The Executive Board of the Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) issued a declaration known as the Istanbul declaration on Monday, October 23, in which it points to the situation in the Gaza Strip, voicing concern about the safety of journalists in the besieged enclave amid the Zionist Israeli regime's onslaught.
"OANA is deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza," the declaration read.
It calls for the protection of journalists in that region and urges all institutions and organizations to take the highest measures to ensure the safety of journalists.
At least 18 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, when the Zionist Israeli regime began its aerial camping against the defenseless Strip in retaliation for the successful Hamas-launched operation called Al-Aqsa Storm.
The declaration further reads, "Disinformation in the digital era is widely disseminated through modern and traditional media. It gives the a distorted and and misleading picture of the developments. News agencies are expected to meet their traditional duty to fight disinformation and provide their audience with comprehensive and balanced information."
It also said, "OANA encourages regional and international cooperation among news agencies to fight disinformation."
"OANA encourages the promotion of media literacy to help people distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of news to let them know the importance of critical thinking and fact-checking."
KI