Irish news publishers join hundreds of global news organisations in ‘Choose Truth’ campaign

World News Day, an annual global initiative highlighting the role journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information, takes place on September 28th.

In support of the campaign, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:

“In Ireland we have a long tradition of trusted reporting, a cornerstone of our democracy that has helped shape society and protect our values. But today that trust is under extraordinary strain across the world. Misinformation, deepfakes, and mistruths make it hard to know what’s real and what’s designed to deceive. Around the world we see the destruction of truth weaponised for political ends, with grave results. On World News Day, I urge people to support our trusted Irish journalism in all its forms.”

As part of the global ‘Choose Truth’ campaign, NewsBrands Ireland, the representative body for Ireland’s leading multi-platform news publishers, has called for greater government support for the professional journalism industry.

Mounting threats facing news media

Speaking about the campaign, Sammi Bourke, Chair of NewsBrands Ireland, highlighted the mounting threats facing news media — from outdated defamation laws, to the growing impact of generative AI and the dangers posed by misinformation and disinformation.

NewsBrands Ireland is urging the Government to immediately enact the long-delayed Defamation (Amendment) Bill, which the Programme for Government committed to passing within the first quarter of 2025. The existing legislation hinders investigative journalism due to high costs, unpredictable legal outcomes, and significant risks for publishers.

“We need to create an environment where journalism can thrive, not one where it is stifled by legal and financial risk,” said Sammi Bourke. “We fully support the provision in the Defamation Bill to abolish juries, as their involvement in trials significantly extends proceedings, drives up legal costs, and leads to unpredictable verdicts.”

EU Copyright Directive

NewsBrands Ireland is also calling on the Government to revise Ireland’s transposition of the EU Copyright Directive, noting that the current framework fails to compel digital platforms to fairly compensate news publishers for the use of their work.

“We strongly urge Ireland to take more effective action on how the EU Copyright Directive is implemented, so that media organisations here can benefit from its protections, like their EU counterparts,” Ms Bourke added.

For further details, go to: www.newsbrandsireland.ie

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Notes for Editor

NewsBrands Ireland represents Ireland’s leading multi-platform news publishers. The organisation’s remit is to promote the fundamental role of a free press and the contribution made by its members’ trusted journalism to democracy; to work towards a fair and balanced legislative framework that supports public service journalism and sustainable business models for the news publishing industry and to underline the value of news publishers’ audiences to advertisers.

WORLD NEWS DAY is a global initiative to draw public attention to the role that journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information that serves citizens and democracy. World News Day takes place annually on September 28.

World News Day is presented by the World Editors Forum, The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and Daily Maverick’s Project Kontinuum.

WAN-IFRA (The World Association of News Publishers) is the global organisation of the world’s press, comprising 3,000 news publishers and technology companies and 60 national publishers’ associations representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. With a mission to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media, WAN-IFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society. The World Editors Forum is its network for editors.