percent of those surveyed wanted more information. This was totally ignored.

Also ignored is that in the latest Social Weather Stations survey, 62 percent were in favor of a truth commission-which means that whether they wanted resignation or impeachment, they also wanted the facts. (Perhaps their cool heads struggling to overcome their warm hearts? There may be hope yet.)

Am I saying that media are in some way to blame for this lynch-mob mentality? Another bit of anecdotal evidence here: When asked what they thought would be the outcome of their demonstrations against Ms Arroyo, a spokesman said, "It depends -- on the media and the military." Not necessarily in that order, would be my guess.

But we must also blame ourselves. Surely it cannot have escaped our notice that most of those making the noise are also-rans and people with self-serving agendas. We should all refuse to be railroaded by these people who don't want facts to get in the way of their conclusions and their ambitions.

[dancethingy]

Solito Collas has said it all about how I feel about the media in this time of crisis. SHE HAS STATED IT ALL FOR ME.

[dancethingy]

I thought you guys might want to read this

From the FRONT PAGES OF THE NEW YORK TIMES. WOW

Manila Journal
Editors Tackle Taboos With Girlish Glee

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By RAYMOND BONNER
Published: July 25, 2005
MANILA, July 22 - "I'm sorry, but I just can't control those girls." That is how one of this country's tycoons is said to deflect complaints about articles in Newsbreak, a magazine he founded.

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Lyn Rillon for The New York Times
The editors of Newsbreak, Marites Danguilan Vitug, left, and Glenda M. Gloria, at the magazine's offices.
"Those girls" are the women who edit and manage the magazine, which, with its spunk and spice, has more than demonstrated its independence from the privileged and powerful. Newsbreak has brought down a senator, set off an investigation into corruption in the military, and - most daring of all - exposed the fault lines inside this country's most influential institution: the Roman Catholic Church.

This month, with the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on the brink, "those girls" put out a special edition: an account of a meeting of the council of bishops, during which the papal nuncio told them - "scolded them," the magazine said - to stay out of politics.

What stunned most Filipinos, accustomed to the past involvement in politics by the church, was that the bishops neither endorsed Mrs. Arroyo, nor called for her resignation.

"Those girls" are the editor, Marites Danguilan Vitug, a 50-year-old with an infectious laugh that punctuates every conversation, and the managing editor, Glenda M. Gloria, just turned 40, a former senior editor at one of the country's major daily newspapers. Ten of Newsbreak's 14 senior editors and writers are women.

Since the end of Ferdinand E. Marcos' dictatorial rule in 1986, the Philippine press has been free. But being free doesn't necessarily mean being responsible, and the newspapers in this archipelago of 87 million people are as raucous as the politics.

Businesses in the region still pay journalists under the table, and powerful people routinely file libel suits that get favorable hearings. Such suits have nearly destroyed the high quality Indonesian magazine Tempo, which has worked with Newsbreak to report on Islam in Southeast Asia.

In Newsbreak's first issue - Jan. 24, 2001 - the editors advised readers: "The magazine's staff is composed of journalists who believe in honest, incisive, and spunky reportage." Few would doubt it has succeeded in that. The editors added, "We like to believe that good journalism sells." That is questionable here.

Newsbreak has barely 1,000 paid subscribers, and about 2,000 newsstand sales. But the subscriber list includes more than half of the Philippine Congress, and just about every embassy in Manila.

The magazine was conceived in 2000, when two venture capitalists, members of the country's elite, unhappy with the superficiality, sensationalism and lack of balance in the coverage of the country's mainstream dailies, approached Ms. Vitug and Ms. Gloria.

The two women, both of whom studied at the London School of Economics, had just finished a book, "Under the Crescent Moon: Rebellion in Mindanao," about the rise of the Islamic movement, including the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, on the southern island of Mindanao.

It is a book that foreign diplomats here have on the shelf as essential reading about a region where the United States has had a military presence since 2002.

The men were thinking of a Web site. The women thought a weekly magazine would be better. (It is now biweekly, for lack of money, and many of the articles appear on the Web site of The Philippine Daily Inquirer - www.inq7.net.) The men insist on remaining behind the scenes and the episode about "those girls" was related by the women themselves.

The magazine's first major challenge to entrenched power was almost its demise.

In February 2003, the cover story was about a Catholic bishop, one of the country's most powerful, who had carried on an affair with a married woman and had fathered a child by her.

The magazine found the woman and interviewed her for three hours, unearthing details about the affair and documents in which the bishop, Crisostomo Yalung had acknowledged paternity.

In a country that is 80 percent Catholic, "un-Christian" was among the nicer epithets thrown at the editors. Ms. Gloria's mother, a staunch Catholic, told her daughter she disapproved.

Church leaders were furious, and under pressure, one member of the magazine's board resigned.

"We thought we wouldn't survive," Ms. Vitug recalled.

Instead, it was a turning point. "It put us on the map," Ms. Vitug said, with her laugh.

(The bishop left the country, and is believed to be in the United States, Ms. Gloria said.)

Four months later, the magazine ran another cover story about a bishop accused of out-of-town trysts and sexual harassment.

It has been equally uncompromising in looking at corruption in the military. One cover had the photograph of a general superimposed over a $100 bill. Using various property search services they found on the Internet, the reporters had discovered that the general owned a condominium in Trump Tower and other property in the United States. (The general is under house arrest as authorities investigate.)

The property searches cost $100, Ms. Gloria said - a not insignificant sum for the magazine, whose offices are four small rooms on the fifth floor of an apartment building.

It still gets some money from its wealthy founders, but as venture capitalists they had intended for the publication to support itself eventually rather than to continue to be subsidized.

Asked what magazines are the models for Newsbreak, Ms. Vitug said, "Vanity Fair" and "Mother Jones" - the former for covers that sell, and the latter because it raises money from foundations and even other governments.

For more reporting in Mindanao, the magazine has received $42,000 from the United States Institute of Peace, a Congressionally funded nonpartisan organization based in Washington that promotes the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

For a story about how federalism might work in the Philippines - currently, virtually all power in the sprawling archipelago resides in Manila, with little authority in the provinces - the editors approached the Swiss Embassy, which gave them $10,000.

The editors know they must pay more attention to getting subscribers and selling advertising.

But they don't want to stop being reporters themselves.

"When you're small, you have fun," Ms. Gloria said. "That's why we don't want to get too big."