Jeddah (UNA) – On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3rd of each year, the Director General of the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (UNA), Professor Mohammed bin Abdulrab Al-Yami, stressed the need to ensure a reliable media environment that contributes to reducing violence and hatred, and to countering misleading rumors by enlightening public opinion.
Al-Yami called for the protection of journalists in accordance with the principles of relevant international conventions and human rights, facilitating the performance of their duties, and appreciating their roles, which reach the point of sacrificing their lives in order to convey facts and information from reliable sources, in light of the growth of social media, digital platforms, and the multiplicity of artificial intelligence applications, which makes media misinformation and the falsification of content and facts in the media space easier.
The Director General of UNA drew attention to the sacrifices of Palestinian journalists, despite their direct targeting by the occupation forces with the aim of preventing them from exposing ongoing violations, through arrest and assassination while performing their professional mission.
It is worth noting that World Press Freedom Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, at the initiative of UNESCO, in appreciation and recognition of the role played by journalists.
(is over)
