The Marshall McLuhan Prize is the Embassy of Canada in Manila’s flagship public diplomacy initiative. Launched in 1997, this is an advocacy to encourage investigative journalism in the Philippines with the belief that a strong media is essential to a strong democratic society.

Every year, the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) assists the Embassy in choosing a Filipino journalist who has either published an outstanding piece of investigative report or possesses a collective body of journalistic work that contributes to positive changes in the social arena or at least has raised the level of public discourse in a relevant issue. Aside from contributing to good governance by raising transparency in the public arena, the McLuhan Prize also aims to create in the long-term a critical mass of influential media personalities with good knowledge and interest in Canadian issues or at least the values Canada stands for: democracy, good governance, and human rights.

Sun Life Financial Inc is a partner of the Embassy of Canada in this initiative by providing funding to the recipient’s travel to Canada.

Joseph Morong, a senior reporter for GMA Network Inc, one of the Philippines’ largest news organizations, was named the 19th Marshall McLuhan Fellow in recognition of his reportage in the past year focusing on the complex issues surrounding the peace process in Mindanao and other important issues of governance, particularly allegations of misuse of congressional funds. Mr. Morong has more than 15 years of experience as a broadcast journalist and is known to have covered various important beats.

The event is free and open to the public.