KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has assured media practitioners that they are free to report any news so long as they are based on accurate and authentic facts.
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He said he believed media practitioners were aware of their limitations and responsibilities in their role as disseminators of information.
“The media must be responsible and tell the truth. If the information is true, there will be no objections and constraints from the government on how the news is to be delivered,” he told reporters during a visit to Media Prima at Sri Pentas here today.
Earlier, he was interviewed by the Hot FM, 8 FM and Molek FM radio channels.
Ismail said the government’s guarantee of press freedom is reflected in its actions.
“If they go beyond what is allowed, the government will definitely reprimand them, (but) so far, no media (organisation) has been closed down or had its licence revoked.
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“This means there is freedom of the press,” he said.
Describing the role of mainstream media in disseminating accurate information as “very important”, he said the public should not only rely on social media for news.
“As we know, inaccurate and distorted information is being disseminated, causing people to be confused.
“That’s why it’s important for the mainstream media, such as TV3 and the print media, to provide accurate information, not misleading news,” he said.–FMT