WORKSHEET-NATURAL LAW FATIMA B. CORTEZ BSA-1C 1. Go online and look for an instance of what might be "fake news." See whether you are able to determine the veracity of the news report. Detail your findings and opinion below. Recently, the black propaganda against the daughter of Vice President and Presidential aspirant Leni Robredo, Aika Robredo, was all over social media. It was a malicious video that has been circulating online. Undoubtedly, it is fake news and was released only for the purpose of inflicting stains on Robredo’s name. According to a facebook post by Atty. Chel Diokno, it is the “New Script” of the other party. Misogynistic attacks against the increasing power of VP Leni. Moreover, according to the statement of VP Spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez last April 11, “Our supporters should see this for what it is: A distraction. This is a direct and vile response to the momentum we continue to gain. It won’t yield votes for those who are spreading it. Ang mas malalim na goal ng ganitong tactic, ‘yung manggigil tayo at magwala sa social media. Para awayin natin ang mga tao at hindi tayo maka-convert. Kaya nga ang tamang response dito: Hold the line tayo para sa pag-ibig. Be firm but kind sa pagtatama ng disinformation, kahit gaano ito kawalanghiya.” It is indeed relevant since VP Leni continues to gain momentum and support from the people, we can conclude it by looking at the huge numbers of kakampinks in different rallys. Furthermore, amid an alleged porn video tagging her, Vice President Leni Robredo’s eldest daughter Aika shrugged off the latest slander and reminded her mother’s supporters to stay focused. Apparently, the people behind this are threatened by the fact that VP Leni continues to gain support from people. It is also disappointing and disgusting that they have to stoop down to this level just to ruin someone’s name. WORKSHEET-NATURAL LAW 2. In view of Aquinas's assertion that reason is what makes us uniquely human and that being reasonable opens up both an epistemic concern for truth and also a social concern of being in relation with others, provide an assessment on the value or disvalue of post-truth phenomena such as fake news or alternative facts. Indeed, fake news is a detriment to all who publish, absorb and disseminate it. As a student journalist it is one of the thing that we are avoiding and battling at the same time. We become less civilized when we desire anything less than the full truth, in a way like we seemed to be deprived of something that we must know due to the fact that it is included in our rights. "Alternative facts" promotes the same decline. Unless and until we insist on news sources administering truth, we will continue to be fed the intellectual pabulum we see and hear so much of. If it's not the truth then definitely it is a lie. There is no value in a lie and in fact it should make us question anything a politician says, because we will never know if they were really telling us truths or the lie. Only believe what can be provided with proofs and can be proved, and most importantly sources must be credible and valid. The truth is the best path, it is the only way for a better governance, better country and better life. We must instill in our mind that no matter what, truth must always prevail. WORKSHEET-NATURAL LAW 3. Consider other topics within the realm of media ethics. Select one and give an initial presentation of the significance of discussing this topic. There are lots of topics within the realm of media ethics along the lines of online journalism, blogging, digital photojournalism, citizen journalism and social media. These are utilized in publishing news and stories to be disseminated to the public. Truthfully, these are supposed to be neutral and vigilant to avoid the spread of fake news. In today's era where modernization and technology is arising, it also comes with a convenience in communication in a way that information is easily conveyed and delivered to people through the use of the internet and social media. Unfortunately, fake news is or can also be easily disseminated. That is why, we must be wise in identifying the truthfulness or the falsification of a certain news.
