The Spanish-American War, which resulted in U.S. colonial relationships with Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines via annexation, is referred to as the “first media war” in some quarters and was also a watershed moment in the history of mis- and disinformation.

Epitomizing what came to be known as “yellow journalism,” the sensationalist reporting of U.S. newspapers owned by rival publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst rose to a fever pitch as their respective outlets fought for market share and oftentimes played fast and loose with the facts on the ground in their coverage of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain.

Today, hundreds of members of Malaya Movement USA echo the Filipino people’s desire for true sovereignty for the Philippines. The beginning of this year’s U.S.-Philippines Balikatan Exercise is our reminder that the Philippines is not our own but a token the Marcos administration is more than happy to pawn.