NewsBrands Ireland has called for greater Government support for the professional journalism industry.

The call was made as part of the global ‘Choose Truth’ campaign to mark World News Day, which falls on 28 September.

This week, more than 100 countries, hundreds of news organisations, media associations and individuals have joined forces to highlight the importance of fact-based journalism.

Speaking about the campaign, chair of NewsBrands Ireland Sammi Bourke said that in a world flooded with misinformation, the duty of journalists to deliver accurate, trustworthy and independent news is more essential than ever.

“Recent events, like the Dublin riots, have demonstrated how harmful fake news can incite violence and chaos. As misleading AI-generated images and toxic misinformation circulated on social media, our journalists were on the ground, committed to reporting the truth,” she said.

Accuracy

“All journalists working for our member publishers are committed to the Press Council of Ireland’s code of practise. In reporting news and information, we strive at all times for truth and accuracy,” she said.

Bourke, who is the head of operations for the Irish Farmers Journal, said that Newsbrands Ireland members don’t “publish lies or news that stirs up hatred against people on the basis of their race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation”.

“The Government must explore ways to support the news publishing industry, such as ensuring press freedom by swiftly reforming our defamation law and by enacting effective legislation to support publishers in seeking fair payment from search and social media platforms for use of their journalism.

“By doing this, we can ensure that journalism thrives and that our communities remain informed and engaged,” she said.

Newsbrands Ireland is the representative body for Ireland’s leading multi-platform news publishers.

The organisation’s remit is to promote the fundamental role of a free press and the contribution made by its members’ trusted journalism to democracy, to work towards a fair and balanced legislative framework that supports public service journalism and sustainable business models for the news publishing industry and to underline the value of news publishers’ audiences to advertisers.