Social Movement Media (Philippines)

The Martial Law Years

Critics of the U.S. alliance under President Marcos (19651986) were accused of being part of a “communist threat,” which in 1972 became his justification for declaring martial law. It was in the 1960s that the Philippine press style had begun to give ground to the critical Filipino tradition, and serious questioning began of the political and economic structures that kept the country impoverished, as well as the U.S. role in that process. Martial law remained in place until Marcos' 1986 ouster, with him maintaining to the end that the news media were abusing their powers, and that many journalists should be arrested for supporting communism.

During the martial law years, while the revolutionary Filipino press went underground, the Philippine press remained subservient to Marcos, cloaking its cowardice in claims of professionalism and “objectivity.” During this time, writers, journalists, and artists operated underground revolutionary newspapers and organized what was described as “Xerox journalism” in the struggle against the dictatorship.

Important sources included Signs of the Times (later the Philippine News and Features), the Media Mindanao News Service, the Cordillera News and Features, Cobra-Ans, elements of the campus press such as the Philippine Collegian, and the anti-Marcos newspapers Malaya and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Radyo Veritas (Truth) station was also a key player. These media became known as the “alternative press,” which was celebrated as new despite its long history. They played a vital role in the events that led to the ouster of Marcos, which were brought about in part by the push to extend the limits of media freedom.

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