Back in the days, prosecution used to be restricted within the four corners of courtrooms in the presence of those authorized to pass the verdict and the persons involved in the crime.
Nowadays, anyone with a smartphone and the appetite for attention can play judge in state affairs.
Bloggers that have amassed a sizable following can share and publish information in full view of a nationwide audience. Some may say this platform creates an environment for a healthy exchange of views but unfortunately, more often than not, the nature of the discourse is no longer within the realms of decency.
On October 4, the senate conducted an investigation on fake news online. The probe brought to light the array of blunders committed by Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson on her Facebook blog which currently stands with five million followers. Uson, a public figure that has gained influence in the campaign leading up to the 2016 elections, has been explicitly vocal about her support for President Rodrigo Duterte. In her posts, she is often seen sharing posts that put the president in a positive light as well as targeting those who criticize her such as Vice President Leni Robredo.
An infographic published by Assortedge.com differentiated an editorial, column, blog, and propaganda. The infographic defined propaganda as ‘information that is not objective and not necessarily true. It is created to influence a certain audience to heavily like or dislike a person, event, or group. It is spread widely despite uncertainty of the truthfulness of the claim.’
Several years ago, it can easily be defended that social media is fundamental in raising the pillars for democracy but now, several articles have pointed to the idea that it can be hurting democracy rather than preserving it.
In an article published by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, several accusations against social media were enumerated such as ‘facilitating hate speech, public humiliation and the targeted marginalization of disadvantaged or minority voices.’
There is a distinct line between exposing wrongdoings and outright public humiliation.
The 1988 Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics, at one point, states: “I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private reputation unless the public interest justifies it.”
That being said, invoking the reasoning that the ‘public interest justifies it’ in defense of a gross violation of ethical standard such as in the case of ‘bloggers’ sometimes resorting to personal attacks and ad hominems to defend their stand should be corrected and not condoned.
Social media is undeniably powerful and if used right, can become a key instrument in instigating reforms and defending the country’s democracy. It would have been an ideal platform for constructive debate and bringing together people of a common principle in support of the nation’s development.
But that is simply not the case. In contrast, social media has turned into a breeding ground for those who would utilize its services and abuse the right to freedom of expression to feed their own selfish agendas. This results in the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation. The sad reality is, many Filipinos are not media literate enough to effectively scrutinize news found online and distin- guish the fake from the factual ones.
the stakes are not as high for bloggers and so-called ‘citizen journalists’ when it comes to abiding by the journalism code of ethics and editorial policies governing the world of mainstream media, they should still be mindful of the consequences of their actions when using the widespread reach of
social media websites to publish critical information.
Furthermore, it is high time that people stop regarding journalism as a devil-may-care profession in which those with access to the Internet and are in possession of a wide audience can brand themselves as journalists. Those who wish to pursue a career in this industry or simply want to be involved should at
least undergo professional training on the ethics and laws on mass media.
The Philippines is still branded as the ‘Social Media Capital of The World’ and with a growing cyber population, the reach of public posts can only increase. This is a challenge to the public to educate themselves to be critical of information and be more politically aware because if we continuously sought the truth then the untruths would not faze us.
𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙢
𝙀𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝙆𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙖
𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: 𝙉𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧, 2018
𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙍𝙞𝙣𝙖, 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩
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