Silliman University President Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann has warned students, faculty, staff, and alumni against sharing false information.
“None of us should be involved in activities that deliberately spread disinformation or misinformation,” Dr. McCann said during the All-University Academic Convocation held at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium.
She reminded the audience of the University’s commitment to the “discovery, investigation, and dissemination” of truth as an academic institution, regardless of any socio-political regime.
The President also urged social media users and communication experts to “challenge disinformation, and where necessary, work together to take down websites deliberately engaged in it.”
“Members of the community should use their expertise to promote truth, human rights, and democracy, consistent with our values as a Christian institution of learning,” she added.
McCann noted the series of fact-checking trainings organized by the Silliman Online University Learning office and the Mariano Lao Innovation, Creation & Invention Laboratory since April 2021 to combat misinformation and disinformation.
“Simply defending the values of truth, healthy environment, and society’s well-being is no longer enough. We must advocate and advance them,” McCann said.
The All-University Academic Convocation is a bi-annual gathering of SU faculty, staff, and students. It was the first face-to face convocation in two school years since the pandemic.
The next fact-checking training is a short course on Fighting Information Disorder on Social Media will be conducted every Saturday afternoon starting this month until December. It is open to the public. (Jameela Mendoza/OIP)
