The workshop revolved around three parts: understanding social media landscape and the rise of fake news, developing key messages that are consistent with the values of UP Manila, and preparing talking points for UP Manila for effective communication with its constituents.
January 31, 2023 — The University of the Philippines Manila Information, Publication, and Public Affairs Office (IPPAO), in partnership with the ALPAS consultancy group held a seminar-workshop entitled “The Struggle is Real: How to Communicate in Crisis” on Nov. 29, 2022 at the UP Manila Social Hall.
ALPAS is a strategic communications and government consultancy firm in the Philippines that provides creative solutions to diverse issues. As part of its corporate social responsibility, it launched in 2022 a program called “ANGKLA” to empower communication arms in the government sector to fight disinformation. This event was under this initiative.
Seeing disinformation as a similar concern, IPPAO partnered with the firm to enlighten UP Manila constituents on how to effectively navigate disinformation issues. The workshop revolved around three parts: understanding social media landscape and the rise of fake news, developing key messages that are consistent with the values of UP Manila, and preparing talking points for UP Manila for effective communication with its constituents.
The topics were facilitated by ALPAS team members Vina Marie Morales, Czieloh Villajin, Rex Botero, Dani Escuadra, Joanna Armenta, Jasmine Martin, Pots Duran, Mimi Esquelona, and Gela Gomez.
Social Media, Fake News, and PR crisis
The Philippines is recognized as one of the leading countries with the most active social media users worldwide. Consequently, digital platforms have become the most accessible sources of education and information here in this country. However, due to an immensely poor educational system, a massive number of Filipinos are unable to discern credible content. This gives rise to an enormous amount of disinformation or “fake news.” In order to combat this social issue, Villajin urged UP to be at the forefront in this fight against disinformation.
Gela Gomez, a public relations professional, shared how to effectively communicate within online platforms. Strategies such as choosing the most compelling stories to tell, using the inverted pyramid framework when presenting them, and cautiously identifying key messages to utilize in those stories are some of the practical approaches in drafting online content and responding to fake news.
ALPAS also shared a strategic framework that can be used in handling public relations crisis. PR crisis is defined as any circulating media coverage or online trend that creates risk of damage to a personal or organizational reputation. They detailed its typical cycle and shared proactive (controlling the narrative) and reactive schemes (balancing the story and amplifying response) to “mitigate the negative impact of fake news and crisis situations.”
ALPAS trainers also taught UP Manila participants that virtues like trust, urgency, empathy, credibility, and action are the most essential elements of drafting holding statements which are an institution’s usual response in times of PR crises. They facilitated a simulation activity as well to let the attendees practice this new skill.
“It should be in our nature to fight for the truth, and it should be in our nature to fight for what is right,” ALPAS Consultancy Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Atty. Carlo Escalada stressed while pushing UP Manila to actively put an effort in learning how to navigate fake news.
Francis Nicole Maga | Published in the UP Manila Healthscape Issue No. 47 (January 2023)
