Pune: A glance over the latest happening news was enough for most of us, but the world has changed since the last six months, especially after the Coronavirus pandemic started. Readers are looking for more credible news every day as the Covid-19 outbreak has increased the significance of factual and trustworthy information.
On this backdrop, the World News Day being celebrated on September 28, is an important milestone in the journey of journalism. This is the third year of World News Day being celebrated worldwide.
Newspapers are facing a challenge to survive, to stay safe in the Covid-19 epidemic, to sustain jobs and livelihoods, to separate facts from fiction and to prevent rumours along with the outbreak from spreading. The challenges have arose from the fact that today importance of truthful news, unbiased, balanced and justifying news has increased significantly.
Inspired from World News Day, working journalists around the world will keep doing their good work. Several initiatives have been planned and celebrated world over right from Toronto to Taiwan and Spain to Singapore. This day highlights the importance of focussing on the reporting on issues that affect the readers and viewers.
Newspapers make the battle against Covid-19 easier
• Personal hygiene, scientific information from healthy health experts
• Lockdown, details of the composition of the sections according to the severity of the infection
• A series honouring medical, administration staff who fought on the front lines
Issue of fake news
While the number of fake news has increased mainly on social media, the responsibility on newspapers has multiplied. That is why the challenge of more rigorous planning to ensure factual news is faced by the newspapers.
Importance of information
Objective: To underline the contribution of journalists and media organizations reporting credible news. To create awareness about their contribution to the fabric of society
Founder: Canada Journalism Foundation
Background: Following the Foundation's initiative in 2018, the World Editors Forum had participated in the activities. Google News Initiative has taken an initiative for funding the activities.
Date Reference: Day celebrated internationally to provide for global opportunities for availability of information
Warren Fernandez, President of the World Editors Forum said, “Every news department and professional journalist has come forward for Covid-19 coverage. This year, we will tell the story of how 100 news departments in the world coped with this global epidemic and kept the society updated on information. In such a testing moment, it is important to keep the society united.”
David Walmsley, President of the Canada Journalism Foundation said, “This is the day to hear the story of glorification of news creators, the impact of journalism on their lives. The purpose of this day is to bring together journalists from different continents as well as their readers and listeners, to base the facts and make the world a better place to live.”