LICEO U HOSTS MCLUHAN FORUM SERIES
The Government of Canada through its embassy in Manila brought to Liceo de Cagayan University through the Office of Internationalization the Mcluhan Forum Series on Responsible Media. Facilitated by the Department of Languages and Communication of the College of Arts and Sciences on January 26, 2023, at the AVR 3 in the Main Campus, the forum themed “Democracy at Stake: How Media Battles the Disinformation Phenomenon” featured Mr. Christian Esguerra, a Mcluhan fellow and a multi-awarded multimedia journalist.
Mr. Esguerra hosts Facts First, a popular online political talk show that covers burning issues in politics and governance. As a journalist, he is committed to an advocacy that counters disinformation. He was the anchor and managing editor of After the Fact – a political talk program of the ABS-CBN News Channel. As an educator, he teaches political reporting and journalism ethics at the University of Santo Tomas. Also, he is a researcher of UST’s Research Center for Culture, Arts, and Humanities.
Attended by media figures in the city, students from different schools, and Liceo U’s officials and faculty, the forum’s discussion centered on the importance of responsible journalism, the threats of disinformation to the country’s democratic processes, and media stakeholders’ role in battling disinformation. The public discussion was jumpstarted by two reactors who are both media practitioners and university educators – Dr. Rhyndl Nephl-z Luczon and Dr. Ronnie Waniwan.
Present during the forum were Mr. Carlo Figuroa, Public Affairs, Attaché, Embassy of Canada, who gave the opening message and introduced the speaker; Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Zenaida G. Gersana who delivered the welcome remarks; Dr. Teresita T. Tumapon, Liceo U’s consultant for Internationalization; CAS Dean Dr. Rosella O. Ortiz who gave the closing remarks; Dr. Quivido Oregines, director of Internationalization and event chairperson; and Dr. Salvador C. dela Peña III, chair of the Department of Languages and Communication.
Through the Mcluhan Forum Series, the Canadian Government recognizes excellent work in journalism and supports journalists in their critical role in upholding democracy and freedom of speech. The McLuhan Forum is named after Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian media theorist who coined the term “global village” in his critique of a media-connected world as early as the 1960s.
