President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has renewed his appeal to the media to help combat the spread of fake news, warning that it has taken up too much space in public discourse and become increasingly damaging.
Speaking before journalists at the Year-end Fellowship with the Malacañang press corps on Wednesday, Dec. 3, Marcos emphasized that the proliferation of false information remains a serious concern.
“In the beginning, it was entertaining, but now it has become harmful,” he said, citing “crazy conspiracy theories” that have no factual basis.
Marcos admitted that the government is still exploring ways to address the issue but stressed the need for collaboration with the media.
“Our big problem, and this one talaga 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,” he said.
He lamented that misleading narratives are now being given the same weight as legitimate journalism.
“Suddenly, your writings, your opinions are equal in importance and credibility to these conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact. That’s why we really have to work on this very, very hard because it has taken too much of the space,” Marcos added.
The President underscored that the government needs the support of the media to guide the public in becoming more discerning about what they read and believe. He acknowledged that the fight against fake news will not be easy but insisted it must be pursued to prevent people from being drawn into “a crazy mind game” that disconnects them from reality. (Betheena Unite)
