September 19, 2018: Induction of CFBJ officer at City Sports Club, Ayala, Cebu.
(CDN photo/ Lito Tecson)
A NEW leadership has emerged among media workers in Cebu and it is headed towards eradicating a strong adversary: fake news.
The Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ), the umbrella organization of media workers in Cebu, inducted its new set of officers during its 18th annual general assembly at the City Sports Club on Wednesday, September 19.
Mitchelle Palaubsanon, a regional beat reporter of The Freeman, was elected president replacing Elias Baquero of Sun.Star Daily who headed the organization for 14 years.
Arnold Bustamante, a veteran tri-media reporter covering the police beat, was elected vice president of CFBJ.
Other officers elected were Cebu City Hall reporter Razel Cuizon (secretary), regional reporter Herty Lopez (treasurer) and Capitol Association of Reporters in Trimedia (CART) president Gregg Rubio ( auditor).
Speaking before over 100 members of CFBJ, Palaubsanon said that media workers should continue to “value our work as the public’s verifiable information hub and in order for us to stay relevant.”
“In these interesting times, we are threatened not by social media as we openly embrace the digital age ourselves. We are threatened by the powers that be and personalities that use the social media as a tool for disinformation, misinformation, and fake news,” Palaubsanon said.
She lashed anew at the Facebook page Cebu Flash Report (CFR) for “massive misinformation and stealing of photos and stories of legitimate media outlets.
Palaubsanon was among those who earlier demanded for police authorities to find the administrators of CFR after the page posted a hoax of an alleged bomb in Lapu-Lapu City which resulted to panic among residents in the area.
“Kung si Duterte adunay War on Drugs, the CFBJ under my administration will have ‘War on Fake News!’” she said.
Palaubsanon urged journalists to uphold their role as vanguards of the truth by not taking part in the proliferation of fake news.
“Our role cannot be downplayed as this will shape public opinion and government policies that will affect the lives of the communities that we ourselves also belong to,” said Palaubsanon.
The CFBJ general assembly was among the activities of the annual Cebu Press Freedom Week (CPFW) which is celebrated every third week of September.