People's Journal is an English language daily tabloid newspaper published by the Philippine Journalists Incorporated. Augusto "Gus" Villanueva, its current editor-in-chief, and Antonio Friginal were founders of the company. People's Journal, with its sister publications, tabloids People's Tonight and People's Taliba, magazines Women's Journal and Insider and now-defunct broadsheet Times Journal, is part of one of the country's "biggest daily newspaper publication group." People's Journal and People's Tonight were among the widest circulated daily tabloids.
History
Journal Publications, Inc., the publisher of the tabloid, is currently owned by the Romualdez family, through former Congressman Martin Romualdez, in which they also acquired the ownership of a broadsheet newspaperManila Standard in 2010. Aside from People's Journal, Villanueva is also taking charge of publications People's Tonight, Taliba, and Insider and Women’s Journal. Prior to the establishment in 1978, only newspapers owned by cronies were permitted by the government since most of them were shut down after Pres. Marcos declared nationwide martial lawin September 1972. Former workers of the Philippines Herald, which was closed at that time, established the Philippine Journalists Inc. under the management of the late Benjamin Romualdez, former First LadyImelda Marcos' younger brother. PJI was allowed by the government to operate on October 21, 1972 with its flagship paper, Times Journal. Their headquarters was then located at the building now owned by The Philippine Star at Port Area, Manila. They later moved to the old Manila Chronicle building until their return in the Port Area in 1977 with the acquisition of a new printing press. Inspired by New York Post, it was on 1978 when People’s Journal was first launched as a broadsheet then, with Villanueva assigned as editor-in-chief and with the help of Vergel Santos, assigned as managing editor, and Friginal. Although with legitimacy, however, they were stopped by the Print Media Council due to lack of permit to print. Only with acquisition of permit, they were able to relaunch the paper a week later. In the early 1980s, it increased its popularity with the feature of the comics of Carlo Caparas. After the end of administration of Pres. Marcos, in 1986, all PJI's shares were sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government for the suspicions of ownership and being part of the ill-gotten wealth. This resulted to decrease of its sales and circulation since it focuses on government-related events. Majority of these were ordered by the Supreme Court to be released in 1991. The company was later returned to the owner's associates in 2004.
