TWO SENATORS ALLEGE THAT “FAKE NEWS” THREATEN NAT’L SECURITY AND WANT THE ISSUE PROBED: ARE THEY JUST “SOUR GRAPING”?

Have “fake news” and “trolls” made such an alarming impact on swaying people’s hearts and minds that the two senators are now making a fuss over it? How is the issue any different from a candidate who’s waging psy-ops to defeat an opponent on the election campaign trail? How can it amount into a so-called “national security” concern? During the EDSA Revolt, former Pres. Ramos made announcements or “fake news” on defections of military units who haven’t actually turned on the Marcoses in order to encourage other units to follow suit – and we were quick to dismissed it as a valid means of waging psychological warfare.

Battles for the people’s hearts and minds have been fought over and over again for a long time – only the methods have changed due to today’s interconnected world. Information gets around faster and wider. Those who take better advantage of it
gets to bring home the trophy.

If you’re a public figure and you’re caught lying or fabricating “facts”, your credibility should suffer and you should be deemed untrustworthy and unfit for public adulation. Because as a public figure, the bar should always be set higher. The two senators should direct their concerns to their colleague who has a penchant in “explosive exposés” that he claims to have come from “reliable” intelligence sources (grapevine or gossip mills, more likely). So, is the “misinformation” the two senators are alleging systematic or orchestrated or just a confluence of ideas from unsuspecting, ordinary netizens?

Legitimate news organizations will always tip the scale in the information highway. People will always find out what the real news are. They should be worried about what people choose to think or do with the real news. Perhaps they’re on the receiving end of the people’s unfavorable choice that’s keeping the two senators at the edge of their seats.