Reflection: Seeking The Truth In The Era of Fake News

Last January 28, I participated in a webinar entitled "Media LiteraSEE: Seeking the Truth in the Era of Fake News" which was hosted by the students of Mapua University – School of Media Studies.

The fight against fake news is still very relevant today, as we experience it on a regular basis on various social media platforms. Some people are still blinded by the truth and choose to distribute misleading content, despite the potential for a domino effect. This level of participation encourages the spread of fake news. Having said that, this type of webinar truly helps students to at least mitigate the misinformation through athorough discussion on fake news, which did occur, and as a future media practitioner, I can say that the speaker's lecture taught me a lot.

Fighting fake news requires a huge amount of patience. The speaker emphasized this by sharing his experience as an Opinion Columnist. It will not be easy, and it will be a long path, but our small actions can make a big difference. Fact-checking is easy, and those who are deceived should learn to look for a trustworthy source. We can take small steps forward to resolve this issue.

The speaker also mentioned how fake news can mislead Filipino voters during the political season. These corrupt politicians can easily publish sketchy campaign materials, fake credentials, and try to clear their reputations through their words. If they are able to persuade the uninformed people to support them, this country will suffer for another six years at the hands of incompetent government officials.

As a broadcasting major and a Filipino citizen who is also a first-time voter, I can help to fight against this issue by sharing factual information about the candidates, both verbally and nonverbally. Since I am one of those people who wish for a better future, I need to stand up and speak out against this misinformation. At the end of the day, there is only one truth, and that is the one that must be acknowledged.