Luanda - The Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Media (MINTTICS) on Tuesday, in Luanda Province, held a conference on the United Nations global principles for the integrity of information.
During the event, which brought together the Angolan Journalists Association (SJA), representatives of Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Angola and the content administrator of Angolan Public Television (TPA), focuses on analyzing a set of guidelines to combat misinformation and hate speech, as well as promoting a more trustworthy and transparent information environment.
In the event the general secretary of the SJA, Pedro Miguel, spoke about the ethical implications of fake news, with the technological revolution in the field of information technology, the emergence of social networks, the improvement in the quality of life of its members which was expected from the users, as they served to shorten distances between entities, improve the quality of information and bring services closer together.
To him, journalism must be exercised in the context of freedom, under penalty of undermining the required functions, in the same way, the United Nations considers that when professional standards are not rigorously controlled (Truth, equidistance, plurality, freedom, justice, impartiality) the media can undermine the integrity of information.
In the same regard, he noted that the United Nations recognized that independent, free and plural media outlets play a fundamental role in informing matters of public interest, in promoting citizenship and the responsibility of those in power positions.
In turn, the UNAIDS representative in Angola, Hege Wagan, stressed that the Great challenge at region level is related to the access to data and recent evidence as some of the data used today is from 2015.
In this sense, he mentioned that the UN is supporting the Angolan Government, in order to see the current situation resolved.
The TPA Content Administrator, Neto Júnior, stated that there is a need for trust in the communication process between professionals and information sources.
He also defended the promotion of digital literacy, as there is increasing literacy in society, as well as the inclusion of vulnerable groups left behind by stigma, adding that the media have a leading role in safeguarding the global principles of the UN.
In turn, at the end of the event, the National Director of Information and Institutional Communication of MINTTICS, João Demba, said that the global principles of the United Nations are guidelines for those who work in media, with responsible information that pacifies being essential.
ANM/SEC/MRA/jmc
