AFTER almost five years, Media and Beyond, an annual communication conference organized by Beda.Comm, made its comeback last Apr. 20. With the theme, “FutureSpeak: Information Literacy and Innovation in Modern Day Narratives.” the event invited different industry experts in advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism, broadcasting, media production, and the presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in these respective fields

Joel Saporteza, a licensed teacher who co-authored “Understanding Media and Information Literacy in the 21st Century” started the event by giving his opening remarks, saying that the conference was a great opportunity for learners, whether they belong in the Journalism, Multimedia Arts, or Film industry, to personally discover more about literacy and innovation from experienced and industry speakers themselves. 

The first speaker, Paula Ruga, is currently an Art Director at MullenLowe TREYNA. With almost five years in the advertising industry, Ruga shared her thoughts about being a creative and her experience of working alongside AI. "For creatives like me, di pa ako ganun kasaya sa designs. AI makes it easier for me to modify," Ruga stated that AI has been helpful for her when it comes to being specific for her needs. She emphasized that although she uses the help of AI in her designs, it still needs human intervention and touch. 

Raven Esperanza, the second speaker, goes by the description “genz extroverted librarian.” He is the senior associate librarian of Ayala Foundation Inc.. Part of the Filipinas Heritage Library and a media information literature specialist, his specialty lies in information literacy. Esperanza gave a reminder that as digital citizens, literacy isn’t just about knowing how to read and write. However, he also emphasized, "AI is just a tool. Hindi tayo magpapadala sa buhay ng technology. Dapat magpapasama lang tayo sa kanila. Hindi tayo dapat nagpapa-control sa tech, tayo ang nag-ccontrol sa kanila.”

Following this is the introduction of the three speakers: Varge Masanque, Sajid  Guerrero, and Dionie Tañada, who are some of the people behind Leron Leron Sinta, an independent creative shop for the masses. While they discussed relentless creativity, they also stressed their take on AI. "Hindi tayo dapat natatakot sa AI, ang AI ang dapat matakot satin. Dahil tayo ay matapang pagdating sa ideas natin" said Masanque. This was also supported by Guerrero saying, "We use AI as a tool. Our stories could never be presented by AI. Talong talo sila when it comes to human insights. They are still on this shallow level." Concluding their talk, Dionie Tañada emphasized how humans are very relentless.

Cid Santillan, the director of Public Relations at Megaworld Corporation, shared his insights regarding authenticity, saying that authenticity does not always equate to sincerity and that people should always be careful especially when checking reviews online. He also emphasized how important establishing trust is. He concluded his talk by saying, "Authenticity goes beyond mere transparency."

Subsequently, Orlan Codamos, an art director at the DDB Philippines tackled empathetic advertising. Emotions build connections, thus building stronger relationships. Codamos ended the morning session by sharing that. “Empathy is the foundation of an effective campaign.” 

After a short break, the afternoon session was continued by Krissy Achino who is known to be a famous content creator impersonating Filipina celebrity, Kris Aquino. She is also part of Team Payaman, a famous Filipino group of content creators.  Her talk consists of Authenticity, Branding, and Consistency which she believes is an important thing to have when being a content creator. "There's no original content na masyado. We get inspiration from other content, but you have to put a twist to it. May bago dapat," Achino said. 

Following Achino is another member of Team Payaman, Carding Magsino, who creates entertaining and educational content videos. Similar to Achino, Magsino shared the importance of accountability in being an influencer. Magsino ended his talk by saying, “Think before you click. Naniniwala ako lahat tayo may power: power na maka impluwensya ng ibang tao. The way we think and definitely the way we speak."

The next speaker, Matthew Salud, a proud SBCA alumni, is the Assistant Brand Manager and Marketing Communication Head for a famous cosmetic line, Barenbliss Philippines. As an advertising creative, Salud talked more about brand management and marketing communication. Sharing some of his experience, “Sa PR, you will not always get a reply. Just try and try and you can get the best outcome.” Another proud alumni of SBCA is Paolo Barcelon, an excellent journalist in the field of broadcasting. His take on AI is quite simple: “No AI work can substitute hard work." - Barcelon also emphasized, "Always stick to the facts: Kung ano yung narinig mo, yun ang ibalita mo."

Meanwhile, Jaime Morados, the award-winning director of “Agah-Hiw: The Dreamer” which  was mentioned in CNN Philippines’ Best Filipino Films of 2022, shared his thoughts on Media Production. Morados mentioned that while we can be an expert in our field, “I don't think artist should give their one hundred percent they should learn how to spend their time with family," he said. 

Andrei Liwanag, the last speaker for the day, dwelt on the art of Photography. Teaching some technicals about photography, he also shared his take on AI and his field of work. "AI is generated. Ginagawa na lahat through computer. Unti unti na kinakain ng AI yung gantong systema" Liwanag said.