Manila Standard Today

MST's front page on July 9, 2005Type Daily newspaperFormat BroadsheetOwner Kamahalan Publishing Corporation Founded 1987Political allegiance ConservativeHeadquarters Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines ISSN 1908-3009Website: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com

The Manila Standard Today is the fourth-largest broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines as of 2006. Initially established as the Manila Standard, it merged with another newspaper of record, Today, on March 6, 2005. It was the first newspaper merger in the Philippines.

1 History
2 The Malu Fernandez controversy
3 Malu Fernandez's reinstatement
4 External links

History

The Manila Standard was founded on February 11, 1987 when the conglomerate owned by the family of Spanish-Filipino businessman Manuel Elizalde established the publishing company Standard Publications Inc. In 1989, the group of companies owned by the family of Andres Soriano III bought out the Elizalde group and renamed the company Kagitingan Publications.

In June 1991, the group of businessman Alfonso Yuchengco bought into the company and spun off the publishing company. It was incorporated as Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Kagitingan Publications was renamed Kagitingan Printing Press Inc., which continues to print the Manila Standard Today.

In 1997, businessman Enrique K. Razon Jr., chairman and president of the International Container Terminal Services Inc., acquired the shares of the Yuchengcos and bought out the Soriano group to become the sole owner of Kamahalan Publishing Corporation and Kagitingan Printing Press Inc.

The Malu Fernandez controversy

In August 2007, a campaign to boycott the paper was launched by a number of Filipino bloggers in response to an article by one of its columnists, Malu Fernandez, whose article "From Boracay to Greece" (published June 2007 in People Asia) blatantly insulted Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). In the article, she consistently dropped high-end brand names and scoffed at the cheaper brands worn by the OFWs at the Dubai airport. The campaign urged people to stop reading Manila Standard Today and People Asia until Fernandez is fired from both publications and issues a public apology. Fernandez issued a halfhearted response that only further irked the protesters. The self-proclaimed "divalicious babe" allegedly issued an apology and resigned. She has since been the recipient of numerous hate mail from various sources including labor organizations and private individuals.

Some quotes:

"If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. Most people don’t get the fact that they need bitches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre."

"Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. One group will never get the culture of the other."

"Although I could mention that it is easier to understand someone who has a lower socioeconomic background that would entail a whole other page and frankly I don’t want to be someone to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes."

"I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading."

"Now I seriously ask you, am I being a diva or are people around me just lacking in common sense? Perhaps it’s a little of both!"

"I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs".

"I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them." (OFWs)

Malu Fernandez's reinstatement

Unabashed by the overwhelming negative reaction of the public towards Malu Fernandez, The Manila Standard reinstated Malu Fernandez to her column, making bloggers question the "standard" part in the paper's name.[citation needed]

Malu Fernandez once again caused a ruckus with another insensitive and inane column attacking bloggers in general. She has been labeled as a "link bait", and an "attention whore" due to her apparent need to place herself in center stage, and stir things up around her just for the media mileage.[citation needed]

External links

v • d • eNewspapers/Magazines in the Metro Manilamarket Broadsheets: Business Mirror • Business World • Malaya • Manila Bulletin• Manila Standard Today • Philippine Daily Inquirer• Sino-Fil Daily • The Daily Tribune• The Manila Times• The Philippine Chronicle • The Philippine Star
Tabloids: Abante • Abante Tonite • Bagong Tiktik • Balita • Bandera • Bomba Balita • Bulgar • Inquirer Libre• Pang-Masa • People's Journal • People's Monitor • People's Tonight • Pilipino Star Ngayon • Pinas• Pinoy Weekly• Remate • Saksi sa Balita • Sikat• Taliba • Tanod • Tempo • Tumbok
Magazines: Ating Alamin Gazette • Bannawag• Bisaya• Hiligaynon • Liwayway• Philippine Panorama • Starweek • Sunday Inquirer Magazine Online-only Newspapers in the Metro Manilamarket Broadsheets: Sun.Star Manila Defunct Newspapers/Magazines in the Metro Manilamarket Broadsheets: Manila Chronicle • Philippine Herald• Daily Express• La Vanguardia• El Debate
Tabloids: Banat • Remate Tonight • RP Daily Exposé• Toro• Bosero

Categories: English-language newspapers | Newspapers of Metro ManilaHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2008