‘Dapat Alam Mo’ hosts’ advocacy: ‘Bawal ang’ fake news . . . content is still king

For Kuya Kim Atienza, Patricia Tumulak and Emil Sumangil —hosts of the GTV news magazine show “Dapat Alam Mo!”—the work doesn’t stop at delivering feel-good news features and human interest stories that entertain and aspire.

It’s important, they stressed, that the content is factual, timely and relevant to help curb the proliferation of misinformation online.

“One of the ways to stop fake news is to strengthen our program even further, in its daily airing, in order to make people realize that there’s a program where they can turn to for reliable information,” GMA7 senior reporter and journalism professor Emil Sumangil said in a recent virtual conference for the weeklong anniversary special of “Dapat Alam Mo!,” which began yesterday at 5:35 p.m.

Aside from the good ratings it enjoys on free-to-air television, the show has managed to build a considerable following on social media. One year after its launch, the show’s Facebook account has now amassed more than 600,000 followers with engagement of about 72 million. On TikTok, the show’s page has garnered more than 49 million views.

Converting the energy

But with an increase in following comes critics. How do they deal with them, especially those who have fallen for misinformation?

“There are haters and bashers, too. But the way I handle them is that I give them trivia. I convert the energy. Instead of engaging them, imbes na barahin ko, I give them trivia. You always have to present the true side of the story, but you can always do it in a way that’s engaging, nonconfrontational and not self-righteous,” Kuya Kim said. “Bawal ang fake news—that’s an advocacy. Our delivery is entertaining, but the content is serious and true.”

“My segment is on the lighter side, so we just direct their attention to positive and truthful stories in a fun way,” Patricia said.

Patricia Tumulak

As part of the programs’ anniversary celebration, Kuya Kim, Patricia and Emil will do a special live coverage from South Korea, where they plan to trace the railway route seen in the hit horror-thriller “Train to Busan.” “Our team is researching that route,” Kuya Kim related.

“Aside from Busan, we will also be presenting the show from other spots in Korea, as well, for the fans of K-Pop and K-Drama. We will show Korean food. We will also report about Korean Halloween traditions,” he added.

Conversational Filipino

While the hosts are the faces of the show, content, Kuya Kim stressed, is still king. “The focus isn’t on us, but on the content… It’s not about me or Emil or Patricia,” he said, adding that the show’s success can also be attributed to its use of conversational Filipino—colloquialisms and all. “We use words used by young people, or used on the internet.”

“One lesson I applied in this show I got from ‘Eat Bulaga!’” Emil added. “Joey de Leon once said that the show has lasted for as long as it has because the hosts knew what their places or roles were. You also have to give each other the chance to move forward. And I think that helped me find the sweet spot.”

Emil Sumangil

In terms of experience, Patricia is the baby of the show. But she believes that she can’t ask for a better environment to learn and grow her career in news and public affairs. “I feel like I’m in the right group, so it’s a win-win situation for me. There’s a reason I was put here. I don’t know yet how exactly my career would turn out, I’m where I want to be.”

“I’m so grateful. I can’t believe it has been a year… I grew closer to my cohosts. We’re comfortable with each other. And we can freely discuss different topics, from health to family, financial advice and even constructive criticism on how to improve my hosting skills,” she added. INQ

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