Bloggers, ‘influencers’ with more than 5k followers eligible to cover Duterte

Bloggers and other social media “influencers” who have more than 5,000 followers will be eligible for official press passes to cover Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, his aides said Thursday.
The announcement caused a stir with some journalists in traditional media, amid a debate in which pro-Duterte bloggers have been accused of spreading “fake news” particularly in relation to the president’s drug war that has claimed thousands of lives.
The government said giving bloggers presidential press accreditations reflected the new media landscape in which social media personalities were competing with traditional institutions such as newspapers.
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“We have to recognize new media and their influence,” assistant presidential press secretary Kris Ablan told reporters.
He said Margaux “Mocha” Uson, an influential blogger liked by more than five million people on Facebook who heads Duterte’s social media office, would oversee the accreditation process.