This year, up till August, we have been kept busy organizing and implementing training activities for journalists on press freedom and journalist safety. It has been a challenging journey, confronting decades-old issues of threats and attacks on media workers and the encroachment on our democratic rights of free expression and civic participation.

I am grateful to have been working with a prodigiously dedicated team at AIJC and with committed partners who are not only experts in this field called journalism but also stalwart veterans of the profession, living and breathing its perils and risks.

In Baguio and Cagayan de Oro, we conducted a training of trainers on media safety for local journalists and campus journalists. We interacted in Baguio with participants from three provinces (Benguet, Mt. Province, and Ilocos Norte), while in Cagayan de Oro, participants came from five provinces (Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Surigao del Norte). That’s already eight provinces covered for only two training activities.

We also had two batches of a basic safety training for journalists in print, broadcast and online media who cover the various provinces and municipalities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). These were done in Davao City and Zamboanga City.

In preparing for the training, we had focus group discussions with prospective participants, both online and in-person. These proved helpful for the training needs analysis we did, enabling us to customize the training design to the community context and local needs.

Resource persons during the training addressed practical issues, conducted workshops, and facilitated simulation exercises on such topics as physical safety, legal issues, digital security, gender issues, and psychosocial wellbeing. For the training of trainers, participants further learned about training and facilitation tips and methodologies.

For these “all-expenses-paid” training programs, we’re thankful to the funders: the British Embassy Manila, the UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), and the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines.

As we continue in this advocacy of safeguarding media freedom and securing journalist safety, I am cheered on by reassuring words from our training participants.

Jethro Bryan Andrada, correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and faculty member of the University of the Philippines-Baguio, describes the program as “holistic,” with the discussions having both “breadth and depth.” He reflects on the impact of the training on

his commitment to press freedom and the role of the news media, “I gained a deeper appreciation of the profession. We sacrifice and risk so much to practice our craft but I guess that is the trade-off of being watchdogs of society.”

Posting from a restaurant or tagging your location while on vacation—it’s fun to keep friends and family updated on your activities and whereabouts. It might seem harmless, but sharing your location in real time can put you at risk, as it makes it easier for people with bad intentions to track your movements, know when you’re not home, or plan activities that could jeopardize your safety.

This was one of the pointers shared during the safety training programs for journalists organized by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC). While the digital security sessions in these capacity building programs were designed for media practitioners, the tips are helpful for anyone who wants to stay safe online.

Here are some of the tips from the safety training that can help mitigate potential risks and safeguard your digital presence:

1. Always keep devices with you.

Don’t leave your phone or laptop lying around in public or unattended, even for a few minutes. Once your device is out of your sight, it can be easily stolen or tampered with. This also increases the risk of personal information being accessed or misused by others.

2. Use strong, unique passwords, and change them regularly.

Create a strong, unique password for each online account and change them regularly. Safety training resource person Samantha Nicole David of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) recommends choosing “an obscure statement or quotation that will not be easily linked to you by others.”

3. Enable two-factor authentication in your online accounts.

Resource person Len Olea of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) emphasizes the importance of using two-factor authentication, which adds another layer of security for online accounts. Even if your password is compromised, a hacker will still need to go through a second verification process to access your account.

4. Watch out for phishing scams.

It can be tempting to join viral quizzes and photo challenges on social media, but be careful—these may be designed to trick you into sharing personal information such as passwords or credit card information.

Avoid clicking on links in text messages and email unless you can confirm the sender’s identity. Scammers can easily impersonate bank representatives and other trusted entities, so it’s best to verify before you click.

These are just some of the pieces of advice shared during the digital security sessions in the safety training for journalists.

Whether or not you are a journalist, being mindful of digital security is key to protecting both your personal and professional life.

Read about the past safety training programs of AIJC here:

• Community-based journalists join safety training of trainers in Cagayan de Oro City
• Community-based journalists in CAR join safety training of trainers
• AIJC safety and fact-checking training welcomes media practitioners from ZamBaSulTa
• 22 journalists covering BARMM join AIJC’s safety and fact-checking training in Davao

Back in 2022, the Philippines earned the rather daunting title of “patient zero” in the global fight against disinformation. This was largely due to the country’s struggle with misinformation and the growing concern about how generative AI could be used to spread false information.

