Insight: Responsible communication, an urgent call for a global issue
In her column, Gladys Díaz highlights the UN’s call for coordinated action.
The United Nations (UN) recently unveiled its Global Principles for Information Integrity, providing a much-needed framework for coordinated international action to make the internet safer and more humane. Why is this critical? To defend and promote democracy as well as human rights in a context where misinformation, disinformation, propaganda and hate speech are spreading like a severe virus, fueling polarization and undermining public health and climate action.
The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is too often wrongly used to create deepfakes, generating conflicts and focusing on vulnerable groups like senior citizens and children. According to a recent global UN staff survey, 80% of respondents said harmful information endangers them and the communities they serve.
Based on what has been called a global challenge, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, issued an urgent appeal to governments, tech companies, advertisers and the public relations industry to step up and take responsibility for the spread and monetization of harmful content.
In response to this urgent call, Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (GA), a nonprofit, voluntary, nongovernmental organization representing more than 360,000 practitioners, academics and students across 126 countries worldwide, together with over 100 endorsements from organizations around the world, renew their call on the UN to recognize the importance of responsible communication by establishing it as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
The Puerto Rico Public Relations Association is one of the member associations of the GA and fully supports this initiative.
The GA emphasized the urgent requirement for a separate SDG on communication, specifically on responsible communication, considering it implies and comprehends:
Open dialogue about global challenges, such as climate change, poverty reduction and democracy.
- Considering dialogue as the most powerful weapon.
- Freedom of opinion and press.
- Ethical approach to organizational and institutional communications, based on facts.
- Fight against fake news, misinformation and any kind of propaganda.
- Educating individuals to use their “communication powers,” especially through social media responsibly.
- Public and private support for rigorous and accountable journalism.
- Support diversity, inclusion and gender equality.
- Empathy to those who suffer from hunger, poverty, lack of opportunities, war, forced migrations and all discriminations.
- Positive and inclusive language.
Global responsible communication guidelines are essential to build trust, foster long-lasting relationships with stakeholders, achieve social adjustment, and promote harmony and understanding among our communities.
Now GA calls on global leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to recognize the critical importance of communication in achieving a sustainable future and to take collective action towards this goal. Will you accept the challenge?
Author Gladys Díaz is principal at GMD Public Relations Consultant and board member of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management.
