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The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr António Guterres, has urged all governments around the world to do everything in their power to support a free, independent and diverse media.
According to him, that was the only guaranteed way of combating misinformation and disinformation in an era that inaccuracies and falsehood in the media space was rife.
In a message on World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), commemorated yesterday, the secretary-general underscored the importance of reliable, verified and accessible information, emphasising that: “Free and independent journalism is our greatest ally in combatting misinformation and disinformation.’’
He said as had been seen during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, it was the journalists who had helped the world navigate through the overwhelming plethora of information and helped deal with false, dangerous information.