Marqas: New Media Law Guarantees Right to Information While Protecting Journalists

The UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, in cooperation with the Ministry of Information, organized a seminar under the slogan "Preserving Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The Role of Access to Information in Combating Information Disorder," on the occasion of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), sponsored by and attended by Minister of Information Dr. Paul Marqas, at the UNESCO Regional Office in Bir Hassan.

Attending were the representative of the Minister of State for Administrative Development, Judge Mohammad Ayoub; Director General and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of "Lebanese Television" Dr. Alissar Nadaf Jaoudeh; Vice President of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Dr. Fawzi Kabbara; the representative of the UNESCO Director in Beirut, Paolo Fontani; the Organization's Communication and Information Programs Officer George Awad; and a number of media figures, representatives from human rights and technology associations, and software companies specializing in artificial intelligence.

After the national anthem, Awad spoke, stating that "the challenge is no longer limited to the availability of information, but lies in people's ability to access reliable information, understand it, critically evaluate it, and use it to make informed decisions." He clarified that "access to information is not merely an administrative matter, but is closely linked to freedom of expression, transparency, accountability, participation, and individuals' right to know. He noted that the absence, delay, or fragmented presentation of public information creates a vacuum quickly filled by rumors, speculation, misleading content, and manipulation."

He affirmed that "addressing information disorder cannot be reduced to fact-checking after publication, but begins with ensuring individuals have access to trustworthy sources, public institutions communicating with transparency and proactivity, and empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the information environment, which places media and information literacy at the heart of priorities." He stressed that "information integrity is a shared responsibility, where governments and public institutions bear the responsibility of transparency and timely provision of information, while journalists and media play a fundamental role in verification, investigation, and providing context, civil society and academic circles contribute through research, monitoring, and community engagement, while digital platforms and tech companies are responsible for limiting the amplification of harmful or misleading content while respecting freedom of expression and human rights."

He pointed out that "enhancing information integrity in Lebanon requires stronger institutions, greater transparency, independent and responsible journalism, strengthening media and information literacy and digital skills, and creating real opportunities for citizens, especially youth, to participate in the information environment."

Awad concluded by emphasizing "the need to enhance readiness to find, handle, understand, question, and effectively use information, noting the importance of cooperation and partnership in combating information disorder."
Minister Marqas delivered a speech confirming that "the right to access information goes beyond the significance of celebrating an international day, touching one of the rights most closely linked to human dignity and the soundness of public life."

He said: "Information is not a luxury nor a privilege granted or withheld by authorities at will; it is a right, and in democratic societies, it is a condition for exercising other rights, conscious participation in public affairs, holding institutions accountable, and building trust between the citizen and the state."

He indicated that "the problem no longer lies only in the lack of information, but sometimes in its surplus and the difficulty of distinguishing between accurate and misleading content, between news and analysis, and between content produced by humans and that produced by algorithms."

He added: "Information disorder has become one of the most prominent challenges of the digital age, as fake news, misleading information, decontextualized content, fake accounts, image and video manipulation, and AI-generated content all make accessing correct information more complex."

He stressed that "making official information available in a timely, clear, and understandable manner is not just good administrative practice, but a fundamental means to limit the information vacuum often exploited by rumors and misleading interpretations, and when reliable information is absent, rumors quickly fill this gap."
He confirmed that "enhancing access to information must be part of a broader path to strengthen trust between citizens and state institutions," noting that Lebanon established, through the Right to Access Information Law, a legal framework for this right, as Law No. 28 of 2017 enshrined the right to access information, amended by Law No. 233 of 2021, with its implementing decree No. 6940 issued in 2020."

He indicated that "the real challenge does not lie in texts alone, but in transforming the legal right into an institutional culture and daily practice," affirming that the role of the Ministry of Information is to develop government communication, enhance the speed of information availability, facilitate journalists' access to it, support professional media, encourage information verification, and combat hate speech and misleading content, without compromising media freedom or freedom of expression.

