President Bongbong Marcos has renewed his call for media collaboration in addressing the pervasive issue of fake news, which he describes as “damaging” and having overtaken too much space in public discourse.
In remarks delivered during the Year-end Fellowship with the media covering Malacañang on December 3, Marcos emphasized the importance of collective efforts to combat the spread of misinformation.
He acknowledged that what initially started as a trivial source of entertainment has now evolved into a serious issue, especially with the rise of baseless conspiracy theories. “Our big problem, and this one talaga (really) I need your help, I don’t know how to approach it. We have many, many ideas. But what we need, really, to work together on is the fake news. The things that have been going on,” Marcos said.
Marcos pointed out that some conspiracy theories are now treated with the same level of credibility as legitimate news stories. “But now, suddenly, your writings, your opinions are equal in importance and credibility to this crazy conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact,” he stated, calling for media outlets to take a more active role in filtering out misinformation. “And that’s why we really have to work on this very, very hard because it has taken too much of the space.”
He noted that fake news has gone from being “entertaining” to “damaging,” with a noticeable impact on public understanding. “Fake news has taken too much of the space. In the beginning, we thought it was funny, it was entertaining, but now it’s become damaging,” Marcos said.
The President expressed concern over the way fake news disconnects people from reality, warning that it leads to a “crazy mind game.” He emphasized the need for both media and government to work together to counter this pervasive issue. “That’s what I think we all have to work together,” he said.
While acknowledging the efforts of journalists, Marcos reiterated the importance of their role in fighting misinformation. “I hope that that can be made, that (partnership) can be applied to this problem that we face,” he concluded, stressing that a united effort is crucial in the fight against fake news.
In his address, President Marcos underscored the urgency of the situation, urging for a stronger partnership between the media and the government to tackle the ever-growing problem of misinformation, which continues to impact public discourse in the Philippines.
