Press freedom

EYES WIDE OPEN

- IRIS GONZALES

May 3, World Press Freedom Day, is always bittersweet for journalists, but more so now with the spread of fake news and the continued attacks on journalism.

We mourn the death of veteran journalist Juan "Johnny" Dayang, who was brazenly attacked and shot dead inside his home in Aklan on April 29.

A prominent journalist, Dayang was the president of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, a former publisher of the Philippine Graphic and a former president of the Manila Overseas Press Club.

"No one is safe, not even the elderly, not even those who have long stepped away from the daily grind," said the Iloilo Media-Citizen Council, in a statement condemning Dayang's murder.

"His cold-blooded murder inside his own home where he should have been safest — marks a new low in the attacks against journalists and media workers in this country," the council declared.

I extend my condolences to his family and colleagues in Aklan and join the calls to bring his killers to justice.

Freedom from fake news But it is not only threats and actual incidents of violence and harassment that make the Philippines a challenging environment for journalists.

Equally alarming is the problem of fake news, which continues to spread like wildfire. There is so much misinformation and disinformation going around and fed to the public 24/7.

This has become a threat to us but at the same time, it has also strengthened our resolve to continue reporting only what is real and true.