By Joe Zaldarriaga
When the Philippine Embassy in Washington issued a public warning regarding the spread of false information about changes in the United States’ policy on dual citizenship on social media, I felt both worried and yet unsurprised.
Worried over the possible repercussions should someone believe such malicious information and yet unsurprised given the worsening problem of disinformation or “fake news”.
A portion of the statement issued by the embassy read: “Please do not make legal decisions, such as renouncing your Philippine citizenship, based on social media content. Renunciation of Philippine citizenship is a serious, irreversible legal action.”
That a diplomatic mission had to issue such a statement speaks volumes about the alarming spread of fake news in today’s digital age—where even life-changing legal decisions can be driven by a mere social media post.
Today, almost all sorts of fake news thrive on social media. Just recently as well, the Senior Citizens Party list debunked circulating information on social media over a supposed PHP1,000 universal pension. Lawmaker Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes slammed the spread of such fake news which targeted elderly Filipinos.
This is the world we live and work in now. And with artificial intelligence (AI) changing the game for everyone, today’s digital battlefield is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Nowadays, communications professionals are no longer just working to get their message across—we’re fighting for truth in a landscape that rewards speed over accuracy, and virality over verification.
In my nearly four decades as a public relations (PR) professional, I have witnessed how falsehoods, when disseminated under the guise of a supposed authority, can spread and mislead. But here comes AI and suddenly, communications professionals are faced with a tougher battle against a new wave of misinformation.
Battling fake news is no longer just about fact-checking or debunking false claims—it’s about being one step ahead, ensuring that the truth gets heard before lies spread. It means clarity in messaging, correcting a falsehood before it becomes a belief, and calling out fake news immediately as baseless lies before it becomes viral. This is a major challenge, especially since public opinion and perception are now shaped in real-time by social media feeds and algorithms that can easily be manipulated.
A recent discussion I had with veteran communications professional Mon Isberto opened my eyes to a new perspective that while AI may seem like a dangerous weapon in the context of fake news,it also presents new opportunities for clearer and more meaningful communications.
As AI continues to develop, so should PR professionals too. Today, the core of PR must be more human than ever—anchored in providing clear messaging grounded in facts. On top of it, a distinctly human value that we in Meralco strive to observe all the time and one that I think cannot be exactly replicated by AI—malasakit.
It’s not enough to speak the truth, we must do so in a language that people understand—with clarity and empathy.
We must educate the public (as Mon Isberto puts it) to think first before believing information peddled online. Communications professionals must work with the government, social media platforms, and community leaders to foster an environment where factual and credible information thrives. This includes media literacy programs to help the public learn how to spot fake news including deepfakes, how to check and verify sources, and how to understand context.
In today’s increasingly noisy world, the work that communications professionals do is more essential than ever. As we navigate this complex landscape, may we never lose sight of our core duty: to serve the public by helping them make sense of the world with clear information grounded in facts.