Truth plays a crucial role in preserving democracy and social integrity, and the regional campaign “Truth Matters” is of vital importance in informing citizens of South East Europe and Turkey about the dangers posed by disinformation and hate speech—both online and offline.
The regional campaign, implemented by the Press and Online Media Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina together with six regional press councils, is being promoted today, May 3, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. It is part of the project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe: Support to Journalism as a Public Good”, which covers the Western Balkans and Turkey and is supported by the EU and UNESCO. The project aims to promote freedom of expression across the region.
As part of the campaign, two videos have been produced to inform citizens about how they can act if they or someone they know becomes a victim of hate speech or disinformation. The videos also promote the importance of professional and ethical journalism for every democratic society, especially in communities facing widespread media misuse. In this context, the campaign particularly emphasizes the role of media self-regulation and the work of press councils in combating disinformation and hate speech.
Data showing that fake news reaches citizens six times faster than truthful information, and that 73 percent of people are more likely to trust rumours than official information, are alarming and call for urgent action.
That is why our campaign highlights “truth defenders”, journalists who consistently follow the principles of the ethical code, striving for integrity, professionalism, and accountability in journalism.
We call on citizens to be active in the fight against disinformation and hate speech, and to contact the Press and Online Media Council in BiH if they believe or recognize that they or someone else have been victims of unethical media reporting, via the email address [email protected].