Interrogating the scientific and ethical rigor of “kalye” surveys
Article

As our contribution to Plaridel’s 20th anniversary, our paper focuses on the UP College of Mass Communication’s media and information literacy agenda, specifically highlighting the literacy required when engaging with surveys as social media content. In particular, our attention has been drawn to election-related kalye surveys that surfaced as popular local YouTube content eight months prior to the conduct of the May 2022 Philippine general elections. Kalye surveys (from the Filipino word “kalye”, or street) refer to person-on-the-street interviews about respondents’ electoral preferences while being filmed for live streaming or eventual uploading.

Grounding our analytical framework on the principles of valid, reliable, and ethical social science research, our analysis of 49 videos uncovered how YouTube content creators have exploited the scientific practice of survey research for partisan purposes by disregarding scientific and ethical rigor as they claimed to present themselves with authenticity. We conclude with a call for vigilance against movements that exploit scientific practices in forwarding partisan agenda, noting that kalye surveys are a part of the growing ecosystem of political information disorder in the Philippines.

Volume 21 Issue 02 · December 2024 · Reflections and Reflexivities · Main Article

Electoral Disinformation: Looking Through the Lens of Tsek.ph Fact Checks
Article

Elections are fertile ground for disinformation. The 2019 midterm elections, like the 2016 presidential election, buttress this observation. This ugly side of electoral contests is documented by Tsek.ph, a pioneering collaborative fact-checking initiative launched by three universities and eleven newsrooms specifically for the midterms. Its repository of fact checks provides valuable insights into the nature of electoral disinformation before, during and after the elections. Clearly, electoral disinformation emanates from candidates and supporters alike, on conventional (e.g., speeches and sorties) and digital (e.g., social media) platforms. Its wide range of victims includes the media no less.

Volume 17 Issue 01 · June 2020 · Duterte and Disinformation · Feature

The Making of the Philippine President: A Textual Analysis of Mythical Archetypes in the TV News Reports of the 2010 Presidential Elections
Article

Journalists will dispute that they work with myths or archetypes in writing and producing the news yet there is evidence that these are used to frame stories so that they resonate with readers or viewers. This critical discourse analysis using Richardson’s (2007) framework for newspapers studied 278 candidate reports out of 644 election-related accounts on the 2010 Philippine presidential election in the news programs TV Patrol and 24 Oras from January to May 2010. The analyses identified the character portrayals of the candidates and were then matched with familiar archetype qualities identified by Lule (2001). Archetypes in the media are potentially powerful communication frames that could impact on the political literacy of the electorate, especially in a predominantly commercial broadcast environment where there is hardly airtime for lengthy discussion of public issues.

Volume 12 Issue 01 · February 2015 · Special Issue · Main Article