The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) has reported difficulty in monitoring the number of media outlets operating on social media, citing the government’s liberal attitude towards the Internet.
The task force on Friday said Philippine Information Agency (PIA) data debunks claims that press freedom is threatened. It reported there are currently 735 radio stations, 421 newspapers, 162 television and cable stations, and 73 magazines that are said to comprise the country’s mainstream or traditional media as of July 2023.
“The figures do not include those operating using the various social media platforms (Meta, Viber, YouTube, etc.) but the number totaled in the thousands. The difficulty in monitoring the number of media outlets operating in the social media realm is due mainly to the fact that the Philippine government has always been liberal in its attitude towards the Internet,” PTFOMS said in its statement released on World Press Freedom Day.
It further cited the April 2024 US State Department Country Report on Philippine Human Rights on ‘Internet Freedom’ in the country.
“The press community in the Philippines remains vibrant, further gaining momentum and free as it continues to live up to its reputation as the ‘freest press’ in Asia,” PTFOMS said.
Furthermore, the task force mentioned the timely arrest of identified gunmen in the killing of Filipino radio broadcasters, as well as legal solutions toward cases of violence against Philippine press members.
PTFOMS also enumerated its various initiatives including implementation of the Presidential Communications Office’s (PCO) Media and Information Literacy campaign, as well as regional media summits on journalism best practices.