VIENTIANE: Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President Thongloun Sisoulith has urged the media to strengthen professionalism, integrity and continuous learning to deliver high-quality journalism, and combat misleading information and falsehoods.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the first National Media Congress on Wednesday, the President said journalists must adapt to rapidly changing technologies while remaining firmly committed to truth, ethics and the public interest.
Held under the theme “Strengthening the Party’s leadership role, developing media work to transform it to a new quality vigorously”, the three-day congress brought together senior Party and state leaders, media executives, editors, journalists and communication professionals from across the country to discuss the future direction of the media industry.
President Thongloun advised media personnel to continually broaden their knowledge and professional skills so they are able to prevent and counter the publication of fake news, distorted information, and harmful online content that undermines public confidence.
He advised editors and reporters to analyse issues from different perspectives, distinguish between factual and false information, understand public concerns, and take note of constructive feedback from the public, while using the Party’s policies and the country’s laws as guiding principles in the course of their work.
News outlets should publish verified information that educates the public and helps guide society in the right direction.
The President warned that the rapid development of digital technology and AI has created unprecedented opportunities for access to information, but has also made it easier for false and malicious content to spread for political, economic or personal gain.
He said the misuse of modern technologies to spread fake news, sow division and manipulate public opinion poses a growing risk to society, making responsible journalism more important than ever.
President Thongloun urged reporters to earn public trust by being truthful, accurate and unbiased, doing research, and writing clear, fact-based articles.
He said media organisations and individual journalists that consistently uphold the truth and credibility would gain lasting respect from and be remembered by people seeking reliable information.
“Good media will never fear to fight for justice and for the trust of the people,” he said, adding that viewers and readers would support media outlets that genuinely serve the public interest.
The President encouraged media organisations nationwide to strengthen solidarity, coordinate more closely and regularly share experiences to improve professional standards.
Journalists must be able to distinguish between constructive criticism, which contributes to national progress, and unethical personal attacks or defamatory content that violates professional standards, he added.
As information flows become faster and more complex, media personnel must remain politically aware, ethically responsible, and firmly rooted in Lao cultural values and national identity.
Reflecting on the history of the media in Laos, President Thongloun paid tribute to generations of revolutionary journalists who worked alongside the national liberation movement, documenting events under extremely dangerous conditions and, in many cases, sacrificing their lives to ensure the truth reached the people.
Today’s journalists should honour that legacy by ensuring integrity and resisting attempts to exploit modern communication platforms to spread falsehoods and undermine public trust, he said.
Describing the inaugural National Media Congress as a historic milestone, the President said it had provided an unprecedented platform for state and private media organisations, traditional and digital media, and journalists from across the country to openly discuss the strengths and challenges facing the sector.
He expressed confidence that media personnel would continue to unite, embrace innovation and uphold the highest standards of professionalism, while calling on Party and state agencies responsible for media oversight to provide guidance and support so journalists can fulfil what he described as their “honourable mission” of serving the people and contributing to national development. - Vientiane Times/ANN
