PH longest-running alternative news website turns 15
PH longest-running alternative news website turns 15
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
Sometime in 1999, a group of journalists and rights advocates gathered to discuss what they observed as “shallow” reporting when it comes to people’s issues and their interests. These discussions boiled down to the need to set up a media outlet – an alternative to the dominant – that will look into various issues with a progressive lens. Immediately.
But where to begin?
One of Bulatlat’s founding editors and currently Ibon executive director Jose Enrique Africa said they originally wanted to come up with a newsletter, much like the “mosquito press” back in dark days of the Marcos dictatorship. But just like the old days, the financial burden is sure to take toll on their operations. It was then that they came up with an idea to put up a news website.
Africa admitted all of them were clueless on how to go about with the news website. They scoured help from all too willing friends who lent their skills from creating a logo to putting up the website.
Today, Bulatlat turns 15. It is the country’s longest-running alternative news magazine online.
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