Journo chief urges war on ‘fake news’

Thepchai Yong, the newly appointed president of the Confederation of Asean Journalists (CAJ), has urged reporters in the region to unite with media professions worldwide to fight “fake news”.

The region has seen a spike in inaccurate news reports recently, Mr Thepchai said during his speech at conference in Bangkok yesterday.

The media veteran stressed that organisations such as the CAJ will act as a catalyst to help journalists in Asean deal with such erroneous reports.

The CAJ typically focuses on promoting media freedom and fostering networks for journalists in Asean but its members have been alarmed lately by an upsurge in fake news reports and false reporting on regional issues.

As the group’s new president, Mr Thepchai said he plans to launch a campaign to encourage journalists to share information for more accurate news and references.

“We need a mechanism that will allow the network of Asean journalists to quickly exchange information or ideas on how to deal with certain issues that threaten the unity of the organisation,” said Mr Thepchai.

The CAJ will launch a forum this year to address the issue of fake news.

The gathering will focus on helping journalists in the region to share their knowledge and experience and form a network to thwart inaccurate reports.

Another strategy is including other stakeholders, especially consumers of the news, media activists and the general public as the part of the alliance.

“The CAJ intends to draw other stakeholders into media activity,” Mr Thepchai said.

“They should have a role in monitoring the media and stimulating them to do things that they think the media should do, and should not do,” he added.

He said he hopes to see CAJ members working more closely together to raise the standard of journalism in Asean.

While professional media now compete with citizen journalists, bloggers and other rivals, the media in Asean still ranks as a core pillar of society, said Ministry of Industry Uttama Savanayana.

“The media still has a powerful and active role that can contribute to Asean connectivity, especially people-to-people connectivity,” Mr Uttama said.

Founded in 1975, the CAJ celebrates its 42nd anniversary this year.

The CAJ has played a significant role in forging media cooperation in the region.

In the process, it has helped to create a better understanding among people through information sharing, personnel exchanges and regular dialogue.

The 19th General Assembly of the CAJ, hosted by the Confederation of Thai Journalists, wraps up its five-day run tomorrow.

Attending the forum are journalist associations from Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Myanmar and China sent representatives to observe the proceedings.

They have gathered to discuss issues of common concern at both the bilateral and multilateral level.

The biennial conference also aims to highlight the role of Thai media in the region.