DepEd tells campus journalists: Defend truth amid AI, disinformation
The Department of Education called on student journalists to combat misinformation and uphold factual reporting as it opened the 2026 National Schools Press Conference on Monday. More than 3,400 student delegates from across the country gathered in Ormoc City for the annual event, which this year emphasized the role of young reporters in fighting false information.
DepEd Undersecretary Carmela Oracion told attendees that student journalists must lead in fact-checking and serve as defenders of credible information. "Now more than ever, the role of the student-journalist is vital, for they are called to lead in fact-checking and to stand as defenders of verified, credible, and truthful information for the public," she said.
Oracion warned that digital platforms and artificial intelligence have accelerated information spread while also increasing the risk of false or misleading content. She urged student journalists to remain grounded in accuracy and integrity.
Broadcast journalist Atom Araullo, the keynote speaker, framed journalism as public service rather than competition. "Ang journalism ay hindi isang competition. Ito ay isang serbisyo. Kapag may sakuna, may eleksyon, may katiwalian, kailangan may magsabi ng totoo," he said.
Araullo acknowledged that artificial intelligence can assist in content creation but cannot replace journalism's core mission. "AI can generate content, but it cannot pursue the truth," he said.
This year's conference, themed "Mapanuri, Mapanindigan, at Mapanagutang Pamamahayag" (Discerning, Principled, and Accountable Communication), features competitions in writing, visual journalism, and broadcast and multimedia work.
DepEd is positioning campus journalism as central to nation-building, pushing young reporters to take greater responsibility in shaping informed public discourse. For writers and journalists, understanding how generative AI and LLM systems work is becoming essential to identifying and combating AI-generated false content.
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