KUCHING: Information is “king” whenever there are disasters.
The United States Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir said information is power in getting the public informed on either natural or human-made disasters.
“This is where the media come in; they play an important role in getting the messages across,” she said in her welcoming speech during the “Role of Media in Covering Security Cooperation” workshop at Hilton Hotel yesterday.
She said with the information they receive; the audiences can prepare for disasters and survive.
“That is why a good and strong relationship between the government and journalists must be maintained,” she pointed out.
Kamala said alone, the government cannot cope with disasters. There must be assistance from the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including citizens.
On another note, she said traditional media such as newspapers are dying in the United States.
“This is one of the challenges we face. Many local and regional newspapers are gone…and this is due to social media.
News reported on the social media may be fake, therefore journalists play a crucial role in reporting the truth, said Kamala.
