Rappler’s Pia Ranada is Marshall McLuhan fellow for 2024

MANILA, Philippines – Rappler’s community head Pia Ranada has been named the Marshall McLuhan Fellow for 2024 by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and the Canadian embassy in the Philippines on Tuesday, November 19, for her “exceptional commitment to journalism [and for] using the craft to build citizens with critical information that can impact societal change.”

In presenting the award, Canadian embassy’s political and public affairs counsellor Andrew Green cited Ranada’s work that tackled issues that are “complex and highly sensitive,” but vital “to the public’s understanding of power, governance, and accountability.”

“What makes their work truly outstanding is not only the in-depth reporting, but their ability to weave intricate yet understandable narratives that illuminate the context and the stories beyond the headlines, going beyond surface-level facts and exposing truths that challenge established norms and prompt necessary conversations,” Green said during the 2024 Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar (JVOJS), where the CMFR and the embassy presented the award.

“This journalist’s courageous reporting is not just about uncovering wrongs. It also highlights potential solutions, guiding audiences towards greater understanding and action, and thereby truly exemplifying the values of the McLuhan Fellowship. Namely, pushing the boundaries of public discourse, bringing people together around shared truths, and using the power of media to strengthen democracy,” he added.

As the new fellow, Ranada will be on a speaking tour in Canada and the Philippines with media professionals, the academe, civil society, and government officials. The McLuhan fellowship program, launched in 1997, is the embassy’s project promoting excellence in journalism in the Philippines.

Ranada’s latest victory brings Rappler’s McLuhan fellows to six. These are the other fellows who are still with or have worked for Rappler:

• Managing editor Miriam Grace Go (2002)
• Former head of regions Inday Espina Varona (2007)
• Executive editor Glenda Gloria (2008)
• Former investigative reporter Patricia Evangelista (2019)
• Lead editorial researcher Jodesz Gavilan (2023)

Ranada currently heads Rappler’s community, which is tasked to link the organization’s reportage with communities for impact. Before this, she worked for the newsroom as an investigative and senior reporter. She is best known for her critical coverage of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration as Rappler’s Palace reporter.

Prior to bagging the McLuhan fellowship, Ranada was a panelist of the JVOJS in 2021. A year later, she was named as one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service. From 2022 to 2023, Ranada was a John S. Knight International Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, where she studied disinformation and engaged journalism.

Ranada obtained her communication degree from the Ateneo de Manila University with magna cum laude distinction. She is also a Carlos Palanca Award winner. (You may access Ranada’s stories through this link)

Apart from Ranada, multimedia reporter Jairo Bolledo was also part of this year’s JVOJS seminar panel, which recognizes journalists “who have distinguished themselves for the quality of their work in the context of best practice, press freedom protection, and the promotion of media ethics.”

Bolledo, Rappler’s justice, police, and human rights reporter, writes stories about the rule of law and the lack of justice for victims of impunity in the country. (You may access Bolledo’s stories through this link)

Other panelists were Jane Bautista, Philippine Daily Inquirer; Christina Chi, Philstar.com; and Kurt dela Peña, Inquirer.net. The panel discussed several topics, including the continuous attacks against Filipino journalists and news organizations, the supposed decline of legacy media, and the need to recalibrate the reportage of journalists, among others.

Unlike in the previous years, the CMFR did not give a JVO Award of Distinction this year. Last year’s recipient was former ABS-CBN reporter Mike Navallo. – Rappler.com