FEBRUARY 12, 2023
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says he supports the freedom of the media as enshrined in the Constitution of Papua New Guinea and will give his full support this year.
He, however, urged the mainstream media to report responsibly and not to dwell on opinion and hearsay as in the social media.
PM Marape said this when launching the popular NASFUND FM100 Talkback Show for 2023 in Port Moresby on Friday (February 10, 2023).
He said never once, since he took office in 2019, had he called editors of media organisations asking for favorable news coverage.
“That is because, deep inside, we know that the foundation of a good society is the freedom of our media to report as they see,” PM Marape said.
“But reporting and dissemination of news in the media comes with a lot of responsibility.”
The Prime Minister urged the media to report on positive developments in the country than focus on negativity “that is based on hearsay, that is based on rumours, that is heavily influenced by the rubbish of politics”.
He said the mainstream media had credibility as “social media is not a platform for 100 per cent correct information”.
“Social media is based on people’s opinions, and there is no accountability, although we (Government) are tightening up in that space,” PM Marape said.
“Social media has run its course, people come back to authority, and those of you in the proper media are the proper authority from which correct information is sourced.
“It is the formal media – proper newspapers, proper radio stations, proper TV stations – that are trying to get correct information out, although, once in a while, we may not have a headline that is good for every one of us.
“Proper media is where accountability is.”
PM Marape stressed the importance of correct information dissemination to the people.
“I just want to encourage the proper media not to lose sight, lose focus. You must be a beacon of correct information to our society,” he said.
“Participate in correct information dissemination to our people; this is a real need in a world of real-time information transactions – where truth and correct information sometimes comes at the back of hearsay.
“This country needs correct information that reaches our people, that encourages our people, that points our people in the right direction.
“If they are asking for answers, provide answers for them; and if you don’t have answers, ask for answers from people that have the answers.
“We look forward to partnering you in the media to ensure our people are better informed, and of course, it is the responsibility of media to hold all of us accountable – especially those of us who have been mandated to work for the people.”
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