In the lead up to World Media Freedom day on the 3rd of May, the United Nations (UN) has called for the press to combat misinformation on COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine in Papua New Guinea.
In a statement, UN Papua New Guinea said right now, people all over the world are united by a common choice – whether they will take the COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to them.
They are making this decision based on the information available to them – What they hear or read in the media, and the experiences of those around them.
The latter can be the most influential of all.
According to the UN, it is critical in the making of an informed decision for the health and wellbeing of communities; that people in PNG rely on accurate information on the vaccine.
“Right now, an individual in Papua New Guinea is more likely to be hospitalized due to complications from CIVID-9, than the side effects of the vaccine. Accurate information must also highlight that the vaccine is, and probably always will be, voluntary,” says the UN.
The UN highlighted that there is a need for a media literate population who can access the information being given to them and be critical of information coming from biased, unevidenced sources.
Strengthening media, and information literacy among readers, listeners or viewers bolsters independent journalism, and empowers audiences to make informed decisions.