The Division of Humanities welcomes students enrolled in COMM 10 (Critical Perspectives in Communication) to BOOGSH! BAWAL ANG SHIMINET: A SYMPOSIUM ON DIGITAL LITERACY on November 13.
This two-speaker event will feature a remote talk by Michelle Gay Nidoy, followed by an in-person film screening and artist talk by Michael Lacanilao. Topics such as the impact of digital media on truth, the role of storytelling in shaping perceptions, disinformation tactics, platform responsibility and governance, and how to carve out a career as an artist in the era of AI will be covered.
An Open Forum will conclude the session, allowing participants to engage directly with the speakers, ask questions, and share their thoughts on the talks’ relevance to contemporary issues such as disinformation and media literacy.
Michelle Gay Nidoy, obtained the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Digital Communication Leadership (DCLead) from the Faculty of Social Sciences of Paris London University of Salzburg, Austria and the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School of Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium. She was a lecturer at UP Tacloban during AY 2023-2024. Her thesis, “Emerging Political Actors: A socio-technical examination of coordination among YouTube content creators engaging in political campaigning” explores the role of YouTube content creators in political campaigning, focusing on the disinformation strategies used in the 2022 Philippines presidential election, specifically by Marcos Jr.-aligned creators. Using the Disinformation ABC Framework, it analyzes how creators act as “brand influencers” to control narratives, rebrand Marcos, and attack opponents, creating an alternative information source. The findings underscore the need for platform governance to counter disinformation as political campaigns increasingly leverage YouTube’s reach, especially in the lead-up to global elections in 2024.
Filmmaker Michael Lacanilao, will share insights from his experience creating this thought-provoking film, A Brief History of the Escherian Stairwell (2024), which explores the fascinating story behind a 2012 student project that eerily anticipated the age of disinformation. The film chronicles the creation and viral spread of the fictional Escherian Stairwell—a non-existent architectural marvel that captivated millions, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Themes examined in this work include the nature of belief, knowledge, and the complexities of discerning truth from falsity in our increasingly digital world. Lacanilao, lauded for his unique ability to weave together narrative and documentary elements, will discuss the broader implications of the Escherian Stairwell project, reflecting on how easily false information can be accepted as truth when presented convincingly. Lacanilao holds degrees in Philosophy and Film, with feature-length editing credits including Hinabing Pakpak (2018) and 12 Weeks (2022). Recently, he consulted on Tuhon for the 2024 Montañosa Film Festival, directed two documentaries, and is developing his feature Future X Future, which was included in the 2023 Cinemalaya Film Lab.
