FEU Journalism Professor Lianna Barro tackles press freedom with her students. 

MANILA — A Communication class in Far Eastern University Manila campus marked the 31st World Press Freedom Day Friday, by analyzing press freedom in the country.

According to journalism professor Liana Barro, she decided to add in her lectures the problems about the widening misinformation, disinformation and artificial intelligence use, to equip the youth in combatting the problems.. given that majority of them are now hooked in social media.

“Itong deep fake ang laking problema niya. Pero ang sinasabi ko sa mga estudyante ko, do not refuse it, do not resist it. It’s the wave of the future. Know it. Kasi yung AI it’s there eh. Alamin mo kung saan ka papasok,” explained Barro, FEU Communication Department’s Associate Professor IV.

(This deep fake is a big problem. But what I am telling students is, do not refuse it, do not resist it. It’s a wave of the future. Know it. Because AI is here. You should know where you could enter.)

Barro meanwhile took note that fewer Communication students now prefer to become journalists.

“Mostly kasi negative e. oh magjo-journalist ka mapapatay ka, o mare-red tag ka... they fear it, more than they enjoy it,” she said.

(Most comments are negative. Oh, you want to be a journalist? You will be killed, you will be red tagged. They fear it, more than they enjoy it.)

College lecturer Ramyr Simbajon, a former radio program executive producer, is also advocating strong education on how students can actively combat misinformation and disinformation.

“Ang lagi kong tinuturo sa kanila ay lagi pong mag-triangulate ng source. Wag lamang pong mag-depende sa iisang source ng information. At alamin nila, sino ba yung nagpapatakbo nung organization?,” said Simbajon, who is also Assistant Program Director of DZUP.

(What I always teach them is to triangulate their source. Do not base your story from just one source of information. Know who is running the organization.)

Communication students Zedrich and Aimerose acknowledged that becoming a journalist these days really needs a lot of courage because of the many threats confronting the profession.

But they said they are ready to confront these threats.

“Nandoon po kasi yung authenticity, andun po kayo sa balita itself. It’s a calling for me to tell the truth and spread accurate information about it and also to avoid disinformation that is happening in the social media world,” 3rd year FEU student Zedrich Xylak Madrid said.

“It’s more than remembering yung fearless but responsible journalism... journalism is not really an easy task and we should not demean the meaning of journalism in the country po,” said 4th year student Aimerose Atienza, who is also FEU Advocate’s editor-in-chief.

On Friday, Reporters Without Borders released its 2024 World Freedom Index – Journalism Under Political Pressure study, which placed the Philippines, 134th out of the 180 surveyed countries on their level of press freedom.

“In 2023, two journalists were murdered in the Philippines (134th), which continues to be one of the region’s most dangerous countries for media professionals,” the group said in its 2024 report.

A day before the release of the study, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) -- at Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism’s 3rd Investigative Journalism Conference --  reported a total of 118 incidents of attacks on journalists from June 2016 to March 2023.

Around 50 journalists in the country are also facing libel or cyber libel cases, the NUJP reported.

Despite all these condition, Filipino journalists are here to stay, they said.

“Kahit sandamakmak ang magpanggap na journalist, lilitaw at lilitaw kung sino yung totoo, because of the practice of journalism. Sabi nga sa school, the essence of journalism is verification. Kung ikaw ay naglalabas ng tamang impormasyon, vetted at accurate, then kahit na maraming nagpapanggap na journalist, kini-claim na journalist sila o ang daming naninira, lalabas at lalabas yung totoo,” PCIJ’s Training Director Rowena Paraan said.

(Regardless how many would claim that they are journalists, the truth will come out in the end because of the practice of journalism. Because the school of journalism is verification. If you release the right information, vetted and accurate, the real journalist will be revealed.)

“I want to believe that we are slowly regaining the trust of the public. and we have to continue doing that. kasi, hindi naman natin kayang tayo lang… i think journalism will continue to be relevant especially in the time of disinformation and misinformation,” Len Olea, NUJP Secretary-General said.

Both Barro and Simbajon meantime reminded the people to also help in defending press freedom.

“Equivalent yan ng isang healthy democracy ng isang lipunan. Kapag iyan ay nawala sa atin, makikita na natin yung iba’t-ibang forms of repression. yung iba’t-ibang uri ng pagsupil sa kalayaan,” Simbajon explained.

((Press freedom) is equivalent to a healthy democracy of a society. Once it disappears, all kinds of repressions will follow, like curtailment of freedom.)

“There were so many people who fought for this. hang on to it, protect it. Kasi if it dies in your time, it’s your fault. It’s not the fault of the previous generation,” Barro stated.

The UN General Assembly has declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day.