Top 5 Urgent Thesis Topics on Journalist Safety, Red-Tagging, and Civic Participation in the Philippines

Explore five timely and research-worthy thesis topics on media killings, red-tagging, and the state of press freedom in the Philippines. Ideal for students in Journalism, Political Science, Communication, and Legal Studies.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Realyn Manalo

6/24/20252 min read

Source: GMA News Online

Let me convince you to make this a thesis.

A local journalist gets gunned down. No justice. A media worker is red-tagged. No protection. Every time this happens, our democracy takes another hit. We scroll past the headlines, thinking it won’t be us. But silence has a cost. And if we don’t speak up now, we might lose the very people who keep us informed and aware.

What’s really wrong? Our laws are weak. Protections are not enforced. People who speak truth to power are punished, not protected. And most of us don’t even know how bad it really is. The gap? There is barely any research on how media safety actually affects press freedom and civic participation. No hard data. No lived stories. No real push for change. Until someone writes about it. That could be you.


Who Can Use These Topics

This research is ideal for students and professionals pursuing the following courses or strands:

College Programs:

  • Journalism

  • Political Science

  • Legal Management

  • Public Administration

  • Communication Arts

  • Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies


Senior High School Strands:

  • HUMSS

  • GAS

  • ABM

5 Thesis Topic Ideas

1.The Relationship Between Legal Protections and Perceived Safety Among Journalists in the Philippines

Explores how existing and proposed laws impact how safe journalists feel in doing their jobs.

Target Respondents

  • Local journalists

  • Media workers

  • Legal experts

2.Effects of Red-Tagging on Media Workers' Willingness

to Report Critical Stories

This research focuses on how police officers feel about the July 2025 policy and how it affects their motivation and behavior

Target Respondents

  • Reporters from community and national outlets

  • Editors

  • Journalism professors

3.The Link Between Media Violence and Public Trust

in News Institutions

Looks at how media killings and harassment influence public confidence in the press.

Target Respondents

  • General public

  • Journalism students

  • Civic organization members

4.How the Anti-Terrorism Act Affects Journalists’ Coverage

of Government Issues

Investigates if and how this law has affected journalists' reporting patterns, topics, and tone.

Target Respondents

  • Political beat reporters

  • Human rights journalists

  • Legal analysts

5.The Role of Journalist Safety in Enabling Civic Participation Among Youth

Studies whether safer media environments help or hinder young people from joining civic activities.

Target Respondents

  • Senior high school students

  • College students

  • Youth activists

Get Your Thesis Title — or Keep Getting Rejected

Bestie, let’s stop pretending you’ve “got it covered.”

You’re here because:

  • Your title keeps getting rejected

  • You don’t know the difference between a “topic” and a “research gap”

  • You’re guessing your way through something that decides your graduation

And let’s be real — you’ve already:
❌ Tried making titles from scratch
❌ Watched “How to Write a Thesis Title” TikToks
❌ Copy-pasted topics from other people's thesis (ooops?)

Still stuck? Exactly.

You don’t need more ideas.

You need a system.

That’s what the Thesis Toolkit gives you:

YTB Thesis Title Booster – because you need legit, research-based topics based on current trends — not random ones na “maganda pakinggan.”


Thesis Title Builder – because you keep forgetting na kailangan may survey source or research instrument ka rin, hindi lang title.


Research Gap Finder – because most of your drafts get rejected for one reason: Walang gap.

YOU NEED THIS IF...

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This isn’t optional.
It’s either you use this toolkit...
or you keep wasting weeks writing titles na walang mapupuntahan.

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[GET THE TOOLKIT]
Before your adviser humbles you one more time.

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