Media Freedom Day

The United Nations said from supposed ‘treatments’ that don’t actually work to denying the existing of the virus at all, this misinformation has consistently stood in the way of an effective pandemic response.

It continues to cost lives as people delay seeking medical care for symptoms they believe are ‘just the flu’.

“As we see a path out of the worst of the pandemic, the importance of accurate and trusted news media has never seemed more important,” stated the agency, in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd).

The 25th celebration was held at the University of Papua New Guinea, by the Creative Arts and Journalism and Public Relations strands of the Melanesian Institute of Arts and Communication, to recognise the work of the media.

Indeed today is the day to recognise the work of journalists around the world, members of the press including their Editors, Public Relations practitioners as well as journalism students gathered in Port Moresby today to celebrate the occasion.

This was what the Divine Word University Media Freedom Day keynote speaker and TVWan senior reporter, Meredith Kuusa, said during celebrations at DWU Madang Campus’ SVD Memorial Auditorium.

She acknowledged the event’s theme ‘Media’s role in digital era’, and said news organisations in the country were faced with the challenges of providing factual information ‘instantaneously’.

This was the statement from a lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea during a celebration of the international media freedom day yesterday.

“Journalists in the country do not often face these kinds of situations,” stated Jimmy Veneo, a journalism lecturer.

“That’s probably why it [media day] is not celebrated too much in PNG.

“Information suppression is also a way of abusing information,” added Veneo.

Veneo further reminded students about the importance of properly disseminating information as failure to do so would result in information suppression.

It is unfortunate that these events take place on the week the media fraternity including UPNG journalism students join the rest of the world to commemorate Media Freedom celebrations, commencing Tuesday,  May 3, 2016.

“Media freedom is the people’s right to free speech in any democratic State. If the educated few in a country like PNG feel that we’re not serving them well, they can defend their right to free speech,” Wafiwa said in a statement.