The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a Philippine press freedom and journalism watchdog, announces it will close its operations effective September 30. Multiple outlets report the decision ends about 37 years of work monitoring and promoting responsible journalism.
CMFR says the move is driven by challenges in securing funding. In a statement posted online, it attributes the closure to a difficult “funding environment,” stating that Philippine and international funding support had sustained its activities but that multiple factors now make it harder to obtain the necessary resources to continue operations.
Coverage focuses on both the timing and the reason. While all outlets agree on the September 30 shutdown, they differ mainly in emphasis: some highlight the end of a decades-long history as a watchdog, while others foreground CMFR’s explanation about funding constraints and its sustainability.
