Actors Elijah Canlas and Ralph De Leon became a trending topic online following their heated debate on whether influencers should be held to the same standards as journalists, amid growing concerns over misinformation and Filipinos’ increasing reliance on social media for news and information.

During the pilot episode of the renewed youth-oriented show “YSpeak 2.0,” the debate centered on the topic: “Influencers should be held accountable to the same standards as journalists.”

Canlas argued in favor of the proposition, saying influencers who spread misinformation and fake news unfairly undermine journalism and its practices, especially among young audiences and people in remote areas who rely heavily on social media for information.

“Aminin na natin, maraming naaabuso ang influence na meron sila. They’re spreading misinformation, fake news, even revising history… primary source ng karamihan ng mga tao ngayon ay social media influencers,” Canlas said.

“Mas malaki pa reach [ng mga influencers] kaysa mga journalist, so hindi ba dapat i-hold accountable sila to the same standards? Dapat din ba silang mag-aral the same way na nag-aaral ang mga journalist?” he added.

De Leon, meanwhile, argued against holding influencers to the same standards as journalists, emphasizing that parents should guide children toward credible news sources and responsible media consumption.

“They should be able to tell who is credible, who they should be watching out for, and that’s why there are standards for journalists,” De Leon said.

“Kung kukuha ng impormasyon sa ibang tao, dapat sa news, dapat sa journalist, dapat sa taong nag-aral sa code of ethics nila, sa kung ano ang dapat na ilabas para magbigay ng facts sa publiko,” he added.

Social media users later reacted online following the release of the press freedom-themed episode, sharing differing opinions on the arguments presented by the two actors.