site.btaVice President Iotova: "Genuine Journalism Spearheads Fight against Fake News"

"Journalists' position and conscience have so far proved to be the most powerful drive in the fight against fake news. That is the reason why genuine journalism is currently enjoying some rather strong support," Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova said here on Wednesday, addressing the participants in the 17th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media which is taking place in Israel from October 1 to 3.  

Iotova pointed out that fake news is an all-embracing notion, exceeding the definition of disinformation, lie and manipulation intended to mislead and influence the audience. "History abounds in examples of deliberately released fake news that have led to fatal political decisions," the VP observed.

She noted that this meeting ushers in observances for the 80th anniversary of the salvation of Bulgarian Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps during WW II. "We must talk about these events because silence kills this memory, but it also kills the values that we all espouse: compassion, resistance to hatred, tolerance, respect for other persons and for their way of life," Iotova commented. "This story carries a message: we must untiringly pursue peace among nations, among people, among individuals," she added. "The lessons of the past should be our guiding light in advancing together in a world that is ever more difficult, ever more dangerous and, regrettably, ever stranger," the Vice President commented.

She described the war in Ukraine as "a war for Europe" and noted that the effort to talk about peace through the media has ceased since February. In her opinion, "a just as perilous battle for facts, for interpretations and for sensations is waged in cyberspace".