DepEd urges campus journalists at 2026 NSPC to stand for truth

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ORMOC CITY, 14 April 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) urged campus journalists during the opening of the 2026 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) to remain steadfast in pursuing truth and accountability, even as artificial intelligence reshapes the media landscape.



This year’s NSPC, organized by DepEd in collaboration with the Local Government of Ormoc City, opened on Monday with a call for young journalists to take on a more critical role in combating misinformation and disinformation.



“Now more than ever, the role of the student-journalist is vital, for they are called to lead in fact-checking and to stand as defenders of verified, credible, and truthful information for the public,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Learning Systems Strand Carmela Oracion, who represented Education Secretary Sonny Angara in this year’s gathering.



Oracion also highlighted how the speed of information today has increased both opportunity and risk.



She stressed the importance of principled journalism in shaping public understanding, urging student-journalists to uphold accuracy and integrity.



Meanwhile, broadcast journalist and keynote speaker Atom Araullo emphasized the deeper purpose of journalism in his address to more than 3,400 delegates from 18 regions gathered at the Ormoc City Superdome.



“Ang journalism ay hindi isang competition. Ito ay isang serbisyo. Kapag may sakuna, may eleksyon, may katiwalian, kailangan may magsabi ng totoo,” Araullo said.



He also underscored the limits of emerging technologies in news work.



“AI can generate content, but it cannot pursue the truth,” he added.



This year’s NSPC, themed “Mapanuri, Mapanindigan, at Mapanagutang Pamamahayag,” features competitions in writing, visual journalism, and broadcast and multimedia, reflecting the evolving demands of the profession.



These include news, feature, editorial, sports, science and technology, and column writing, as well as copyediting and headline writing, photojournalism, editorial cartooning, radio and TV broadcasting, online publishing, and mobile journalism.



The conference serves not only as a venue for competition but also as a platform to reinforce the role of campus journalism in nation-building.

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