The study aims to analyze how journalism and culture of impunity affect each other, focusing on the situation in the Philippines which is said to be one of the freest presses in Asia but is, ironically, one of the most murderous places in the world to practice journalism. This is timely because almost 200 journalists and media workers in the Philippines have been killed in the line of duty since 1986 with the ouster of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Aside from the prospects of being killed for doing their jobs, they also face harassment and intimidation particularly from the government and its supporters. While there had been studies on journalism globally, there is a dearth of research on culture of impunity. There is also not much research on the alternative media (also called non-profit or independent media) especially in the Philippines. This study addresses the research gap by focusing on these under-researched aspects, mindful that journalism and culture of impunity should be analyzed in the context of both dominant media (also called corporate media) and alternative media. For this thesis, the researcher used a mixed-method approach composed of indepth interviews with and a nationwide survey of Filipino journalists. In analyzing journalism and culture of impunity in the Philippines, the thesis hopes to make sense of the reality and provide recommendations on what could be done to help end impunity. The results of the interviews and survey show that journalism and culture of impunity affect each other in several ways. Much as the chilling effect is apparent, there exists a culture of resistance where journalists and media workers fight back not just in seeking justice for their colleagues (especially those who were killed) but also in defending press freedom from those who repress the media. Harassment and intimidation are apparent, a major form of which is red-tagging where journalists, media workers and news media organizations are accused by government and its supporters of being communists or terrorists, thus endangering their safety and security. The study contributes to the discourse on journalism and culture of impunity by providing theoretical, empirical and normative bases for analyzing the prevailing reality. Its research model could be used in analyzing journalism and culture of impunity in other countries, particularly in areas where journalists and media workers are in danger.

This publication is part of the “Advancing human rights reporting in the Philippines as a tool for upholding gender fairness, democracy and accountability” project by Bulatlat through its publisher, the Alipato Media Center Inc. The project is supported by the German Embassy in Manila.

The diversity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) extends to the media systems of its 10 member states. Cross-border journalism should explore various themes that transcend such diversity. Given the prevailing culture of impunity, this chapter proposes that journalists covering the ASEAN consider the state of media as a topic for collaborative research. Special attention should be given to the various forms of harassment and intimidation faced by ASEAN-based journalists and media workers, including work-related killings. This kind of research may branch out to other dimensions like human rights violations across the population, along with their political and economic situations. The ASEAN indeed remains a newsworthy topic and diversity should not get in the way of practicing cross-border journalism.

Arao, D. A. (2020, October). Preface: Digital security as safety training and media literacy. In R. V. Olea (Ed.), Digital security policy and guidelines for Filipino journalists (p. 1). Internews, Alipato Media Center, and Bulatlat.

Ang librong ito ay koleksiyon ng limampu’t dalawang sanaysay na sinulat sa buong taon ng 2010 na lumabas sa kolum kong Konteksto sa alternatibong publikasyong Pinoy Weekly. Mainam na balik-balikan ang mga artikulong ito para malaman ang konteksto ng maraming problemang kinakaharap ng bayan, at kung ano ang papel ng pagpapalit ng administrasyong Arroyo at Aquino sa pagresolba sa mga ito.

"Education for a Globalizing Asia: Challenges and Opportunities is a collection of papers and commentaries on the varying effects of globalization on education systems in Asia. It focuses on institutional, curricular and procedural changes that these education systems underwent to promote global competitiveness. Western models of education reform, observes the book, provide impetus for these changes, modification that revolve around strategies meant to enhance instruction, research and education governance. While gains from these changes are apparent, this collection also highlights difficulties that Asian educational institutions continue to confront as they seek better policies and processes and vie for higher rankings. The strong and almost exclusive emphasis on North American and Western European rubics of excellence, the lack of inclusivity, and the growing corporatization of schools are some of the most notable unintended consequences of internalization that merit further study. Warranting attention as well is the absence of alternative paradigms that acknowledge cultural, economic and political diversity, and plurarity of perspectives on internalization. It is hoped that a more nuanced understanding of Asian experiences reform can be obtained through this book." (From the Ateneo de Manila University Press website)

Composed of 40 essays written in Filipino, the book is divided into six chapters: Muni-muni (Reflection); Pera-pera (Money); Bola-bola (Deception); Bali-balita (News); Buhay-buhay (Life); at Suroy-suroy (Sightseeing). Arao said that there is a reason for composing the book's title and chapter titles in a way that certain words in Filipino are repeated twice. "Kailangan kasing gamitin ang pag-uulit ng ilang salita sa wikang Filipino para idiin ang isang mahalagang bagay --- patong-patong ang mga problemang kinakaharap ng ating mga mamamayan (There is a need to repeat certain words in the Filipino language to stress an important matter --- there is a plethora of problems being faced by the people)," he said.

Titled Hay, Naku! 2013: Pagsusuma ng Isang Peryodista, the book is authored by Danilo Araña Arao. It is a collection of essays he wrote for Pinoy Weekly in 2013. The articles are divided into 11 chapters on language, propaganda, media, history, elections, law, culture, politics, education, tragedy and mass action. An e-book version is available at http://flipreads.com/hay-naku-2013.

Published by the UP Press after undergoing a strict review process, the book consists of 55 essays in Filipino written from 2006 to 2009. The essays are critical commentaries on activism, language, culture, politics, elections and economics, as well as driving and motorcycling. There are also personal essays included in this collection.

Published by DLSU and Central Books Supply, the book contains 50 essays in Filipino focusing on journalism, media, education, politics and economics. There are also personal essays included in the book.

The book contains essays on various topics like journalism, media, communication, politics, economics, culture, technology, blogging and web authoring. While most of the essays are written in the Philippines, the book also includes those written during the author’s stay in Indonesia and South Korea.

Co-authors Martin Loffelholz and Danilo Arana Arao say the book gives a practical explanation of how journalists should tackle issues pertinent to the region when reporting on Asean. (quoted from a book review published on May 6, 2011 in The Jakarta Globe, http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/handbook-ajournalists-guide-to-penet...)

Titled Global Makeover: Media and Culture in Asia, the more than 200-page book consists of 11 articles that provide an in-depth look at how media operate due to various influences, as well as how culture gets shaped by media systems, technological developments and other factors...(The book) is edited by Danilo Araña Arao, a journalist and assistant professor at the UP College of Mass Communication. (Quoted from http://risingsun.dannyarao.com/2011/01/20/new-book-analyzes-global-makeover/)