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PCO urges public to use ‘STOP and SPOT’ in information consumption

STOP AND SPOT. 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐷𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝐸𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑑 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑐ℎ 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 “𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑟𝑖” 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝐻𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑡𝑖 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑊𝑒𝑑𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑦 (𝑂𝑐𝑡. 25, 2023). 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑜 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 “𝑆𝑇𝑂𝑃 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑃𝑂𝑇 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ” 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. (𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑃𝐶𝑂 𝐹𝐵 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒)

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) advised the public and the youth on Wednesday to report false information they encounter in various social media platforms and also refrain from sharing it to put a stop to misinformation and disinformation.

During the “Maging Mapanuri” Conference on Media and Information Literacy held in Makati, the PCO said that the people should also adopt “STOP and SPOT approach” in responsible information consumption.

“And when you do realize that you have come across false information, report it, don’t share it. The spread of misinformation and disinformation ends with you. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard the truth in an age where falsehoods threaten to obscure it,” PCO Undersecretary Emerald Ridao said during the “Maging Mapanuri” Conference on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) at the New World Hotel in Makati City.

“As we unite in our unwavering commitment to the truth, we will conquer what was once a daunting monster of misinformation. Together, we shall forge a future where the pursuit of truth stands above all else,” Ridao said.

Ridao advised the public to remember the “STOP and SPOT approach” as a practical guide when they stumble upon information that they are not quite fully knowledgeable about.

“Stop to Spot the Source. Ask yourself, who is sharing this information? Are these posts and articles from random people on the internet, or are they from certified experts on the subject matter? Remember that the source matters. Credible, verified sources are more likely to provide accurate information,” Ridao advised conference participants.

“Stop to Spot the Purpose. Why is this information appearing on your feed? Is it trending because it’s sensationalizing certain angles, or is it genuinely sharing factual information? Understanding the purpose behind the content can help you separate fact from fiction,” she added.

Ridao also told the conference participants to trace the ownership of the information and content, whether they are shared by credible organizations or individuals genuinely committed to truth, or they are pretending to be something they are not.

People should also Stop to Spot the Time by scrutinizing the timeline of the information release, whether it is new, old, or possibly outdated and irrelevant information disguised as news, she said.

She said policing the internet and stamping out every falsehood would be a never-ending battle which is why the PCO relies on education to address the challenge.

Seeing the youth’s hunger for knowledge, boundless curiosity, and willingness to become responsible citizens, Ridao said the PCO has turned its attention to the untapped potential of the young people.

Partnering with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is the right approach because educating the next generation was the way forward, Ridao said, as she recognized the critical role of teachers and educators.

For her part, PCO Assistant Secretary Patricia Martin said she anticipates Wednesday’s discussions to equip participants with the tools, knowledge, and strategies needed to combat misinformation and disinformation effectively.

“Moreover, we hope that, in the midst of these enlightening conversations, you will also find enjoyment in the camaraderie of like-minded individuals who share the same dedication to truth and accuracy,” Martin said.

The PCO sees the “Maging Mapanuri” conference not just a simple gathering but a movement, a necessary paradigm shift – a change in everyone’s mentality to fight misinformation and disinformation together.

The PCO launched its MIL campaign last Aug. 14, with the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development as its key partners in the public sector.

The initiative primarily targets equipping teachers in state universities and colleges and public schools to teach students how to combat fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

The agency is also collaborating with tech companies such as Google (YouTube), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads), TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) in the project implementation. (PND/PNA)

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