Regional Campaign “Truth Matters” Raises Awareness of the Dangers of Disinformation and Hate Speech
Truth plays a key role in preserving democracy and social integrity, and the regional campaign “Truth Matters” is vital in informing citizens across Southeast Europe and Turkey about the dangers posed by disinformation and hate speech, both online and offline.
The campaign, implemented by the Press and Online Media Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with six regional press councils, will be launched today, May 3rd, in observance of World Press Freedom Day. It is part of the project “Building Trust in Media in Southeast Europe: Support to Journalism as a Public Good”, which includes countries from the Western Balkans and Turkey and is supported by the EU and UNESCO. The project aims to promote freedom of expression in the region.
As part of the campaign, two videos were produced to inform citizens about how they can respond if they or someone they know becomes a victim of hate speech or disinformation. The videos also highlight the importance of professional and ethical journalism for every democratic society, especially in communities facing widespread media abuse. In this context, the role of media self-regulation and the press councils’ work in combatting disinformation and hate speech is especially emphasized.
Alarming statistics show that false news spreads six times faster than the truth, and 73% of people are more likely to believe rumors than official information—a wake-up call for urgent action.
That’s why our campaign places special focus on the “truth defenders”—journalists who uphold the principles of the ethical code, striving for integrity, professionalism, and accountability in journalism.
We call on citizens to take an active role in fighting disinformation and hate speech and to reach out to the Press and Online Media Council in BiH if they believe that they or someone else is a victim of unethical reporting in the media, via email: info@vzs.ba
PRIME Communications is not part of the consortium implementing the campaign, but is distributing this announcement as part of its social responsibility strategy, aimed at strengthening media, scientific, and health literacy, and supporting ethical journalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
