Fighting for truth? The role perceptions of Filipino journalists in an era of mis- and disinformation

Abstract

This study examines how journalists in the Philippines perceive their roles in response to mis- and disinformation. In the country’s current media landscape, journalists find themselves in the spotlight as the media are frequently accused of spreading falsehoods. Drawing from data gathered through 16 semistructured in-depth interviews with Filipino journalists, the findings first of all indicate that the disseminator and watchdog roles are perceived as more important and that journalists see themselves as truth crusaders and advocates of societal reform. Second, journalists identify barriers on different levels of influence that impede the performance of these intended roles. Finally, journalists see the rise of mis- and disinformation as both a challenge and opportunity for journalism to improve as a practice and institution. These findings can be extrapolated to theoretical and practical implications for journalism and democracy in general.