‘Mole people’: A viral photo, media ethics, and the cost of visibility

In late May, a photo of a woman emerging from a canal in Makati went viral. It sparked headlines, memes, and a government response, but behind the “mole people” narrative was a deeper, more human story.

In this episode, we catch up with “William Roberts,” the anonymous photographer behind the viral post, to reflect on what happened. We talk about media responsibility, unintended consequences, and ethical storytelling in the age of Reddit and citizen journalism.

If you want to follow William’s work, you can find him on Instagram.

This episode is produced by Kate Berbano and engineered by Anthony Tobias. Jaemark Tordecilla is our editor-at-large.

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