Media Literacy Outreach: Cagayan de Oro
Building Foundations in Media and Information Literacy at Xavier University
PPI
PPI
What does it take to spot misinformation in a world flooded with information? How can visual storytelling and cybersecurity practices strengthen truth and trust in journalism? These questions framed the discussions in a two-day Media and Information Literacy seminar from 19 to 20 March 2025 in Cagayan de Oro City, where over a hundred students and educators explored the critical skills needed to engage responsibly in the digital age.
The seminar covered key topics including how everyone can take part in fact-checking, the double-edged nature of AI in media, and the ethics behind photojournalism. Participants also engaged in sessions on maintaining good digital hygiene and cybersecurity, combating disinformation through collaboration between legacy press and new content creators, and understanding election narratives from an Asian perspective.
Throughout the program, critical conversations emerged about the necessity for deeper political literacy and voter education, ethical use of AI to prevent the spread of false information, and practical approaches to counter disinformation via digital tools. These discussions helped equip emerging journalists and content creators with frameworks to navigate current challenges in media with integrity and insight.
PPI
Participant feedback highlighted a strong demand for further training on responsible voting, election participation, and strengthening media literacy especially in false information detection. The call for more interactive and engaging learning formats reflected a shared commitment to building capacity in an evolving media environment.
This scholastic seminar is the first in the Philippine Press Institute’s (PPI) 2025 Scholastic Press Outreach Program on Media and Information Literacy. It was organised by the PPI in collaboration with the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan and supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The involvement of Liceo de Cagayan University, the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, and representatives from regional offices of the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Information Agency enabled broad participation and enhanced the reach of this capacity-building effort. This seminar marks an important step forward in the ongoing effort to strengthen media and information literacy. Future activities are planned to take place in Luzon and the Visayas, aiming to build on the momentum created by this initial event. The partner organisations continue to support ongoing learning initiatives and remain adaptable to new challenges in the evolving media landscape.