Media ownership means information control

Ownership almost always translates to control. As the material world’s golden rule declares, he who owns the gold, rules. It is therefore important that the public knows who owns and controls the source of information they are consuming.

In 2016, VERA Files and Reporters Without Borders-Germany conducted a research on media ownership in the Philippines which showed a media captured by the economic elite and duopoly of ABS-CBN and GMA-7. Television was then the public’s number one source of information. 

Since then, so many things have happened that made a major impact on the country’s media landscape.

This year, with the support of the German Embassy, Manila, VERA Files partnered with Germany-based Global Media Registry (GMR) to update the Philippine Media Ownership Monitor (MOM-PH) database.

Data gathered showed that while there have been many changes, a number of things remained the same.