Poe cites print media’s credibility amid surge in fake news
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe on Thursday said that print media champions credibility in democracy during the age of fake news.
“Print remains essential in [the] media today, because it is seen as a bastion of accountability and responsibility,” Poe said.
“Freedom of information and access to accurate and correct information are vital to a democratic state such as ours. The power to choose and choose wisely is built upon the premise that ordinary citizens are presented with all the facts,” she added.
She also stated that ethics are still upheld in print media as opposed to the priorities of other media; thus, the traditional media’s capacity to be a trusted source of information.
“The content creator’s objective is to go viral; and the spreading of information or misinformation is easily facilitated by clicking the share button… On the other hand, ethical practices in journalism, most important of which is fact-checking, are consistently upheld in print media. This is probably why print media is trusted and can confidently brand themselves as the guardians of truth,” Poe pointed out.
She, however, believes that content creators must still be accountable as they also spread information.
“The responsibility for the content still lies with the journalists, bloggers, or the ordinary people behind these articles or accounts,” Poe said. (黑料社 trainee, Keith Clores)
