Charles Teves
A news story about a student claiming to have received international scholarships worth approximately P106 million gained popularity after the national media publicized it without independent verification.
However, doubts about the story’s authenticity emerged amidst a social media frenzy. This prompted various media organizations, such as ABS-CBN Online, to remove their articles.
Julian Martir, supposedly the son of a tricycle driver, stated that he had been granted scholarships from 30 renowned colleges and universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, amounting to $1.9 million.
This caught the media’s attention and was reported. On May 19, Julian Martir appeared on TV5 for an interview.
During the interview, Julian appeared uncertain while responding to questions regarding his chosen field of study. This amplified the uncertainty surrounding his scholarship claims. As a result, skepticism regarding the legitimacy of the scholarships increased.
Additionally, in another interview with DZRH, the principal of Negros Occidental High School (NOHS) declined to verify Julian’s claims, further fueling doubts about the authenticity of the scholarships.
Principal Donna Bella Atosaga stated that NOHS had not verified Julian’s purported scholarships. Although Julian was not named valedictorian, he earned academic recognition, as confirmed by the school’s principal.
Despite growing skepticism, Martir persists in his claims and alleges that cyberbullying victimized him. Furthermore, he asserts that the evidence he provided, including PDF copies of acceptance letters from the colleges he applied to, is not false but authentic.
Julian claimed to have received acceptance letters from several colleges and universities, including Ohio Wesleyan University, Clarkson University, Hofstra University, Marquette University, Alfred University, Xavier University, Duquesne University, DePaul University, Regis University, Simmons University, Woodbury University, The University of Texas at Arlington, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Webster University, Ball State University, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Connecticut, The George Washington University, Fordham University, Kent State University, Michigan Technological University, The University of Arizona, The University of New Hampshire, Drexel University, Johnson and Wales University, University of Massachusetts Boston, Stony Brook University, the University of Colorado Boulder, Clemson University, Richmond, and The American International University in London.
Netizens slammed news outlets for relying on viral social media posts instead of researching.
This kind of reportage has flourished, because admit it or not, most news outlets have started to outsource their news from trending in social media. Nothing wrong about that, but the art of hands-on journalism is slowly dying in exchange of instant and short-term news content. https://t.co/YoLqRK5NkR
— Gerald de Belen (@GeraldDeBelen) May 19, 2023
Clickbait. Pero news agencies using it is wroong. Makes fake news more rampant https://t.co/agZqEh8NoX
— Guiseppe (@djchat0) May 20, 2023
Journalism is dying. No more integrity, no more research. https://t.co/H4U5vE0qnY
— Yy (@mostlyrantsph) May 19, 2023
A friendly reminder that journalism ethics must be upheld. What you see on the Internet may not always be true, what you see may not be what it is once uprooted.
(emphasis on "may or may not") https://t.co/9t6Koba8Id
— omgge #CommutersNaman (@longcakeHigad) May 19, 2023
News outlets have been very lazy these days. Puro na lang about showbiz posts scouted from social media. 🤮 https://t.co/LM5kXdIvrk
— ჯეფერსონი (@jeffscribbles) May 19, 2023
Totoo na outsourced ang mga balita mostly sa trending stories on social media… but we have to remember that media is business and trends attract readers.
I believe follow-up news story ito kaya wala pang closure kung hoax ba o hindi. Hindi rin naman sa hindi ito finact-check— https://t.co/sfcOHAA3OX
— cres 🧸 (@sarcresm) May 19, 2023
8-list.com attempted to confirm Julian Martir’s scholarship claims with the universities but failed due to privacy policies. However, Alfred University in New York confirmed that Martir qualified for the upcoming academic year.
Martir also confirmed some scholarships in a recent interview.
@news5everywhere Kasunod ng mga pambabatikos na natatanggap niya kaugnay sa isyu na peke umano ang kanyang mga natanggap na scholarship, nagsalita sa https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/news5 si #JulianMartir para bigyang-linaw ang kanyang panig. Iginiit niyang totoong nakapasa siya sa scholarship application ng ilang unibersidad abroad. May mensahe rin siya sa mga nambu-bully at namba-bash sa kanya. #News5 #NewsPH #SocialNewsPH
The controversy surrounding Julian Martir’s claims has sparked intense discussions on social media. Many users expressed doubts and urged further investigation into the matter.
The incident has also brought attention to the importance of fact-checking by media outlets and the need for public trust in their reporting accuracy.
Critics have raised concerns about media organizations amplifying Martir’s claims without independently verifying them. They argue that increased caution should have been taken. The truth about his story remains unknown. It’s up to media outlets to address these concerns and restore public confidence in their reporting accuracy.
