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Opinion on opinions

by Derick M. Gabrillo

SOCIAL MEDIA captivated this country and paved the way for Rodrigo Duterte to
snatch an electoral victory in 2016. It has since been instrumental in securing his base
of fanatical supporters. This case is not unique to the Philippines. The emergent
technology was taken full advantage of by leaders like Donald Trump in the United
States and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, who are sitting Presidents of their respective
nations.

In the information age, the truth has become malleable—bending and breaking at the
whims of those with the loudest voices. Emotions, not facts, are what shapes our new
reality. In some ways, it is more human, more democratic, and more flawed.

An obligation to the truth

Political pundits and bloggers have reached new heights in recent years, one of the
most prominent being Mocha Uson—who now holds a position in the palace. In a
2017 senate ​hearing​ on fake news, senator Bam Aquino lambasted Uson for not
adhering to journalistic standards. Uson evaded his questions with a short and simple
line, “​blogger po ako, hindi journalist”​ (I’m a blogger, not a journalist).

My answer to Uson is just as simple. Whether she likes it or not, she is a journalist.
Social media has created a new space where everyone has a platform to share their
views with others. Everyone is now a journalist, a publisher, and a reader. As such, we
all have an obligation to the truth.

“Perception is real; truth is not”

The deluge of information that came with the inception of the internet came with an
equal torrent of disinformation. What is troubling now, however, is that those in
positions of political and moral authority are the same that propagate lies. How do
you rebut someone who simply doesn’t care what the facts are? It’s especially difficult
when that someone happens to live in the Malacañang.

Traditional media and news agencies have failed to address this issue because of a
gap in their doctrine. A journalist’s duty to uphold the truth, but we often forget that
not all truths are facts. The distrust in the old guard stems from a lack of
understanding of the realities of ordinary people. In the pursuit of truth, we often lose
sight of the highest among them—a truth that knows no logic and disregards
facts—the human truth. Writers are a privileged bunch, treated to glimpses of
political machinations and a birds-eye-view of the nation. They hold dear their
democratic values and moral principles in their articles, but why should anyone else
care?

Uson and other influential pundits found that gap and were quick to exploit it.
Traditional media is too easily dumbfounded and paralyzed by them to act. There is
nothing wrong with being principled and striving for our high ideals for as long as we
do not forget those who cannot reach for it themselves. In our never-ending pursuit of
the truth, we cannot drag people along with us and expect no resistance. What we
must do, as journalists, is to talk to them, tell their stories, and ask them along.