MP George Loukaidis pointed out that the intense social polarization on the issue of mass vaccination arose due to the lack of trust of citizens in the handling of governments and the questioning of the findings of the scientific community. In his intervention on Tuesday, Loucaides also said that there had been a significant increase in hate speech, targeting and stigmatisation of specific and marginalised social groups, which he said posed serious risks to democratic societies.
As announced by the Parliament, Mr.Loucaides made the remark in the context of the work of the Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the debate on the importance of the role of the mass media in times of crisis.
Noting the important role that the media should play in providing timely and reliable information, especially in times of crisis, Mr. Loucaides referred in particular to social media as an important tool for the public debate on the COVID-19 pandemic and the management of the health crisis by Governments.
He noted that as a consequence of the pandemic crisis, there has been an upsurge in false and misleading news, which causes confusion and undermines citizens' trust in scientific institutions and the medical community.
Mr. Loucaides noted the need for a substantial contribution of conventional and online media to the democratization of knowledge and the obligation to effectively address the rise of misinformation and the spread of false news and conspiracy theories.
After stating that it is imperative to practice responsible journalism and reproduce reliable information so that the public is able to make sound decisions, he stressed the importance of closer cooperation between public authorities, the media and academia in order to foster a climate of trust in institutions and an environment of healthy dialogue, inclusion, mutual respect and tolerance of different views, transparency and informed decisions.
Source: CNA
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