MANILA - When a panel of executives from the Philippines' top broadcasting networks defended their industry last September before legislators examining the news media's conduct during a botched hostage rescue, the fact that four of the five executives were women attracted little comment. But it spoke volumes about the change the country's journalism has undergone in recent decades, from an overwhelmingly male-dominated profession to one where women now hold sway.
The watershed came in the last few years of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled for nearly two decades and was toppled in a popular revolt in 1986. When Mr. Marcos imposed martial law in 1972, many of the mostly male editors and reporters who were critical of him were imprisoned or went underground to join the resistance. The men who remained in the newsrooms were often co-opted by the government or operated clandestinely to put out opposition publications.
Into the breach came the women, who up to then had been largely sidelined in feature supplements or less consequential jobs. For the first time, they took over key positions in news organizations. In several instances, they directly challenged the government with reports and commentaries that contributed to the groundswell of opposition against Mr. Marcos.
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