PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has urged journalists to check and verify information before they were disseminated to the public, warning that the rise of artificial intelligence, synthetic content and digital manipulation had added to the challenges facing journalists.
Speaking at the opening of the 8th Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu yesterday, he said headlines could reach thousands of people before facts were properly checked and verified.
False claims, he added, could spread before accurate information reached the public.
“This is why professional standards matter more than ever,” he said.
He said his call for caution was not a call for journalists to remain silent.
“This is not a call for silence. It is a call for responsible journalism.”
He called for greater caution, especially, when reporting issues that could inflame social tensions or contribute to conflict, particularly as information spreads rapidly online.
“Information can travel across the world in seconds or in fractions of a second,” he said.
He said digital innovation should strengthen public understanding and regional co-operation rather than become a tool for misinformation, disinformation or sensationalism that divided communities.
Mr Rabuka also called for greater media literacy, saying citizens needed to question what they saw and heard, while journalists needed to verify information.
He said newsrooms also needed to adapt to emerging technologies while maintaining professional standards.
“Freedom also comes with responsibility.”
He said a free, independent and professional media remained important to a healthy democracy.
