Speaking at an Interior Ministry seminar to train spokespersons, acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said that the media should be treated in such a way that they are encouraged to “positively” cooperate with the government.
The three-day seminar of capacity building for spokespersons of the Interior Ministry ended on Thursday.
“In many cases, try to make the stance of the leader as your policy and operate with the media within that format. In provinces or the capital, treat the media in a way that their mindset will also be changed,” he said.
Haqqani told the gathering that providing access to information on time is the responsibility of the spokespersons and that they should pay attention to it.
“A spokesperson should be careful. He/she should investigate a report very deeply to find out its accuracy and incorrectness and then prepare his report with integrity. There should be no lie and the truth should be presented in it,” he said.
Haqqani also called on the media to not politicize the media coverage and to be accurate.
This comes as media workers and journalists have repeatedly voiced concerns over lack of access to on-time information.
“I, as the journalist and in charge of a media organization, call on the officials of the government, particularly the spokespersons, to be more cooperative in access to information with the media,” said Mohammad Mohammadi, head of a private media organization.
Earlier, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the media law is within the office of the Islamic Emirate’s leader for approval.