3rd Jose 'Totoy' Avellana Memorial Lecture: A discussion on Communication, Technology, and the Truth

Lies, disinformation, and alternative truth can be deadly. And amid a global pandemic and political unrest, seeking and sharing the truth in the current digital communication landscape carries more weight than ever. These, among other things, were discussed during the 3rd Jose 'Totoy' Avellana Memorial Lecture. With the theme "Communication, Technology, Truth," the online lecture held on 26 March featured a distinguished panel of experts with veteran journalist Pia Hontiveros as moderator.

The first panel comprised John Nery (journalist and lecturer at Loyola Schools' Department of Communication), Dr Cheryll Ruth Soriano (professor at the Department of Communication at De La Salle University), and Mr. Jose Mari Lanuza (assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of the Philippines - Manila). Sitting on the second panel were Atty Antonio La Viña (former undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and former dean of Ateneo School of Government), Yvonne Chua (journalist and Associate Professor of Journalist at the University of the Philippines), and Bernice Soriano (Project Coordinator for the Foundation for Media Alternatives).

In her welcome remarks, Dr Czarina A Saloma Akpedonu, dean of the School of Social Sciences, stressed the critical role of social sciences in clarifying "our understanding, rather than to win over an argument with whatever means such as presenting fact as fiction and fiction as fact." The discussion, she added, was an "excellent opportunity to learn from one another" and "respond to the call of problem-solving mode."

The first part of the discussion defined and analyzed the phenomenon of disinformation. The second part dealt with responding to the challenges of truth-telling in this digital media landscape.

Watch the recorded lecture here.