Veteran journalist Luis Teodoro writes 30

MANILA (UPDATE) — Veteran journalist and retired journalism professor Luis Teodoro has passed away, the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication said Tuesday. He was 81.

"Maraming salamat sa iyong paglingkod sa bayan. Mahal ka namin. We join our friends and colleagues in communication and media in mourning the passing of Professor Luis V. Teodoro, our Dean from 1994 to 2000," the UP CMC said.

"As educator, editor, and journalist, Dean Teodoro was pivotal in fostering academic excellence in our discipline, upholding integrity in the practice of media, and defending our freedoms of the press, speech, and assembly," it added. 

The UP CMC will hold a service for Teodoro at the Plaridel Hall. 

EDUCATOR, AUTHOR

Born August 24, 1941, Teodoro was a journalism educator at the University of the Philippines - Diliman where he was dean for 2 successive terms.

He was a deputy director of the media watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility and a member of its board of trustees.

Teodoro also wrote political commentary for the business daily BusinessWorld.

According to an article on the UP Press, he was vice-chair of the Commission on Higher Education’s Technical Panel on Communication and the Social Sciences. Prior to that, he also chaired CHED’s Technical Committee on Journalism Education. 

Teodoro has written and edited books on the mass media such as "Vantage Point: The Sixth Estate and Other Discoveries".

He was also a fictionist. His collection of short stories, The Undiscovered Country, which includes award-winning works, was published by the UP Press in 2006.

PILLAR OF PH JOURNALISM

Altermidya, a network of independent and progressive media outfits, called its founding chairperson a pillar of Philippine journalism.

"He is credited with advancing the ideals of pro-people journalism both as a respected member of the academe and through the alternative media that he helped organize in the Philippines," the group said in a statement.

Altermidya said such journalistic tenets were outlined in books written by Teodoro, including "Divide By Two" and "In Medias Res: Essays on the Philippine Press and Media".

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, meanwhile, described Teodoro as "the staunchest advocate for the best in the profession and the most savage critic of its worst practices." 
 
"The current and the future generations of journalists have been gifted by Dean Teodoro's lessons on journalism. We pledge to continue his legacy of wielding the pen in the service of the people," the NUJP said.