SKOPJE, September 4 /ATA/ 33rd General Assembly of Association of Balkan and Southeast European News Agencies (ABNA-se) convened in Skopje, organized by the Media Information Agency (MIA), the official news agency of North Macedonia.
The conference on the topic “Discovering Truth in Journalism” preceded the opening of the General Assembly proceedings with the participation of Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski, as well as leaders and representatives of news agencies, including General Director of the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Valbona Zhupa and News and Multimedia Director Almarina Gegvataj.
PM Mickoski said in his opening remarks that, “More than ever, the media is at present-day a pillar of democratic societies. The media does not only inform, but also inspires, unites and creates a climate of prosperity”.
“In times of economic and social challenges, when citizens seek security and hope, it is the media that can convey a vision, explain reforms and encourage public debate. Truth must be valued above all power,” said Mickoski.
The prime minister of North Macedonia also underlined that, “When our citizens hear positive news from neighboring countries, the prejudices are overcome and friendships are cultivated.”
He added that disinformation and unfounded criticism are the biggest challenges not only for the media, but also for democracy itself.
“In the era of digitalization and social networks, disinformation is like a virus; it spreads quickly, creates distrust and can erode public trust. True news is the foundation of trust in the future. Let this conference be another sign that our societies are choosing the path of dialogue, cooperation and truth,” said the prime minister of North Macedonia.
ABNA-se was established in 1995 to ensure greater cooperation between the region’s news agencies.
The association consists of 12 news agencies, Albania’s ATA, Bosnia and Herzegovina FENA, Bulgaria’s BTA, ANA-MPA of Greece, ANSA of Italy, KOSOVAPRESS of Kosovo, CNA of Cyprus, AGERPRES of Romania, MIA of North Macedonia, Anadolu Agency of Turkey, Croatia’s HINA and MINA of Montenegro. /p.s./