He said: "Combating disinformation is not achieved by silencing voices, but by increasing the space for truth, not by preventing people from accessing information, but by enabling them to reach better information, and not by imposing a single narrative, but by providing sources, data, and facts that allow journalists and citizens to form their opinions freely and responsibly."

He considered that "the responsibility of digital platforms today is to be clearer and more responsible, the responsibility of civil society is to continue its oversight and awareness role, and the responsibility of the citizen is to exercise their right to access and handle information," stressing "the importance of UNESCO's role in supporting states and communities in building an information environment based on freedom of expression, access to information, pluralism, occupational safety, and the capacity to confront disinformation."

He greeted the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut for organizing the meeting, affirming that "Lebanon, with its media and cultural diversity, and facing political, social, and economic challenges, needs a sound information environment more than ever before."

He noted that "the 2026 Digital News Report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism showed that social networks and video platforms have become, for the first time, the most used source for accessing news globally, relied upon by 54 percent of audiences in the 48 markets covered by the report, compared to 51 percent who rely on websites and apps affiliated with news organizations."

He added: "62 percent of respondents say they feel concerned about fake news and misleading information online, an increase of four percentage points from the previous year," noting that "10 percent of the audience uses AI chatbots to get news, rising to 16 percent among those under thirty-five.
Marqas affirmed that "our responsibility in protecting information integrity has grown amidst technological development, and citizen access to it has become easier. To ensure successful integration between both parties, there must be professional and ethical responsibility, matched by citizen awareness in verification and selection."

He stressed that "efforts to enhance the right to access information are not limited to the annual report," revealing the "launch of an interactive tool within the Anti-Corruption Commission between citizens, public administrations, and municipalities, aimed at assessing the extent to which state institutions, administrations, and municipalities respect this right and make information available to the public."

While noting that "the Ministry of Information works in partnership with UNESCO and the Anti-Corruption Commission," he highlighted "awareness campaigns on media disinformation and hate speech, the production of more than ten videos broadcast via media outlets, alongside tours to schools and universities to encourage youth to express their opinions freely, without infringing on the dignity, freedoms, rights, sanctities, and privacy of others." He indicated that "what the ministry seeks also extends to public media, particularly Lebanese Television, Radio Lebanon, and the National News Agency, affirming the importance of partnership between the state, media, and citizens in confronting fake news."

He moved to the new media law, considering it "a fundamental step in building the new Lebanese media and in the process of updating laws." He explained that "the reasons for the law confirm that the public's right to access information is a fundamental right linked to transparency and accountability, and that updating media legislation has become a necessity to guarantee and enhance this right." He noted that "the law, which exceeds 120 articles, includes several provisions enshrining the right to access information, including Article Three, particularly paragraph five, which stipulates society's right to knowledge, understanding, and access to documented information." He also stopped at Article 16, which established the Independent National Media Authority, obliging it to make information recorded in its registers available, publish it on its website, provide hard copies to those wishing to review it, issue certificates regarding it without delay, and exempt them from fees. He also referred to articles concerning citizens' right to access information, justification of the Authority's decisions, protection of journalists' sources and confidentiality of their information, affirming that the law provides multiple protections, guarantees, and rights in this field.
In turn, Judge Mohammad Ayoub said: "The right to access information aims primarily to enhance transparency, reduce corruption risks, and strengthen citizen trust in administration by enabling them to learn the backgrounds, procedures, and realities of decisions."

He clarified that "proactive publication of information should constitute the general policy of administration, not be limited to responding to citizen requests," noting that adopting this approach may lead in the future to simplifying mechanisms for accessing information." He stressed "the importance of adopting regular electronic archiving and periodic updating of information, reducing the burden on both administration and citizens, and facilitating responses to requests." He also called for "setting indicators to measure response speed and adopting mechanisms to track requests, allowing citizens to know the status and processing stages of their request."
Further speeches were delivered during the seminar sessions addressing the right to access information as a basis for its integrity, the importance of resilience through media and information literacy, and the role of digital technology and artificial intelligence in accessing information.