Newspapers to tackle impunity, 2010 polls in PPI press forum

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Press Institute, also known as the national association of newspapers, will convene the publishers and editors of its 63 active member-newspapers for the 13th National Press Forum and 2009 Annual Membership Meeting from April 27 to 29 of this year at the Diamond Hotel Philippines.

Dubbed as “Reporting the 2010 Elections Now”, the forum will have session topics on impunity and media killings, the impact of the global economic crisis on the 2010 Philippine elections, the challenges for automated elections, governance, the right of reply, and the future of print advertising.

Resource persons include Ambassador Marita Magpili-Jimenez of the Asian Development Bank, former Budget Secretary Dr. Benjamin Diokno, Ambassador Henrietta de Villa of the National Movement for Free Elections, Joji Ilagan-Bian of the Export Development Council in Mindanao, and media critic and editor Vergel Santos. 

Commissioner Cecilia Rachel Quisumbing of the Commission on Human Rights will keynote the forum. Melinda Quintos-de Jesus of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists will give an update on the impunity and media killings, while Amado Macasaet, chairman-president of the PPI and publisher of Malaya, will join Quisumbing and de Jesus in the symbolic cutting of the ribbon. He will also open the conference.

The 2008 Civic Journalism Community Press Awards will highlight the general assembly with The Coca-Cola Export Corporation as the partner starting this year. The awards program will pay tribute to the best daily and weekly community newspapers in five categories - photojournalism, business and economic reporting, science and environment reporting, editorial page and editing.

Also invited to attend are journalism schools, media organizations, members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, non-government organizations, and civil society groups. — PR/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)