A call for responsible blogging

Sometime in July, I told my husband that Senator Antonio Trillanes pala is gay and that he just got married somewhere in Europe.
E—“Saan mo naman nakuha yang balita?”
A—“Nabasa ko sa Facebook”.
E—“Masyado kang nagpapaniwala sa mga nababasa mo”.

I got confused after he said that. The article even had a photo of the senator with another guy referred to as his husband. I am not privy to the senator’s love life so this news was fresh to me. I realize now that, to date, there is no evidence, proof nor any indicator that Senator Trillanes is anything other than straight.

Edmund is correct, I believe what I read. And why wouldn’t I? When it is news, it is true, right? I grew up in a time where news and journalism equaled truth and integrity. The purpose of news is to inform, educate and enlighten the masses. After reading or watching the news, you were supposed to know better and be aware. While news has always had an element of sensationalism, fundamentally, it was rooted in some form of fact. If you wanted fiction, you read the tabloids or the gossip columns or satirical magazines. The distinction was clear.

Fake News is a concept that is new to me. What is that? From a fake blogger? And why would anyone go out of his way to write something that is not true? Why would a writer or blogger invent stories, use his time and talent to fool us? And why would people invent stories about other people? Why would they post something that is not true? I thought they are bringing information to the people? Is Fake News not considered Slander or Libel?

Call me naive. Sa edad kong ito, madali pa rin talaga akong maniwala. But I am learning the hard way how things have changed.

Our family fell victim to fake news when a girl named Erica posted my son’s photo with his ex-girlfriend on Facebook alleging that my son is a drug addict and worse, she placed a bounty for his head for Php 200,000 – dead or alive. Within a few hours, with the large cash prize, the post spread like wildfire. Many of our employees and friends saw it and we received messages from concerned friends, alerting us to this post. We took all the necessary screenshots to document these posts and immediately filed a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). While at the NBI office, all I could do was cry. I could not even speak clearly. I was overwhelmed with anger and worry about the safety of my son. The girl who spread the Facebook post claimed she was “posting for a friend.” She hasn’t even met my son.
Siya pa ang galit. She lives her life now without any guilt, not realizing the damage she has done, nor the effect she has had on our family.

With the so-called EJKs against drug addicts so rampant now, I feared for our safety. This girl and her accomplice do not realize how much they put our lives in jeopardy. The posts have been deleted, people might have moved on but whatever is shared online is permanent. The internet does not forget. We have certainly never forgotten. The case against her will continue unless the perpetrators show up, explain to me and sincerely apologize to my son and to our family.

On one hand, social media is a blessing because it allows people to communicate faster. On the other hand, many individuals use this platform to destroy other people’s lives and reputation. They sow rumors, throw accusations, invent stories, exaggerate things and peddle lies. Online we are bombarded by data – photos, status updates, videos, blog articles, news articles, advertisements. It is up to us to decipher and weed out the information. Since people can’t resist a good drama, we get lured into the story. Advertisers, corporations, blogs, know this and in vying for people’s attention, resort to creative, outrageous and borderline untrue ways. I learned from my daughter that this is called “Click Bait” when a link shocks or awes you so much that you cannot resist clicking on it. I now have a stronger awareness for such articles. As a result I have made the following personal vows:
– Do Not Believe everything I read online
– If in doubt about an article, get a second opinion
– Check only reputable, established sources for information,
– Focus only on facts, not theories or opinions
– Refrain from jumping to conclusions

I encourage everyone to have their own personal ethics and integrity code when it comes to the internet. I also want to call on other bloggers to be more responsible. Let your readers know that you stand for integrity and honesty.

I still find it strange that people call me a blogger. My posts are not simply articles, they are actual experiences and opinions. But since the internet is a public platform, I always have to remind myself that there are strangers viewing my site. I am conscious that when I write, it must stay true to who I am. When you read my journal, you are getting a glimpse of the world through my eyes, a peek at my world. There is nothing fake about it, what you see is what you get.

#choosetobegood

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