In efforts to dispel the fog of disinformation occluding discourse spaces both online and offline, experts on combating the information disorder or the problem of "fake news" from the academe, church, media, and civil society discussed the current realities and possible solutions during the fifth installment of the UST Media Leadership Lecture Series.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies Research Information Department Director Dr. Sheila Siar, Philippine Communication Society Director/Public Relations Officer (PRO) and UST Journalism Program Coordinator Mr. Felipe Salvosa II, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila Office of Communications Director Fr. Roy Bellen, GMA Network Inc. multidisciplinary journalist and documentarist Mr. Atom Araullo, Limitless Lab Chief Executive Officer Ms. Joie Cruz, and Break the Fake Movement Founder Mr. Gabriel Billones, Jr. served as the resource speakers.
Siar discussed “Realities of Information Disorder: Misinformation, Disinformation and Mal-Information,” where she differentiated the key terms misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation; explained cognitive psychology theories as to why people may believe or share false information; examined the state of the current information disorder in the Philippines and the methods employed to mitigate it; and suggested solutions that can improve the situation.
“Two things we can do [to strengthen defenses against the information disorder] are, first, in the area of education. For me education is key. Critical thinking and analytical reasoning should start very early in life in the home and in the school…,” she says, “[Second,] community engagement and capacity building are essential. Train and engage citizens to fact check.”
She further emphasized strengthening media literacy in the basic education curriculum as well as capacitating government staff with information functions, such as information, health, DRRM officers, on crisis and risk communication as well as science communication.
"We can't stop fake news from being made, but we can stop sharing it," Siar says.
Meanwhile, Salvosa talked about “The Academe’s Role in Inculcating Critical Thinking and Analysis among the Youth versus Information Disorder,“ where he expressed concern over people’s rising selective news avoidance and low trust in the mainstream news.
“The question of how journalists can raise the public’s trust in the news is something that will occupy or even bedevil practitioners and academics alike, for years to come. Now I think the answer does not lie in the past. Given the technological upheavals and constant emergence of new platforms that have disrupted journalism, journalists need to continuously establish their credibility to the public and slowly but surely earn their trust,” he says, emphasizing the importance of news literacy and thorough fact-checking that is accessible to the masses through translation into Filipino and other regional languages.
Araullo, lamented the hostility against journalists amid the vital necessity for journalism to assert free speech and guard fundamental rights.
“[Journalists] don’t only create content for fame or money,” he says. “We produce news and stories to inform public opinion and policy, to ferret out the truth, and to hold power to account to keep the wheels of democracy turning.”
He also emphasized the need for engaging in conversations in good faith, rather than dismissing those who disagree as ignorant or bribed. “We can start by listening to our community and involving them in meaningful conversations, not just to gather quotes, but also to gather sentiments and feelings. True, social media can be toxic for engagement, it can be tiring, and it can ruin your day. But a common mistake we commit is to dismiss those we fiercely disagree with as trolls,” he says. “There is a real person behind every account, fake or verified. Many of them could still be persuaded through constructive interaction. In schools, around dining tables, in our neighborhood, or online chat groups, we can spark engagement behind the simple old values of honesty, respect, and compassion, which would allow us to engage responsibly and in good faith.”
The UST Media Leadership Lecture Series (MLLS) is an annual forum that takes a proactive stance in the current state of media, an advocacy of the Thomasian community to have relevant and responsive information regarding the emerging technology-driven news media landscape. This year, the theme was “The Academe, Church, Media, and Civil Society: A Multi-Sectoral Initiative in Countering Information Disorder in the Philippines.” It was held on April 14, 2023, at the UST Paredes Ballroom, and live-streamed via the UST Office of Public Affairs Facebook page, where it remains available for public viewing.
