BAGUIO CITY – Some 120 communication students and educators of the University of the Cordillera (UC) recently underwent a one-day Scholastic Outreach Program on Media and Information Literacy spearheaded by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and the German-based Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) in partnership with the higher education institution in the city last November 15, 2024 at the UC Theater.
UC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Ariel Pumecha expressed his gratitude to the PPI and HSF for bringing to the institution a very important activity that will help in addressing the proliferation of false information that tends to affect the perception of the youth on the media.
The participants were oriented by the speakers on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), proper fact checking techniques, visual storytelling and cyber security.
For his part, PPI Executive Director Ariel Sebellino disclosed that the recent event was the third activity hosted by the prestigious higher education institution in the city, tracing back to more than a decade ago, that highlights the partnership established between the PPI, the national association of newspapers, and HSF.
Speakers during the activity included Dr. Rachel Khan of the College of Mass Communication of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, who spoke on ‘AI: Bane or Boon,’ Joyce Pan͂ares, Managing Editor of the Manila Standard and PPI Training Director, who discussed the topic on “We can all be fact checkers,’ Alexander Birle, HSF Resident Representative, who gave a message, Harly Palangchao, News and Photo Correspondent of the Manila Times and Contract Photographer of Reuters Manila, who talked about Visual Story Telling and Alyssa Clarin, Journalist of Bulatlat-com, who talked about ‘Good Digital Hygiene and Cyber Security Habits.’
The Scholastic Outreach Program on Media and Information Literacy is one of the flagship programs of PPI and HSF to help in curbing the proliferation of false information among today’s youth and empower them to be peddlers of accurate and true information to the public. By Dexter A. See
