UJFC president Huy Vannak said the Clean Media campaign aims to ensure news is published based on facts, which will be beneficial to building social values. Facebook
The Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia (UJFC) will soon launch a campaign to promote factual and accurate news reporting in the Kingdom.
UJFC president Huy Vannak said the Clean Media campaign aims to ensure news is published based on facts, which will be beneficial to building social values.
He said the campaign will strive to reduce the amount of fake news being produced in the country.
“This campaign will not go against the rights and freedom of expression, and we will show journalists how to avoid reports that slander society,” he said.
Vannak said the campaign will also resolve social issues impeding the progress of Khmer civilisation.
“At the same time, all civil society organisations and the media must not only strengthen their professional independence, but also be independent of foreign ideas, develop local ideals, and be conscious of freedom with accountability and freedom within the spirit of national independence,” he said.
The campaign will educate citizens on how to differentiate between fake and professionally produced news, as well as show them the role of social media in masking fake news as real, he said.
A UJFC press release noted that the Clean Media launch ceremony will be held on March 3 at the Freedom Centre, which is the headquarters of UJFC. It will be open to journalists, students, social media users, artists and the public.
The press release said the campaign focuses on three objectives – reduce and eliminate the dissemination of fake news, hate speech and profane language; contribute to combating corruption while building a clean society for a better future; and push for more publishing of positive content to improve Cambodia’s image in the world.
Ministry of Information spokesman Phos Sovann said fake news circulating in the Kingdom negatively affected society.
Sovann said the biggest scourge is social media users who declare themselves journalists and publishers without being registered with the ministry and then post false information.
“Such news has quite a negative effect, and if our citizens could verify the news when they receive it, there would be no problem, but some are still fooled into thinking that what they are reading is real,” he said.
Sovann said it’s difficult to crack down on those types of reports because they must first be distinguished between users propagating fake news or using their freedom of expression.
He said the ministry is formulating regulations to differentiate between fake news and freedom of expression and will disseminate them to all journalists.
Vannak said the campaign is being organised by the Women’s Committee for the Journalism Sector at UJFC with participation from the ministries of Information; Interior; and Women’s Affairs, and the Anti-Corruption Unit.
