The Institute for Labor Studies, together with the ILS Employees Association organized a brown bag session for its employees on the topic “How to Spot Fake News on Social Media” held via Zoom platform last April 21.

The resource person for the said session was Paolo De Andres Capino, a writer and factual media information advocate.

Mr. Capino talked about the three areas where fake news is readily available: public sphere which covers social media newsfeed; closed and private online groups in which one is a member; and private entities who have direct contact and access to one’s mobile phone. As a precaution, he advised the ILS employees to be more inquisitive as information has become democratized with a lot of groups and individuals pushing for their own agenda, and worse, committing crimes using one’s information and personality.

“It is also not just about the content. It is also about the intellectual and emotional manipulation that happens as these groups and individuals hold on to your biases and use you as a tool to spread fake news,” emphasized Mr. Capino.

As a research institute, the ILS and its employees are reminded of the importance of always asking for more, especially if there is an information that needs to be verified.