Reporting Human Rights in the Philippines

KASAMA Vol. 23 No. 4 / November-December 2009 / Solidarity Philippines Australia Network

A Field Guide for Journalists and Media Workers

Reporting Human Rights in RP 27 May 2009

The Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project launched a practical handbook for journalists and media workers to better report human rights issues, a continuing concern in the Philippines. Entitled “Reporting Human Rights in the Philippines,” the 105-page handbook has been produced as part of the Project’s efforts to increase human rights awareness in the Philippine media and in society at large. It compliments the training, reporting, advocacy and outreach which the Project has been doing for the past 18 months.

Held at the Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City, the launch gathered approximately 70 participants from the media, media development organizations, human rights community, peace advocacy groups, government, academe, international development sector, and the diplomatic community. Among the diplomats were US Embassy Second Secretary Michael Pignatello and EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald.

A panel discussion on the role of media in human rights was featured. Included as panelists were Red Batario, the handbook’s main author and executive director of the Center for Community Journalism and Development; human rights lawyer and University of the Philippines Vice President for Legal Affairs Theodore Te; Erlinda Cadapan, mother of missing UP student Sherlyn; Commission on Human Rights chairperson Leila De Lima; and GMANews.TV editor-in-chief Howie Severino.

You can download a copy from the Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project web site at http://www.rightsreporting.net/