Inquirer Campus Talks Tackles Growing threats of AI and Influencers in Newsroom

The Philippine Daily Inquirer and Inquirer.net, in partnership with the PUP Journalism Guild,  held another leg of the Inquirer Campus Talks entitled, “Storytelling in Journalism: From Print to Pixels,” at the PUP College of Communication Audio-Visual Room (COC-AVR) on October 6, 2026.   

Veteran media practitioners from the Philippine Daily Inquirer led the talk, discussing how journalists can create credible and compelling stories across various platforms and how newsrooms are adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media influencers.  

As journalism continues to evolve from print to digital platforms, Michael Ubac, a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, opened the session by emphasizing the importance of verification in responsible reporting. 

Ubac describes journalism as the heart of democracy. He states that journalism is storytelling with a purpose because its role is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing.

“We're in a world where a wrong interpretation can turn into an original scene. That's why, before you post or publish, think about it really, really hard. Our obligation is to the truth, to set us free from ignorance and manipulation,” Ubac stated.

Ralph Gurango, Senior Manager for Digital Strategy at Inquirer.net, continued the discussion by explaining how newsrooms adapted to changes in the media landscape as the internet transformed the way people access information. 

Gurango emphasized the importance of understanding the audience's preferences and how they engage with the stories in the digital space. 

“A lot of people think digital [media] is about chasing clicks and chasing stories.  [In reality], it’s understanding who we are and focusing on who our audience is, and echoing what we strive to do day in and day out,” Gurango said.

He added that to understand audiences better, newsrooms should know what they read, which stories attract them the most, why they read an article, and how long they spend reading it. 

Gurango told students that using AI is not inherently bad, as it can improve newsroom processes and support journalistic work.  However, accuracy must be ensured to prevent harm and damage.

Narrowing down the discussion, Dexter Cabalza, Chief of Reporters and Acting Head of the News Daydesk of Inquirer, discussed the distinctions between influencers and journalists, emphasizing the journalism's ethical standard of verification, responsibility, and accountability in journalism.   

“Ang responsibility ng journalism will still be the same. Kailangan maging accountable pa rin tayo sa mga stories at sa mga audience [natin.] Sabi nga nila, the responsibility to find the truth [is to] verify and explain it. Iyon [ang] meron ang journalists na wala ang other personalities like content creators and influencers,” Cabalza explained. 

Cabalza assures students that even journalists make mistakes, but what matters most is being accountable and owning up to it. He also emphasizes that in the age of digital media, being first attracts attention, but verification remains essential because being right earns greater trust from the public.

For the final discussion, Power Mac Center Assistant Manager for Education Business Team-School Partnerships and Learning Design Kristoffer Quemquem, discussed how technology can help aspiring journalists create compelling stories in a fast-paced digital environment.  He equips aspiring storytellers with the skills to use technology tools to communicate ideas effectively and create better stories.

Laiza Blancaflor from Bachelor of Arts in Journalism 2-2N, recognized the importance of deliberating the effect of fast technology changes on journalism as she shared her takeaways from the program discussions.

“Bilang isang estudyanteng alagad ng midya, importante ang ganitong uri ng mga diskusyon sa pag-aaral ng peryodismo lalo na't maraming nagbabago sa ating teknolohiya at nagagamit natin ito sa paghahatid ng balita para sa masa. Mahalaga na alam natin kung paano ito nakakatulong upang mas mapadali ang pagbibigay natin ng serbisyo sa mga tao sa ating mga impormasyon na ibinabalita sa kanila,” Blancaflor stated. 

The program concluded with a roundtable discussion with students asking questions, seeking advice, and gaining insights from the experiences and expertise of the speakers.

Article: Sherri Mae Fernandez

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