PCIJ receives international award for contributions to press freedom

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) received the prestigious Kate Webb Award on Wednesday at a ceremony in Makati City, with the Agence France-Presse (AFP) Foundation citing the center for its "outstanding contributions to press freedom." "The PCIJ deserves to be a source of inspiration for all of us who believe that journalists should shine a light in all the dark corners of our societies, whether it pleases those concerned or not," said Eric Wishart, AFP Asia Pacific director and chair of the Kate Webb Award jury, in presenting the award. Executive Director Malou Mangahas led other PCIJ editors, staff and other contributors in accepting the award, “as a most welcome recognition of the journalism we do, (and) also in honor of over a hundred Filipino journalists who have been killed for doing what we do – exposing corruption, criminals, and crooks." Mangahas recalled how the PCIJ was established in 1989 “on a simple dream – to help nurture a culture for investigative reporting in the Philippines, and in the process, make good journalism a cornerstone of good governance, democracy and progress." After 20 years, Mangahas said, PCIJ has produced about 500 investigative reports for print, television, and online media; about 80 training seminars for journalists in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa; a “modest portfolio of documentaries and full-length films," and online references on Philippine politics and government. The annual prize was created in memory of AFP correspondent Kate Webb, who was considered one of the AFP’s finest journalists and a pioneering woman war correspondent who covered the Vietnam War and many other subsequent ones. She died in 2007 at the age of 64. The award, which comes with a cash prize of 3000 euros or PhP300,000, is administered by the AFP Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes higher standards of journalism worldwide. The PCIJ said it will use the prize money to set up a training program to focus on safety for journalists while carrying out investigative reports on the nearly 200 families that dominate Philippine politics. The award-giving was attended by AFP’s Asia-Pacific directors, members of Webb’s family, and representatives of the Embassy of France. --JV, GMANews.TV