Letty Jimenez Magsanoc facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc
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| Born |
Leticia Jimenez
September 13, 1941 Manila, Philippines
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| Died | December 24, 2015 (aged 74) |
| Other names | LJM |
| Occupation | Journalist, Editor |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Carlos Magsanoc |
| Children | 3, including Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala |
| Relatives | Inday Badiday (sister) |
Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc (born September 13, 1941 – died December 24, 2015) was a brave Filipino journalist and editor. She is famous for her important role in helping to end the government of Ferdinand Marcos. Many people saw her as a symbol of freedom and democracy.
Magsanoc was the editor of Mr & Ms Special Edition, a weekly newspaper that spoke out against the government. Later, she became the editor-in-chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a major newspaper in the Philippines.
In 2016, Magsanoc's name was added to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Monument of Heroes) Wall of Remembrance. This monument honors heroes who fought for freedom. She was recognized for "speaking truth to power without fear." This means she was brave enough to tell the truth, even to powerful leaders.
The Senate of the Philippines also honored Magsanoc after she passed away. They recognized her for helping to bring back freedom to the Philippines.
Contents
Her Life and Family
Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc was the oldest of nine children. Her father, Nicanor Jimenez, was a former manager of the Philippine National Railways. He also served as the Philippine ambassador to Korea.
Letty was married to Dr. Carlitos Magsanoc. They had three children, including Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, who is also a journalist.
Letty loved newspapers from a young age. She started writing for the Sunday Times Magazine while still in college. She studied journalism in the United States, earning a master's degree from the University of Missouri. She passed away on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2015, after suffering a heart attack.
Starting Her Journalism Career
The Magsanoc family came back to the Philippines in 1969. Letty started working for the Manila Bulletin. She was asked to edit the women's section of their Sunday magazine, Panorama. At first, she didn't want the job because she wanted to write about more serious topics. Luckily, she was allowed to write about many different things.
In 1976, she began writing a column for the daily Manila Bulletin. This is when she started to have problems with the government. She wrote articles that were critical of the Marcos government, which was in power after martial law was declared.
In 1978, she became the editor of Panorama magazine. She was hesitant at first because she preferred writing. But she agreed, and her arrival made the magazine very popular. Panorama started covering stories that other publications were afraid to touch. Its circulation grew to 300,000 copies on Sundays.
Challenging the Government in Panorama
Between 1976 and 1981, Letty Jimenez Magsanoc was the editor of Panorama, which was the most widely read magazine in the Philippines. She was even named one of the "Ten Outstanding Women of the New Society" in 1981. However, just five months later, she was forced to resign. This happened after she wrote an article that the government thought was too critical.
Time magazine described why she had to leave Panorama. She wrote a funny, sarcastic story about Marcos's third inauguration as President. Marcos had held an election that many people felt was not real. His "victory" was celebrated with a grand ceremony. Magsanoc started her article with a line from a famous song: "And he shall reign forever and ever." Marcos thought this was disrespectful and had her fired.
Letty's forced resignation caused a big stir among journalists. Many writers used their columns to speak out, but some of their articles were stopped by publishers. However, Eugenia Apostol's women's magazine, Mr & Ms, published several of these rejected articles.
Magsanoc's controversial article was about the inauguration, with honest photos and captions. Its title was There Goes the New Society; Welcome the New Republic.
When Press Freedom Was Attacked
Letty Jimenez Magsanoc's forced resignation was the first of many events that showed how the Marcos government was trying to control the media. Other events included:
- The arrest of We Forum publisher Jose Burgos, Jr. and his staff. They were accused of trying to overthrow the government.
- A lawsuit against Panorama editor Domini T. Suarez and writer Ceres P. Doyo.
- Military questioning of several journalists, including Arlene Babst, Ninez Cacho Olivares, Eugenia Apostol, Doris G. Nuyda, Lorna Kalaw-Tirol, and Jo-Ann Maglipon.
- The resignation of Tempo editor Recah Trinidad.
Articles That Were Stopped
Some of Letty Jimenez Magsanoc's articles were not allowed to be published:
- The Lady at Maynila: This column was supposed to be in Panorama on October 12, 1980. Thousands of copies were printed with this page missing. Another version of the magazine had "Letters to the Editor" instead of the article.
- Survival: Variations on the Human Condition: This column was for Panorama on July 19, 1981. The publisher, Hans Menzi, ordered it removed because it made sarcastic comments about the country's economy.
Leading Mr & Ms Special Edition
Letty Jimenez Magsanoc was the editor of Mr & Ms Special Edition from 1983 to 1986.
Publisher Eugenia Apostol asked Magsanoc to become editor of this special magazine. This happened after the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr..
Apostol explained that after Aquino's death, Filipinos were very angry. The regular newspapers, controlled by the government, barely mentioned his huge funeral. So, Apostol decided to create a special issue about the funeral using her women's magazine, Mr & Ms. The issue was incredibly popular, selling 500,000 copies.
After that, Apostol asked Magsanoc to help edit a weekly Mr & Ms Special Edition. This magazine helped satisfy readers' hunger for more news about Aquino and their growing anger towards the Marcos government. For three years, they bravely reported on protests against Marcos.
Editing Sunday Inquirer Magazine
From 1986 to 1987, Magsanoc was the first editor-in-chief of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine.
Leading the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Letty Jimenez Magsanoc became the editor-in-chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1991. She held this position until her death in 2015. She was the first woman to lead the newspaper and the longest-serving editor-in-chief in its history.
About a month after she passed away, the Philippine Daily Inquirer recognized Magsanoc as the "Filipino of the Year" for 2015. This was a tribute from the newspaper where she worked for nearly three decades.
Awards and Recognition
Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc received many awards for her important work:
- 1981: Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service.
- 1993: Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, from the University of Missouri.
- 2006: Named one of Time International's "60 Years of Asian Heroes."
- 2013: Ninoy Aquino Medal of Valor.
- 2015: Journalist of the Year, from the 19th Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards.
See also
- Bantayog ng mga Bayani
