Association of Asia-Pacific News Agencies signs declaration to combat disinformation

By Faruk Hanedar and Tufan Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Members of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) signed a declaration on Monday to combat disinformation.

The Istanbul Declaration was signed at the 51st OANA Conference, which Anadolu hosts. The conference kicked off on Monday at the agency's Istanbul office.

"Disinformation in the digital era is widely disseminated through modern and traditional media. It gives the audience a distorted and misleading picture of the developments," the declaration said, urging news agencies to meet their professional duty to fight disinformation and provide their audience with "comprehensive and balanced information."

Underlining that the OANA encourages regional and international cooperation among news agencies to fight disinformation, it said the organization also encouraged the promotion of media literacy to help people distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of news and to let them know the importance of critical thinking and fact-checking.

Regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, it said they are deeply concerned about it. The organization called for the protection of journalists in that region and urged all institutions and organizations to take the highest measures to ensure the safety of journalists.

During the conference, the members decided to hold two board meetings in 2024, the first in Tokyo in March and the second in Moscow in September.

Also, a cooperation agreement was signed between Anadolu and Emirates News Agency, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam News Agency.

The conflict in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment and a blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 6,500 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 5,087 Palestinians and more than 1,400 Israelis, according to official figures.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar