Melinda Q. De Jesus

With a B.A. degree in English Literature from Maryknoll College, Melinda Quintos de Jesus started a career as a free-lance journalist in the seventies, starting out In the field of television documentary film, Her experience in journalism Includes print, radio and television.

She developed two magazine concepts which she also edited, TV Times, the first television magazine in the Philippines; and Ballkbayan, a publication designed for Fillpino communities abroad. In the eighties, she was among the columnists of Bulletin Today who wrote critically of the Marcos regime. When she was eased out of that job, she moved to the forefront of the 'alternative press' as editor and columnist of Verltas NewsWeekiy.

After the People Power protest toppled the Marcos dictatorship, she wrote columns for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star, for Evening Paper and the Manila Times. She also co-hosted a TV political talk show "Velez this Week' with the late Jose Marl Velez. DZRJ-FM featured her "column -on-the air."

The problems of the free press pressed her to organize the private nonstock, non-profit Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility (CMFR), a foundation that addresses the issues of responsibility and ethics in the media. CMFR publishes the Philippine Journalism Review (PJR), which includes a media monitor. The CMFR has also established the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism to recognize excellence in investigative reporting. She has developed training programs on media and the justice system, peace reporting, media and gender-based reporting and other emerging issues in the news agenda.

Ms. De Jesus was a journalist-in-residence at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a fellow at the Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government based in Harvard University. CMFR received the Chino Roces Award' in 1998 for promoting vigilance against the abuse of press freedom, encouraging responsibility, accountability and reporting excellence in the press, strengthening the role of a free press in a democracy.

As executive director of CMFR, Ms. De Jesus received the Year 2000 Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Fellowship for Professional Development in recognition of her efforts to strengthen Philippine democracy by promoting higher standards of media responsibility and professionalism.