The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an
English-language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines'
newspaper of record
A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and include some of the o ...
. The newspaper is the most awarded broadsheet in the Philippines and the multimedia group, called The Inquirer Group, reaches 54 million people across several platforms.
History
The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' was founded on December 9, 1985, by publisher
Eugenia Apóstol
Eugenia "Eggie" Apostol (born September 29, 1925) is a Filipino publisher who played pivotal roles in the peaceful overthrow of two Philippine presidents: Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001. She was awarded the 2006 Ramon Magsays ...
, columnist
Max Solivén, together with
Betty Go-Belmonte
Billie Mary "Betty" Chua Go-Belmonte (; December 31, 1933 – January 28, 1994) was a Filipina journalist and newspaper publisher. She established the STAR Group of Publications which publishes the national newspaper, ''The Philippine Star'' and ...
during the last days of the regime of President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, becoming one of the first private newspapers to be established under the
Marcos regime Marcos may refer to:
People with the given name ''Marcos''
*Marcos (given name)
Sports
;Surnamed
* Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century)
* Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer
* Nélson Marcos, Portugue ...
.
The ''Inquirer'' succeeded the weekly ''Philippine Inquirer'',
[ created in 1985 by Apostol to cover the trial of 25 soldiers accused of complicity in the ]assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
of opposition leader Ninoy Aquino
Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino ...
at Manila International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA , ; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino or ''Pandaigdigang Paliparan ng Ninoy Aquino''; ), originally known and still commonly referred to as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main ...
on August 21, 1983. Apostol also published the '' Mr. & Ms. Special Edition'', a weekly tabloid opposed to the Marcos regime.[
]
Beltran years (1985–1989)
As the successor to the previous ''Mr. & Ms. Special Edition'' and the weekly ''Philippine Inquirer'', it was founded on a budget of ₱1 million and enjoyed a daily circulation of 30,000 in its early days. The new daily was housed in the dilapidated one-story Star Building on 13th and Railroad streets in Port Area, Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. It was put out by 40 editors, reporters, correspondents, photographers and other editorial employees working in a 100 square meter newsroom. Columnist Louie Beltran
Luis "Ka Louie" Diaz Beltran (April 4, 1936 – September 6, 1994) was a Philippine broadcast journalist and newspaper columnist. In 2018, Beltran was identified by the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board as a Motu Proprio human rights vio ...
was named its editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
.
The newspaper was instrumental in documenting the campaign of Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
during the 1986 presidential elections and, in turn, the 1986 People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
. Its slogan, ''Balanced News, Fearless Views'', was incorporated to the newspaper in January 1986 after a slogan-making contest held during the first month of the ''Inquirer''s existence.[ In this period, the newspaper reached a high circulation of 500,000 copies a day.
In July 1986, questions about finances and a divergence of priorities caused a rift among the founders that led Belmonte, Soliven, and Art Borjal's split from the Inquirer to establish '']The Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
''. As Belmonte owned the Star Building where the Inquirer was headquartered, the newspaper amicably transferred to the Soliven-owned BF Condominium on Aduana Street, Intramuros
Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.
Present-day I ...
.
Pascual years (1989–1991)
In February 1987, Federico D. Pascual, former assistant managing editor of the ''Daily Express'', was named executive editor of the ''Inquirer'' and was appointed editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
two years later.[ It was during his term in 1990 that the ''Inquirer'' took the lead from the '']Manila Bulletin
The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...
'' to become the Philippines' largest newspaper in terms of circulation.
However, in July 1990, the Inquirer headquarters in Intramuros was damaged by the 1990 Luzon earthquake
The 1990 Luzon earthquake struck the island of Luzon in the Philippines at 4:26 p.m. on July 16 ( PDT) or 3:26 p.m. ( PST) with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent'') and produced a 1 ...
. On January 5, 1991, the newspaper transferred to the YIC building along United Nations Avenue and Romualdez Street in Malate.
Jimenez-Magsanoc years (1991–2015)
''Inquirer's'' longest-serving and first woman editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
, the late Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, was appointed on June 14, 1991. She was a former columnist and editor of the ''Panorama'' Sunday magazine of ''Bulletin Today
The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...
