ROME, October 4/ATA/ – Reporting the truth is an added responsibility for news agencies, stated the Italian President Sergio Mattarella during a meeting with representatives of European news agencies, where the Albanian Telegraphic Agency was represented by its General Director Valbona Zhupa.

"The new global protagonists have intervened in the reporting dimension, claiming to set access standards and guidelines – while also making an unscrupulous use of the digital platforms they manage and of artificial intelligence - regardless of the legislation to protect the integrity of this sector", stated Mattarella.

"On the one hand, there are the wars, starting with the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and on the other hand there is the spread of the fake news aimed at the public opinion of democratic countries to manipulate them," said the Italian president.

"Reporting the truth against propaganda actions that aim to falsify facts and thus poison consciences is an added responsibility for news agencies", he emphasized.
"We have to face the digital revolution, the artificial intelligence, which brings with it great opportunities, but even greater risks. And here there are added the fake news. While we must be ready to provide real information," added Mattarella.

In front of the representatives of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA), where ATA is a member with full rights, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella said among other things, that, "The freedom and pluralism of the media guarantee the full establishment of some rights necessary for democracy and measuring its quality: the right to freedom of expression and information. Because, perhaps, one lies oneself that it is a well-established concept. Or instead of this, he hopes that he will slowly lose weight and move to the second row."

"I took the floor to say that the institutions should respect the press and stand up when they speak. We must be against the temptations of public authorities to set limits on their part in the spaces of freedom of information, instead of proposing with dedication the guarantee and support of the same spaces of freedom", he emphasized.

"Free, independent and pluralistic information is the right of the citizen, the duty of all who seek it. It is the antidote to oppose manipulative phenomena", he added.

"This meeting is, for me, a great source of interest", he concluded.

At the end of his speech at the Quirinale, President Mattarella met with all EANA representatives.

"I am honored to be in the Quirinale today. It is a pleasure that I had the opportunity to meet you personally and talk with you about the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, of which I am a part. ATA has a history of over 100 years and I am proud that it contributes to the progress of the country", said the General Director of ATA Valbona Zhupa to the Italian President Sergio Mattarella./