In the past year, there’s been a notable shift. Journalists and fact-checkers are now turning to AI to help tackle disinformation. These advanced tools are helping analyze a wide range of media—text, images, audio, and video—speeding up the fact-checking process and allowing for quicker responses to false claims.

Gone are the days when fact-checking was a simple matter of cross-referencing sources. Today, disinformation campaigns are more sophisticated, flooding the internet with massive amounts of similar content across multiple platforms, often sticking to a consistent, deceptive narrative. This makes it challenging to separate fact from fiction.

AI steps in by spotting patterns and flagging potential disinformation before it spreads too widely. It can also catch subtle inconsistencies that might escape the human eye.

One of the standout tools in this fight is whopostedwhat.com. This platform allows fact-checkers to dive into the origins and spread of content on social media. By searching for specific posts and tracking their dissemination across Facebook, whopostedwhat.com helps identify coordinated disinformation efforts and see how false narratives gain traction. This kind of tailored search capability is invaluable for understanding and countering the spread of misinformation, especially in a country where Facebook is a primary news source.

In the ongoing battle against false information, generative AI is more than just a tool—it’s a powerful ally. When used correctly, it has the potential to restore integrity to our digital spaces, helping us navigate the murky waters of misinformation and disinformation.

For information about short courses on AI offered by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC), email pdp.aijc@aijci.com.

AIJC’s short courses on AI for 2024:

AI in Digital Media and Publishing:

https://aijc.com.ph/shortcourses/ai-in-digital-media-and-publishing/

AI for SEO and Content Optimization:

https://aijc.com.ph/shortcourses/ai-for-seo-and-content-optimization/

AI in Content Creation and Marketing:

https://aijc.com.ph/shortcourses/ai-in-content-creation-and-marketing/

Text by Janess Ann J. Ellao

Professional Development Program

Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication

Interested in the master’s degree programs of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC)?

Imagine yourself on this journey. Here is the trek:

Our curriculum is ladderized. This means that after you have completed a required set of courses, you will be granted a certificate or a diploma, as follows:

For Master of Arts in Journalism and Master of Arts in Communication:

• After successfully passing 33 Academic Units and 6 Thesis Writing Units in any of these two courses, you are awarded the master’s degree.
• With our ladderized curriculum, after earning the first basic 15 units, you are awarded the Graduate Certificate in Communication.
• After finishing the Graduate Certificate, you may earn the Graduate Diploma in Communication, if you add 12 units to your original 15 units. These units consist of 6 units of required major courses and 6 units of elective courses.
• Then, you take up 6 units of Research in Communication by writing and defending your thesis.
• AIJC will apply for your Special Order (S.O.) Number at the Commission on Higher Education and you will graduate with your master’s degree.

You can consult the AIJC Graduate School for more information and get started on your journey. Email gs@aijci.com.

Have you considered the immense benefits a graduate degree will bring you?

I have listed four advantages of a graduate degree, though I am sure that when you enroll and graduate from AIJC, you will find many more ways to improve your position in the field:

1. Become a leader in your field.

With the practical experiences you gain in graduate studies, you will soon be better equipped to interact successfully with others in your field and share new ideas with your contemporaries. These fresh perspectives will give you and your colleagues opportunities to lead. Investing in your graduate education can provide the foundation you need to rise to the top of your field.

2. Find new opportunities for professional growth.

You will find new career paths and opportunities, even in fields that work alongside communication. A master’s degree will open you up to ideas and concepts that are compatible with various professions, expanding your career prospects.

3. Increase connections in your circle.

You will learn with other professionals in different fields who are just as interested in learning as you are. You will strengthen the skills you need to interact successfully with colleagues, corporate stakeholders, and clients, enriching your professional relationships.

4. Contribute to your lifelong learning journey.

Learning becomes a passion—limitless and, for many, lifelong. Your level of knowledge will steadily increase, and you will be abreast with the latest theories and innovations.

Profit from these advantages. Get your graduate degree at the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC).

Here are the frequently asked questions about the AIJC Graduate School. Email gs@aijci.com for more information.