(now Manila Bulletin)'' who was sacked for writing articles poking fun at Marcos. She edited ''Mr & Ms Special Edition
''Mr. & Ms. Special Edition'' was a weekly opposition tabloid magazine published from 1983 to 1986 that played a pivotal role in bringing about the downfall of the regime of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
Background
''Mr. & Ms. Special Ed ...
'' until the fall of the Marcos regime. She was also the first editor-in-chief of ''Sunday Inquirer Magazine.''
Under her term, on January 12, 1995, the ''Inquirer'' moved to its current headquarters in Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
after transferring headquarters four times.
President Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice preside ...
accused the ''Inquirer'' of "bias, malice, and fabrication" against him, charges that the newspaper denied. In 1999, several government organizations, pro-Estrada businesses, and movie producers simultaneously pulled their advertisements from the ''Inquirer'' in a boycott that lasted for five months. Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...
was widely implicated in the advertising boycott, which publisher Isagani Yambot Isagani M. "Gani" Yambot (November 16, 1934 – March 2, 2012) was a Filipino journalist who served as the publisher of the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' from 1994 until his death in 2012.
Yambot was born in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, in 1934. Both h ...
denounced as an attack on the freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
.[
In 2017, according to the survey conducted by AGB Nielsen, the ''Inquirer'' was the most widely read newspaper in the Philippines. '']The Manila Bulletin
The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...
'' and ''The Philippine Star'' followed as the second and the third most widely read papers, respectively. Magsanoc died on December 24, 2015, at St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
. A month after her death, Jimenez-Magsanoc was recognized as the Filipino of the Year 2015 by the ''Inquirer''.
Nolasco years (2016–2018)
On February 2, 2016, the ''Inquirer'' appointed its managing editor Jose Ma. Nolasco as the executive editor, the new top position of the newspaper, replacing the traditional editor-in-chief position used by the ''Inquirer'' for more than three decades.
Readership
According to the company's website the newspaper has over 2.7 million nationwide readers daily, it enjoys a market share of over 50% and tops the readership surveys.
Reputation
At least two opinion pieces cite the ''Inquirer'' as the Philippines' newspaper of record
A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and include some of the o ...
, but as an opportunity for criticism: ''The Manila Times
''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English language, English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrati ...
'' criticized it for "publish ng... vapid, unthinking positions" which it called "reprehensible, at best"; GMA News
GMA Integrated News and Public Affairs (formerly known as ''RBS News Department'', ''GMA Radio-Television News'' and ''GMA Rainbow Satellite News''; and commonly GMA (Integrated) News) is the news division of the GMA Network Inc.
The division ...
, in 2014, noted it as a "de facto paper of record", followed by "This distinguished history only makes it more painful to say that the paper is starting to suck".
See also
* ''Inquirer Compact
The ''Inquirer Compact'' was a newspaper in the Philippines published in the compact (newspaper), compact format. Published by the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'', it was the first attempt by a major Philippine broadsheet newspaper to launch a small ...
''
* ''Inquirer Libre
''Inquirer Libre'' is a free, bilingual (Filipino and English) tabloid published in the Philippines by the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' as a trimmed-down version of the newspaper for distribution on public transport. Established on November 19 ...
''
* Isagani Yambot Isagani M. "Gani" Yambot (November 16, 1934 – March 2, 2012) was a Filipino journalist who served as the publisher of the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' from 1994 until his death in 2012.
Yambot was born in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, in 1934. Both h ...
- Publisher of the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' from 1994 to 2012
* Letty Jimenez Magsanoc
Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc (September 13, 1941 – December 24, 2015) was a Filipino journalist and editor, notable for her role in overthrowing the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. She was an icon of democracy. Magsanoc was editor of the crusading ...
- longest-serving and first woman editor-in-chief
* Rina Jimenez-David
Rina Jimenez-David (born January 11, 1955) is notable as a Philippines journalist and columnist for the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer''.Philippine InquirerAWARDS Accessed Nov. 29, 2013, “...Best Columnist for Excellence in Population Reporting. (R ...
- columnist
References
External links
Media Ownership Monitor Philippines - Media Companies: A Duopoly Rules
by VERA Files and Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
Media Ownership Monitor Philippines - Print
by VERA Files and Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philippine Daily Inquirer, The
English-language newspapers published in the Philippines
Publications established in 1985
National newspapers published in the Philippines
Newspapers published in Metro Manila
Companies based in Makati
1985 establishments in the Philippines