By Lane Afable, News Editor
The Department of Education (DepEd) urged campus journalists at the 2026 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) to remain committed to truth and accountability amid the rapidly evolving media landscape driven by artificial intelligence.
This year’s NSPC, organized by DepEd in partnership with the local government of Ormoc, opened with a call for campus 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 Undersecretary for the Learning Systems Strand Carmela Oracion, who represented Secretary Sonny Angara at the 2026 NSPC.
Oracion also noted that the flow of information is now faster, along with greater risks.
She emphasized the importance of principled journalism in shaping public understanding and called on campus journalists to uphold accuracy and integrity.
Meanwhile, broadcast journalist and keynote speaker Atom Araullo highlighted the deeper purpose of journalism before more than 3,400 delegates from 18 regions gathered at the Ormoc City Superdome.
“Journalism is not a competition. It is a service. When there is a disaster, an election, or corruption, someone needs to tell the truth,” Araullo said.
He also emphasized the limitations of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in news work.
“AI can generate content, but it cannot pursue the truth,” he added.
With this year’s theme, “Critical, Principled, and Responsible Journalism,” the NSPC features competitions in writing, visual journalism, and broadcast and multimedia.
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.
According to officials, the NSPC is not just a competition but also a platform to strengthen the role of campus journalism in nation-building.
