“Fake news, my gulay, is one of the hazards of media for the next generation”
SO MANY fake news have come out lately, especially on controversial issues, like the decision of the Supreme Court that the House of Representatives violated the Constitution by filing Articles of Impeachment which did not comply with the one-year bar rule.
That is the problem now of media influencers like me, a columnist who has been writing opinions for seven decades.
In my early days as a journalist and columnist I did not have much trouble with news relayed to me either by fax and then email later on.
There were occasions where news I reprinted in my column were disowned by people.
But it gave an opportunity for columnists like me to to bare the truth and the facts.
That is why, Santa Banana, I warn some of my fellow columnists and media influencers to be very careful about repeating what is sent to them and what they read and pick up from the internet.
One time in my early days as a columnist, there was a report relayed to me by one of my assistants at the Philippines Herald, regarding the arrival of the President of the American Chamber of Commerce and his views on a raging issue in business.
Tuth was the report given by my assistant never happened because the source, upon his arrival, was never interviewed about his side of the issue concerning the Philippines and the US government.
The American Chamber of Commerce president threatened to sue the Philippines Herald for printing fake news.
I had no other recourse but to fire my assistant for his mistake of going against the basic rule in journalism — to print only the truth.
I took that incident as a lesson never to write about something that did not happen.
I myself have been very careful since then not to purvey fake news, but at this point I am very much worried that it is increasingly more difficult to tell which is the truth and which is not in the news.
I have been threatened and sued with libel suits. I think I was sued seven times, went to court four times and apologized three times for my own mistake and recklessness.
The people must be warned against the prevalence of fake news, especially with the onset of AI (Artificial Intelligence), where even a person can be shown issuing a statement that is fake.
Reason why fake news, my gulay, is one of the hazards of media for the next generation.
Is what you read true or not? Since the media is supposed to purvey the truth, the media can be accused of relaying false news, not the truth.
Recently I fell victim to misinformation when I received through my own sources last week an alleged statement purportedly from the Philippine Constitution Association (PhilConsa), criticizing the Supreme Court’s decision invalidating the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The document also claimed the PhilConsa believes the decision overreaches Constitutional boundaries, disrupts the separation of powers, and weakens Congress’ exclusive authority to hold impeachable officers accountable.
It was even published by some online news outlets.
Sad to say, Santa Banana, when I was about to submit my column with my views about it, I learned that the alleged PhilConsa statement was false when PhilConsa stated the document is unauthorized and is fake news.
The former Chief Justice (ret.) and Chairman of the PhilConsa Reynato Puno has warned against the spread of misinformation, describing the proliferation of fake news as “very devastating.”
My fellow media influencers and columnists should be warned of fake news like this, as in general, it will reflect on all columnists, not only myself , that what they are purveying is false news, not the truth.
Also it is the primary obligation of the media to print the news, not gossip or rumors. The news we purvey to the public reflects on the integrity of the media.
That is our primary obligation as journalists and columnists.
