Trang stressed that the emergence of fake news and its impact on all areas of life and its rapid spread in cyberspace require news agencies to play an effective role in providing accurate and fast information with widespread coverage.

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51st Meeting of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) Executive Board

Mainstream information must dominate cyberspace, and "fake news" must be labelled to signal to the public about the dangers of accessing disinformation, she said.

Trang also briefed participants on the results of the efforts by Vietnamese authorities in preventing and combating fake news, as well as related projects implemented by the VNA.

As the largest regional press organization with more than 40 member news agencies which account for two-thirds of the world's information, OANA, established in 1961, has shown its responsibility in the field of communication towards building modern society, and creating peace and understanding among nations.

The 51st meeting, comprising two discussion sessions, attracted the participation of 29 delegates from 14 member news agencies of the Executive Board. They exchanged views on cooperation among news agencies in fighting disinformation, and their role in the age of fake news.

They agreed to hold the 52nd meeting in Japan, and the 53rd in Russia.

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VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang (right) and Serdar Karagoz, Chairman of the Board, Director General of Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA), sign new agreement on professional cooperation.

The OANA Executive Board also adopted the Istanbul Declaration which emphasizes the mission of news agencies in fighting fake news by providing the public with balanced and comprehensive information, promotes cooperation among news agencies on the regional and national scales, raises public awareness of recognizing fake news, and the importance of critical thinking and fact-checking.

On the same day, VNA General Director Trang and Serdar Karagoz, Chairman of the Board, Director General of Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA), signed an agreement on professional cooperation to replace the 2016 one.

Along with exchanging information in various forms, the two agencies will strengthen promotion of socio-economic and cultural development of each country and collaborate in important events held in Vietnam or Turkey.

Source: VNA