PCIJ book wins St Scho citation

ONE of PCIJ’s latest books, Cash Overload, Media Overdrive: The Press and the May 2010 Elections has been given a Special Citation for Print and Online Journalism by St. Scholastica’s College (SSC)-Manila Department of Mass Communication.

PCIJ joined 11 other individuals, non-profit organizations, advertising agencies, and broadcast and online media organizations recognized in the college’s 5^th Hildegarde Awards for Outstanding Women in Media and Communication for having made “an impact to society by creating avenues for women empowerment, gender sensitivity, and gender equality.”

Research Desk Head Karol Anne M. Ilagan and Senior Researcher-Writer Che de los Reyes accept the special citation on behalf of the PCIJ.

Cash Overload, Media Overdrive: The Press and the May 2010 Elections is the third installment of PCIJ’s News for Sale series of books. It reveals how candidates and their media agents used cash and other enticements to manipulate the mass media toward favorable coverage for themselves and unfavorable coverage for their opponents. By examining the how and why of the lingering malaise that is corruption in the media, PCIJ seeks to derive lessons from all three editions of News for Sale toward better and more independent media coverage in the next elections.

The Hildegarde Awards — named after 12^th Century Benedictine nun, writer, teacher, artist, scientist, healer, and poet St. Hildegarde of Bingen — is said to be the “sole award-giving body that recognizes the role of women in forming the Philippine media.” This year, the Hildegarde Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred to two outstanding women in media and communication: veteran Mindanao-based journalist Carolyn Arguillas of MindaNews and multi-awarded playwright and puppeteer Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio.

This is also the first time that the Hildegard Awards had special citations. Aside from the PCIJ, the other recipients of the Special Citation for Print and Online Journalism were Anne Marxe Umil of bulatlat.com and ISIS International. Special Citations for Broadcast Journalism meanwhile were given to Dyan Castillejo’s field reports on Manny Pacquiao aired on ABS-CBN; GMA 7’s “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” program; and TV5’s “Ako Mismo” program.

Special Citations for Development Communication went to Gabriela’s “Project RunAway”; Tulakabataan’s “Vote for Kids Campaign,” and ABS-CBN’s “Matanglawin” program. There were also recipients of the Special Citation for Advertising, among them Nescafe’s “Para Kanino Ka Bumabangon“; Lucky Me’s “Mahalaga na Kumpleto sa Kainan and Pamilya“; and Milo’s “Annie.”

The recipients of special citations were determined through the number of votes cast by Mass Communication students of St. Scholastica’s College last February 7-11 at the school’s Mass Communication building. The award ceremonies were held last Saturday, March 6 at the St. Scholastica’s College campus in Manila. – PCIJ, March 2011