Reporters w/o Borders: At least 12 journalists among 42 massacred in Philippines

http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=35061<blockquote>At least 12 journalists were killed today in Maguindanao province (on the southern island of Mindanao) by armed men, including two policemen, linked to the province’s governor, a supporter of President Gloria Arroyo. More than 30 other people were murdered. Some of the victims were beheaded.

“Never in the history of journalism have the news media suffered such a heavy loss of life in one day,” Reporters Without Borders said. “We convey our condolences and sympathy to all journalists in the Philippines, who are in state of shock after this appalling massacre.” . . .

The massacre took place a few hours after around 50 gunmen led by Andal Ampatuan Jr., the mayor of Shariff Aguak (a municipality in Maguindanao province), and a police inspector identified solely by the name of Dicay kidnapped members of a large convoy of supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, an Ampatuan clan opponent who wants to run for governor.

The convoy of Mangudadatu supporters, accompanied by journalists, had been on its way to an electoral bureau to file documents related to his candidacy, which the gunmen wanted to prevent. The fatalities included Mangudadatu’s wife, sister and other relatives. The governor’s son is also alleged to have been involved in the massacre.</blockquote>Every time I ever had a problem covering a ballgame, I reminded myself how much worse it could be.

 

Why are there 12 journalists covering a convoy in the Philippines when you can barely get one or two covering the state capital beat in most small states?

 

I presume these included journalists from various news organizations in the Phillipines, and perhaps internationally. I wish there'd been more details.

Very sad, very appalling. Thanks for the link. I've been looking for organizations like this to support since I stepped out of the day-to-day J-world (the journo org from which this story originates, that is).

 

Reports from the Philippines:
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/6599-civilians-killed-beheaded
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/23/09/arroyo-hunt-down-maguindanao-massacre-killers

What's more, the actual elections are still six months away.

 

Reporters Without Borders has its own agenda. Since journalists outside of this country aren't tied to "objective" standards as much as we are, they sometimes take sides in a conflict.

 

How many were actually killed? The most I've read besides the Reporters Without Borders report is 24.

 

No surprise given the happenings in Mindanao over the last generation or two. Makes the news throughout Luzon - including the overthrow of one of the worst crooks ever in Ferdinand Marcos - look very tame by comparison.

 

It's called advocacy journalism and some would say it's the highest calling in our profession. I'm not sure I would disagree.

 

fixed.

 

Something tells me I may have a different interpretation from others here of what advocacy journalism is. I'm talking about the work being done to give voices to the voiceless in places where governments suppress dissent. I'm not sure how anybody could say that isn't journalism. I might be wrong about its name, but I always thought this is what advocacy journalism is/was.

 

Update: Lots of arrests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8397717.stm

 

Serious mess in Mindanao. Then again, it hasn't been otherwise in a long, long time. There's a reason no GIs booked getaways to parts South when they had leave ... and when American forces were a much bigger presence there.