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| MELINDA
Q. DE JESUS |
| With
a B.A. degree in English Literature from Maryknoll
College, Melinda Quintos de Jesus started a career
as a free-lance journalist in the seventies, starting
out In the field of television documentary film,
Her experience in journalism Includes print, radio
and television.
She developed two magazine concepts which she
also edited, TV Times, the first television magazine
in the Philippines; and Ballkbayan, a publication
designed for Fillpino communities abroad. In the
eighties, she was among the columnists of Bulletin
Today who wrote critically of the Marcos regime.
When she was eased out of that job, she moved
to the forefront of the 'alternative press' as
editor and columnist of Verltas NewsWeekiy. |
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After the People Power
protest toppled the Marcos dictatorship, she
wrote columns for the Philippine Daily Inquirer
and the Philippine Star, for Evening Paper and
the Manila Times. She also co-hosted a TV political
talk show "Velez this Week' with the late Jose
Marl Velez. DZRJ-FM featured her "column -on-the
air." '
The problems of the free press pressed her to
organize the private nonstock, non-profit Center
for Media Freedom & Responsibility (CMFR), a
foundation that addresses the issues of responsibility
and ethics in the media. CMFR publishes the
Philippine Journalism Review (PJR), which includes
a media monitor. The CMFR has also established
the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative
Journalism to recognize excellence in investigative
reporting. She has developed training programs
on media and the justice system, peace reporting,
media and gender-based reporting and other emerging
issues in the news agenda.
Ms. De Jesus was a journalist-in-residence at
the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and
a fellow at the Shorenstein Center for Press,
Politics and Public Policy at the Kennedy School
of Government based in Harvard University. CMFR
received the Chino Roces Award' in 1998 for
promoting vigilance against the abuse of press
freedom, encouraging responsibility, accountability
and reporting excellence in the press, strengthening
the role of a free press in a democracy.
As executive director of CMFR, Ms. De Jesus
received the Year 2000 Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.
Fellowship for Professional Development in recognition
of her efforts to strengthen Philippine democracy
by promoting higher standards of media responsibility
and professionalism.
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