AKP Phnom Penh, January 22, 2018 – Cambodian premier encouraged journalists to serve as a true reflection of the society “like a clear and accurate mirror, not the broken one.”
Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen underlined the message when addressing a dinner reception with more than 3,000 local journalists, media officers, spokespersons, radio and TV presenters from across the country yesterday evening at Koh Pich (Diamond Island) Convention and Exhibition Centre here in Phnom Penh.
An accurate-and-clear-mirror function of the media, he said, is an indispensable asset of a country, wherein it links ‘the government to the people and the people to the government’.
In other words, the media inform the public on issues such as government’s policies, and update the government about the concerns of the people so that the gaps between the two players are bridged.
However, Samdech Techo Prime Minister encouraged journalists to report verified fact and discouraged them not to play the role as a judge, which is actually beyond the actual role of the journalists.
“Some information considered by journalists as fact may not be the fact, so a journalist needs to work hard to research and verify the information,” said Samdech Techo Hun Sen, adding that with accuracy and speed the journalist or a media institution will gain public trust and support, thus securing their place in competitive media market.
While calling for an accurate-and-clear-mirror duty among the media, Samdech Techo Prime Minister urged them not allow themselves to be ‘broken mirror’ which will consequently misleading the public.
“Dimming mirror can be polished to be clear, but a broken mirror is near to impossible to fix,” he stressed.
According to the report read by Information Minister H.E. Khieu Kanharith during the premier’s second-year dinner reception, Cambodia has more than 800 newspapers, bulletins and magazines, 21 TV channels, 2 satellite TVs, 5 Pay TVs, 221 radio stations, 98 online radios and TVs, 21 permanent offices of foreign news agencies, radios and TVs, and 40 newspaper, radio and TV associations.
By Mom Chandara Soleil
