Let’s play a game! I will give you samples of a headline, then you have to guess if they’re real or fake. Simple, right? First! “TD Paolo expected to bring heavy rains by Friday.” Did you answer real? Correct! Next one, “No more Kinder & Grade 11 in the Curriculum!.” Is it fake? Amazing! What about this one “Grade 13: Additional 1 year sa Senior High School” or this “Pope Francis Endorses Trump”...and this “Scientists Claim Breakthrough in Turning Plastic Waste into Edible Protein”?!...Easy, right?

Let’s go back to reality and realize that these news headlines are easy to distinguish. No one would actually be gullible enough to believe that these are fake news, right? Or maybe you already did without even realizing it.

In today’s world, news and information easily spread at exceptional speeds. Through the use of social media, anyone and everyone can publish information regardless of background and credibility. This makes it easier for misinformation and disinformation to reach people. 

According to Manila Standard, 55% of Filipinos frequently encounter fake news on both social and traditional media. 

Why should we care about fake news? Fake news can lead to big consequences to a community and an individual’s personal life.

First, Decision-making. If people are presented with false information that claim to be facts, they are led to have beliefs that aren't aligned with the truth. Which could lead to people making decisions and actions  based on false information. Leading them to possible danger.

Second, Credibility. When a person encounters fake news and believes it to be true, they tend to share and spread it without a second thought. This destroys the persons’ credibility and makes people lose trust in them.

Lastly, Economic Decline. According to the University of Baltimore and CHEQ, the global economy loses USD 78 billion each year from fake news circulating in the financial, public health, and business sectors, and politics. Public health misinformation has cost the US alone USD 9 billion due to false information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.

If fake news can cause these big effects, how can we avoid it? The answer is to be analytical, don't take breaking news as fact, and question the contents that provoke strong emotions.

Truthseeker aims to combat the effects of fake news by providing quick fact-checks and tools for people to use. Recognizing the big effects of little lies, and how they spread, TruthSeeker helps you spy with your little eyes to spot and stop these.

Reviewed by: Ms. Ma. Isabel Fortuno

References:

Superable, R. (2025, March 12). Fake news seen as a serious issue by majority of Filipinos—Survey. Manila Standard. https://manilastandard.net/news/elections-2025/314567713/fake-news-seen-as-a-serious-issue-by-majority-of-filipinos-survey.html