The President and the media

THE raging give-and-take between Donald Trump and US mainstream media is an instructive guide for leaders and media practitioners and us in the Philippines as well, in understanding the controversy over fake news and the real contribution that the media makes to the betterment of society.

If we in the media just throw up our hands in frustration every time a top public figure hurls an accusation of “fake news” against our media organizations, we would be allowing a falsehood to shape public perceptions of our work and our organizations. The better response is to answer criticism frontally and to lay the case before the public on what is right with the media.