The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has expressed concern over proposals from the Presidential Communications Office and the Department of Information and Communications Technology that the government should declare certain content as “fake news.”
Officials delivered these statements during a House hearing, which is the most recent in a series of investigations that have leaned towards penalizing opinions that oppose the government’s stance.
“We recognize the threat that disinformation poses on discourse and on democracy but we have also seen how the charge of “fake news” has been weaponized in the previous administration and in the present one,” the NUJP said in a statement
The NUJP emphasized that while their group acknowledges the threat of disinformation to discourse and democracy, they also recognize how the accusation of “fake news” was used during the previous administration and continues to be used now.
The group urged caution regarding proposals that would require social media platforms to apply for licenses, especially since this process is being utilized in political contexts.
“A robust freedom of information policy, transparency from government, and an emphasis on critical thinking and media and information literacy would do more against “fake news” than allowing the bureaucracy to decide what is fake and what isn’t,” the NUJP stated.
In the spirit of self-regulation, the NUJP calls on social media platforms to enhance the enforcement of community standards, support third-party fact-checkers, and respond more effectively to user reports of harmful content.
“We also reiterate a call by disinformation researchers from nearly a decade ago for a civil society-led effort to find and expose disinformation networks and their clients,” the group concluded. (ZIA LUNA)
