By: Kelly Camille G. Alair
The Crusader Publication will commence SIBYA 2023: The 11th Northern Mindanao Student Communicators Congress on June 10, from 1 PM to 6 PM, at SM CDO Downtown Premier Mega Screen Cinema.
SIBYA is an annual student-run, non-profit communication congress established in 2012, where various audiences throughout Northern Mindanao are invited through direct invitations and independent promotions. The congress primarily aims to increase interest in journalism and communication, provide a venue for intellectual discourse, and present communication trends and relevant issues. Now in its 11th year, SIBYA 2023 will accommodate on-site and online participants from different schools, organizations, and publications in the region.
With the theme “Truth Withstanding: Media Integrity in the New Age," this year’s edition seeks to promote the relevance of journalistic commitment as media progresses in the new age of information. It will delve into the pressing issues of the information age: the misuse of online interfaces, disinformation, lack of information security, and the challenge of authenticity against the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As such, it will propose different strategies for strengthening media integrity in today’s time.
Over the past decade, SIBYA has invited many prominent speakers to share their knowledge on varying themes of the congress. This year, it will feature three speakers whose expertise highlights the sociopolitical function of art in the digital world: namely, INQUIRER.net writer and designer Samuel Yap, visual satirist “Cartoonist ZACH,” and Vox art director and filmmaker Joey Sendaydiego.
Aside from a series of discussions, commentaries, and an open forum, SIBYA is hosting photography and essay-writing competitions among the participants and will award the winners during the event proper.
SIBYA 2023 will also be live-streamed via Zoom for virtual participants. #SIBYA11
