Radio broadcasting institutions have been crucial in the fight against fake news on social media in Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a message to mark World Radio Day.

He said this year’s World Radio Day theme, ‘Radio and Trust’, was particularly apt in a world embroiled in geopolitical conflicts which had escalated tensions and worsened the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme was also particularly relevant given the increase in the production, distribution and dissemination of fake news, the Phnom Penh Post quoted him as saying.

Mr Hun Sen said the dissemination of fake news and content that distorted the truth was causing chaos worldwide, and that radio stations and other forms of media had a duty to follow professional ethics and provide accurate and true information to the public.

He urged journalists to share information, knowledge and experience “to increase the capacity of understanding the evolution of information technology” and to combat fake news that was responsible for “polluting the social environment and creating hostility that affects international relations and cooperation”.

He praised journalists worldwide, including radio journalists “who have overcome all obstacles to fulfil their duties in difficult stages”.

With the growth of digital media technology over the last two decades, Mr Hun Sen also urged radio stations and other media outlets to build their capacity to broadcast online and be accessible by smart device users.

He highlighted the need to connect and adapt to the new generation by providing options to meet their needs.