Would you eat something that tastes so sweet at first but would be followed by a bitter aftertaste? The sweetness of democracy that allowed us to have power in our voices is mixed with the bitterness of the abuse of freedom, of how these voices could also bring malice, inaccuracy, and disinformation.
Many aspects of society have been reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in journalism and reporting. Now more than ever, the facets of journalism have been reliant on social media platforms. Despite boosting the accessibility of journalism, it also opened doors to disinformation.
Social media users share information, sometimes including their opinions, through large social media platforms. While this is a part of free speech, we cannot overlook the fact that irresponsible and partial expression would jeopardize the independent coverage and reportage of the country’s media institutions. Once false material is published online, we are threatening democracy in the same way that the pandemic has been threatening lives for years.
The dissemination of disinformation, as well as the ease with which malicious forces can manipulate information, is severely undermining democratic institutions. Disinformation in politics breeds chaos, division, and distrust. It results in parallel universes where people operate under different sets of facts and live in different realities.
It is our responsibility as campus journalists, a part of the press and media, to ensure that citizens, especially our co-youth, make responsible, informed choices rather than acting out of ignorance or misinformation. With the rampance of disinformation in today's time, it would be vital for us, journalists, to conduct fact-checks and ensure that undistorted truth is delivered to the people.
As we live in a democratic country, people would continue to express their opinions through a lot more platforms. I, a campus journalist for nearly six years, do acknowledge that some things can naturally come with bitter aftertastes, and that includes being a bearer of truth, even to people who discredit our impartial narratives. But while being a journalist may be bittersweet, I will continue bearing this brunt for there is no better taste than the sweet liberation from lies.
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