How can journalists fulfill their duty to the public amidst the spread of misinformation and disinformation? It's a difficult question to answer in a time where press freedom is threatened but one that Graciano Lopez Jaena Foundation, Inc. hopes to answer in a recent lecture.

A total of four the Dolphin staff of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (Arevalo), Inc. attended the symposium entitled "Writing the Truth: Fighting Lies and Amplifying the Truth in the Spirit of Dr. Graciano Lopez Jaena's Journalism," in celebration of the World’s Press Freedom Day last May 3.

The lecture had Rappler's Regional Head Inday Espina Varona and Fact-checker Associate Editor Rommel F. Lopez as speakers bringing to the forefront the different issues on propaganda, lies, and misinformation in media.

"If media is silence, it keeps the abuser a free pass because there is no presence of accountability. It is our shared duty to hold the powerful into account," said Rappler's Verona.

She further added that it takes nothing to silence journalists.

Meanwhile, Press 1.PH Editor Lopez emphasized that fact-checking is in the blood of journalism.

"Journalists need to be information-literate. We should monitor, verify, write, and peer-review our sources before disseminating our articles," he added.

The symposium was also attended by different journalism practitioners and students in Iloilo.

Beyond reiterating the role of journalists in the landscape of misinformation, the symposium highlights Dr. Graciano Lopez Jaena's contribution to founding La Solidaridad, a newspaper that served as a voice in the Propaganda Movement.

By: Mdpn. Francis C. Baldemor