Dr. Jesus Rafael B. Jarata, DMMMSU Director of International Affairs and Associate Professor of Communication, shared powerful insights as one of the featured speakers in the international seminar “Shaping Storytellers, Defending Truth Through Journalism” held on May 13, 2025.

Organized by ARUS Academy Malaysia,  the event gathered journalism experts from across Asia to explore the theme “Transmedia Storytelling in Journalism: Engaging Audiences Across Multiple Platforms.”

In his talk, Dr. Jarata zeroed in on the role of social media in the Philippine journalism landscape. “Let’s talk about the elephant in the room – social media,” he began, citing that Filipinos spend an average of 3 hours and 36 minutes daily on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter). “That’s more than the time spent reading newspapers, listening to the radio, or even watching TV,” he noted.

He highlighted how social media serves as both a powerful tool and a double-edged sword – opening opportunities for broader reach and community engagement, but also posing serious threats due to fake news, trolls, and disinformation networks. “Yes – social media is a game changer,” Dr. Jarata said. “But it’s up to us whether it changes the game for the better or for the worse.”

Returning to the seminar’s core theme, he emphasized the responsibility of educators and media institutions in shaping future journalists. He advocated for teaching media and information literacy as early as high school, protecting young journalists from online threats and harassment, and amplifying diverse voices, particularly those from marginalized and underrepresented communities.

Dr. Jarata joined other distinguished speakers and communication experts from Nepal, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. (By Rowena Badua)