INFORMATION gaps between Government and the media can distort the public narrative, leading to misinformation and disinformation, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica has warned.
Speaking during the 8th Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu, he said Government had a responsibility to ensure journalists were fully informed, stressing that the responsibility for accurate information was not a one-way street.
“If we don’t provide the right information, clearly people make up their own minds and then the narrative gets distorted,” he said.
Mr Kamikamica said while the media had a responsibility to report accurately and responsibly, Government was also a stakeholder in the supply of information and had to play its part.
“Us as a stakeholder in the supply of information, we must play our part as well and ensure that the media is fully informed.”
He said this was particularly important amid growing concerns over misinformation and disinformation, with technology and artificial intelligence creating new challenges for both governments and the media.
Mr Kamikamica said Fiji had begun addressing the issue through its SAUTU framework, while Government was also developing a digital strategy.
He said issues being considered included misinformation and disinformation, online safety, pornography and young people’s access to social media.
However, Mr Kamikamica stressed that Government did not want to over-regulate the media and believed the industry should have space to manage its own affairs.
He said a healthy relationship between Government and the media required trust, empowerment and engagement.
Mr Kamikamica said the media’s role in holding those in power to account remained important, but Government also had to ensure journalists had access to the information needed to properly inform the public.
