The 51st Conference of the Executive Council of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) kicked off this morning, hosted by the Anadolu News Agency at its headquarters in Istanbul, headed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, OANA President and IRNA Managing Director, Ali Naderi, and in the presence of member state news agencies. In two sessions, the conference discussed areas of cooperation in combating media misinformation and the Union’s role in the era of false and misleading information and news. In his opening speech, OANA President and IRNA Managing Director, Ali Naderi, said: “Communication Director of the Republic of Turkiye, Doctor Fahrettin Altun President and CEO of Anadolu Ajansi, Mr. Serdar Karagoz, Members of OANA Executive Board and Technical Committee, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Technology in modern world, helps us distribute information so fast to a large audience. A news agency can spread news online, through social networks, modern platforms, as well as traditional media. This is the bright side of modern communication. The dark side is that false information is also distributed as fast and easy. And when false information is circulated “on purpose” to deceive a group of audience, it is called disinformation. Disinformation may target a group of people, the decision-makers, peoples of a region or the whole world. In any case, it is harmful and media organizations are expected to protect people from the harm. In recent weeks, there has been a sad and criminal war against surrounded people in a strip called Gaza and disinformation has been a major player in that war. False news even provoked reaction among some heads of governments and some of them finally corrected their previous statements. False news like beheading 40 Israeli children, attacking a music concern in Israel, denial of Israel’s involvement in attacking a hospital in Gaza and victimizing hundreds of hospitalized people. As you see, some politicians and warmongers are counting on disinformation while also taking advantage of artificial intelligence. In most cases, news agencies can find common grounds for cooperation against false news. And nations will enjoy the benefits of such cooperation. To name a few number of cases when false information turns into a serious problem and cooperation benefits the most, I can say”pandemics, natural disasters, migration, global economic crises, regional development, issues relating to peace and co-existence…” And the list is much longer. One other example is when a group of media try to make a distorted image of a country. So, they selectively publish or highlight negative news about that country. As a result, the audience do not get a reliable comprehensive understanding of the situation. In these cases, professional news agencies can cooperate to avoid misunderstanding among the people and miscalculation among the elite. In this OANA event in Istanbul, we want to investigate and highlight the role of news agencies in fighting false information. We also want to explore ways of cooperation among news agencies in this regard. Of course, technical and executive board meetings will also be held to regulate and monitor daily activities of OANA. I appreciate Anadolu Ajansi for hosting the 51st Executive Board Meeting and its sideline events. And I hope we can come up with creative ideas and make useful collaborative decisions in the coming days.” In his delivered speech, Anadolu’s President and CEO, Serdar Karagoz, said: “Communications Director of Trkiye, His Excellency Mr. Fahrettin Altun, Honorable President of OANA, Distinguished OANA Executive Board and Committee Members, I would like to welcome you all at 51st (fifty-first) OANA Executive Board Meeting and Conference hosted by Anadolu. It is truly delightful for us to host you in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Istanbul. We hope that during your four days here, you will enjoy Istanbul’s vibrant culture, historical heritage, and its unique cuisine. This week holds a special significance for both Anadolu and our country at the same time. On October 29th (twenty-ninth), we will celebrate the 100th(one hundredth) anniversary of the Republic of Trkiye. This year, when determining the date of the OANA Board Meeting, we wanted to host representatives from the world’s leading news agencies during such a significant week. Anadolu was established 103 years ago during the Turkish War of Independence to convey the struggle against the occupying forces in Anatolia to the world. Today, with publications in 13 languages, a team of 1800 employees, and offices in 39 countries, Anadolu is one of the news agencies that set the agenda for both the region and the world. We produce 2.1 million contents annually with our news, photos, videos, and infographics. Distinguished Guests, Since its establishment in 1961, OANA has been a highly effective news agency alliance with 44 members from 35 countries. When determining this year’s OANA conference theme, wefocused on disinformation and the strategies to combat it. According to a study conducted by the University of Oxfordin 37 countries in 2018, Trkiye has the highest exposure to disinformation with 49 percent. We also observe that Asia-Pacific countries are also heavily exposed to disinformation. Because of this reason, ‘Cooperation Among News Agencies on Fighting Disinformation’ is selected as this year’s conference theme. As Anadolu, we have launched Factchecking Line in 2022 to combat disinformation. Factchecking Line focuses on controversial content in digital media and provides the public with verified and accurate information. Trkiye’s Directorate of Communications and Communications Director Mr. Fahrettin Altun plays a pioneering role in the fight against disinformation in Trkiyewith the Center for Combating Disinformation (CCD). I believe that Mr. Fahrettin Altun will provide further details of this initiative in his speech. Dear Guests, In recent days, the Israel-Palestine conflict has increasedagain. We are also sorry that our participant from Lebanon, Rana Shehabedine (Sihabeddin) of NNA, couldn’t be with us due to flight cancellation caused by the war. The bombing attacks carried out on hospitals, mosques, and churches by Israel Military Forces (IDF) have resulted in the loss of thousands of civilian lives. Targeting civilians is unacceptable, no matter who carries it out. As Anadolu, we condemn the targeting of civilians, which constitutes a violation of human rights and international law. As well as civilians, the ongoing conflict caused a challenging process for us, journalists, as well. Unfortunately, so far 18 journalists lost their lives and many other journalists were injured. The house of Anadolu reporter Ali Jadallah in Gaza was bombed by Israel, resulting in the loss of several family members’ lives. In light of all these developments and the inability of the authorities to ensure the safety of journalists working in the region, I have sent a letter to all agency alliances, including OANA. The European News Agencies Union (EANA), Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN), and OANA issued a call for ensuring the safety of journalists reporting from crisis regions. I would like to remind that we all should be committed to fight for the safety and security of all journalists in all circumstances. Dear Friends, On behalf of Anadolu, I would like to extend a warm welcome you to Istanbul and our new headquarter for international operations. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the esteemed President of OANA as well as to my colleagues who have contributed to this event. I also extend my thanks to Communications Director, Mr. Fahrettin Altun, for joining us today. I hope that the panels scheduled for today go well.”
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon