Altun: Strong media can help fight disinformation

Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has said that strong media can help fight the "disease of disinformation".

He made the remarks on Wednesday at a "Local Media Workshop" organised by the Turkish Directorate of Communications and the Anatolian Publishers Association in Ankara.

Representatives from the local and national press attended the workshop.

Altun said that Türkiye's immigration policy is the latest target of "systematic disinformation and social engineering initiatives." 

"As a state and nation, we will never allow attempts to gain political interests with malicious intentions which are against humanitarian and conscientious values," he added.

The Chairman of the Board of the Press Advertisement Institution, Prof Dr Edibe Sozen, said that they are not in favour of the useless distribution of state support to those who broadcast against national security and the interests of the country.

'Verification Editorship'

Deputy Director General and Editor-in-chief at Anadolu Agency Yusuf Ozhan said that the most effective way to deal with disinformation is media literacy.

Anadolu Agency established a "Verification Editorship" to deal with disinformation more effectively, Ozhan also noted.

Anatolian Publishers Association chief Sinan Burhan emphasised that the Anatolian media is national and local and said: "There can be no mandate or pro-coup mindset in the Anatolian media."

"Recently, propaganda about our country is being made on social media channels. Local media is an insurance against them, they make important due diligence, and work against them. The local media in Türkiye is standing firm against such attempts," he added.

READ MORE: Altun: Proper use of communications can fight rise of xenophobia, bigotry