Skopje, 3 May 2019 – In the light of today’s marking of the World Press Freedom Day, which this year is being held under the motto “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”, we wish to remind that only professional and independent media can contribute to the development of society and democracy.
In today’s societies, we witness more and more disinformation both during electoral cycles and beyond, which pose an enormous threat to both media and democracy. Fast, correct and timely information continue to remain the key challenges for the media when informing the public and performing their role as the government’s corrector. This day gives us an opportunity to reaffirm the basic principles of media freedom, assess the level of this freedom, defend media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to the journalists who have lost their lives while performing their professional tasks.
According to the latest report of Reporters without Borders, the status of media freedom in the Republic of North Macedonia has improved, however, there are many challenges ahead of us. The Agency shall continue, just as it has done before, to be proactive in the sphere of promoting professional standards and increasing the awareness of the media about the role and responsibility they have in society and before the citizens.