Global news media launches DM’s Choose Truth campaign ahead of World News Day

Daily Maverick’s new Choose Truth campaign will this year be featured on World News Day – a global initiative by the news industry to showcase the value of journalism. 

World News Day is commemorated on 28 September each year and aims to highlight the “value and need for strong journalism”, the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) said on Thursday, 8 August. 

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According to the WAN-IFRA, World News Day – which was conceived in 2017 by Globe and Mail editor-in-chief David Walmsley – was supported by more than 500 newsrooms last year.  

“This year, co-organisers the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and the World Editors Forum, the network for editors within the WAN-IFRA, have teamed up with Daily Maverick to present a powerful campaign for 2024 that news organisations can share with their audiences in the days leading up to 28 September,” it said. 

“Choose Truth is the first campaign from Project Kontinuum, a Daily Maverick-incubated effort to reaffirm news media’s positive role in the global community. Choose Truth is its blueprint for future collaborations.”

The WAN-IFRA said news organisations that sign up now to support World News Day 2024, “will receive a collection of assets, including video, digital and print ads, social media material and op-eds that they are encouraged to publish and share”.

“The material will be available in various languages.”

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Walmsley said World News Day is a chance for journalists to engage their audience. “Journalists have to do a better job of explaining themselves. World News Day is a chance to engage your audience, to listen to them tell you about how when they met a journalist their life was improved, and about how strong journalism brings out the facts that empower us all.”  

Daily Maverick editor-in-chief Branko Brkic said: “Even as journalism everywhere is struggling to maintain its standing and relevance, every day we get to feel the joy of shared truth with our communities. Lives are saved, democracies protected and ordinary people’s existence improved. We must never lose sight of these ideals — and we must fight for them.” DM

News organisations and media support agencies wanting to join or support the initiative can get involved by contacting Cherilyn Ireton, executive director of the World Editors Forum: [email protected].