Being a Mover means going beyond the screen, reporting stories, and witnessing history as it unfolds

I am one of the 15 youth leaders accepted into the Movers for Facts, a trainers’ training program on media and information literacy (MIL) organized by Rappler, in partnership with fact-checking initiative #FactsFirstPH and Deutsche Welle Akademie. There were about a hundred who applied for the Cagayan de Oro leg of the training program.

I qualified under the content creation track, where participants are expected to produce at least three multimedia outputs. When I acknowledged my acceptance, I thought everything was going to be fine as planned.

However, I was on the verge of quitting a week before the actual training because my parents were not going to allow me to travel alone again. Despite the challenge of convincing them, I fought for this program because I knew it would help me make an impact on my community with regard to media literacy. Two days before my departure, my parents finally understood my concerns and allowed me to join the program.

Going to Cagayan de Oro City, I had to travel a few hours from Marawi City by van because that was my parents’ advice. Using Google Maps, I was able to navigate and arrive safely at the training venue, which already tested my commitment. I believe this was the second time I represented Mindanao Varsitarian, our student publication unit, for a fact-checking-related campaign. Last year, I was in Davao City for a fact-checking training by MindaNews, where I was able to connect with them and join an online network of fact-checkers for Mindanao.

I thought I would be the only Meranao joining the workshop just like what happened in my last training, but I was wrong. Four others were also selected and joined the program. I was happy to know that we all came from the same university. It was nice to see them so passionate about promoting the importance of MIL in Lanao provinces.

Given our political landscape, social media can be weaponized for various political agenda and propaganda, making it essential to combat political disinformation on the ground. Fact-checked stories and claims must be available online and accessible to the public.

The real challenge for us is that MIL has been introduced but not yet realized as a useful skill among students to stay informed online. This is evident in our Facebook groups and pages led by students, where some are easily fooled by false school announcements because they seemed almost true at first glance.

The program made me ask myself a crucial question as a content creator: Am I ready to be a “Mover for Facts”? This question arose out of curiosity to evaluate my competence because getting accepted to the program demanded my full capacity, and completion of the training also sought my commitment. However, the real challenge was delivering my executions effectively to my community.

The four-day trainers’ training program taught me how I can make use of social media for social good. By creating content, I can launch my multimedia campaign aimed at understanding the importance of MIL in the context of Marawi City. This is to inspire, engage, and enable Mindanao State University students to combat widespread disinformation online, with a focus on protecting their digital privacy and security.

Throughout the training, I was exposed to various topics and modules. I also participated in interactive activities, and engaged in open discussions about issues and challenges in our respective communities. The goal was to find common solutions to disinformation, considering our varied political, social, and cultural backgrounds.

The training provided me with a toolkit that I can use to protect my digital well-being, particularly in securing my personal devices and social media accounts, which I can share with my community. The training solidified my understanding that critical thinking is an essential ingredient for fact-checking. In verifying sources and evidence, we will need more technical skill to evaluate the credibility and reliability of content. This is where advanced tools come into play, such as reverse image search and other AI-detection tools.

In designing media outputs, the training inspired me to create content that is simple and authentic to reach a wider audience and be in step with trends effectively. As a content creator, I learned the importance of understanding my audience’s demographics to deliver my campaign successfully. In my community, I should use our local languages such as Tagalog, Bisaya, or Meranao to convey my multimedia campaign’s message. This approach helps ensure creativity and inclusivity while integrating the principles of peace journalism.

During the training, I had the chance to talk with Rappler journalists about how the youth can contribute to peace, recognizing it as key to growth and development here in Mindanao. I understand the need for communication and collaboration in peace-building, where everyone has a role to play.

The training provided me with a holistic experience. I was able to connect with my fellow youth leaders because we have a genuine commitment to promoting MIL in our respective sectors. Most importantly, the training gave me the opportunity to be mentored by Rappler heads and editors. I received tips and insights on how to be an effective content creator for good.

To answer the question, I am now more than ever ready to be a mover for facts. After the training, I am now equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge I need to go into the arena and join the battle for facts. I acknowledge that this will be a demanding task, as I need to work on the ground and use social media as a platform for social responsibility. To achieve this, I must ensure that all information I deliver to the public is fact-based and supported by evidence.

Being a mover means going beyond the screen, reporting stories and witnessing history being made firsthand. With the rise of social media, anyone can be a Mover. However, always choose to be a force for good and pursue the truth. We need more youth to step up, as we are the future of this country.

Be a Mover and join us! – Rappler.com

Abdul Hafiz Tacoranga Malawani is part of Movers for Facts Mindanao, a trainers’ training program on media and information literacy organized by Rappler, #FactsFirstPH, and Deutsche Welle Akademie. He is a youth advocate for peace and is a campus journalist from Marawi City. He is also the associate editor of Mindanao State University-Main Campus’ official student publication, Mindanao Varsitarian.

If you’re interested in being part of Rappler’s campaigns or initiatives, join the volunteer opportunities chat room in the Rappler app for updates.