ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: A rising tide of fake news and disinformation is dominating World Press Freedom Day discussions taking place this week in Ethiopia, which is hosting the event after freeing jailed journalists as part of sweeping reforms.
As the world prepares to mark the day on Friday, media practitioners and experts have raised the alarm and deliberated on ways to combat disinformation that they say is becoming a “threat to democracy.”
The relationship between the press and democracy is the main theme this year, with more than 100 events taking place around the world.
“In my country, Somalia, disinformation is so rampant to the extent that some candidates were falsely alleged to have died or withdrawn right before elections so that their competitors were given more chances of winning,” said Hussein Abdi Adam with Somalia’s electoral commission.
“Everybody is using phones these days. And it’s becoming more difficult to deal with it as many of those engaged in this disinformation are based in various parts of the world.”
Ethiopia is drafting a law to deal with hate speech and disinformation, said Billene Seyoum, the press secretary for the East African country’s reformist prime minister.
“This law really won’t curb citizens’ freedom of expression but it rather will safeguard their right to access accurate information and ensure their safety,” she said. “Disinformation is lethal. It also creates fear and divides societies and communities.”
This year’s World Press Freedom Day is being held for the first time in Ethiopia, a country that had been infamous for jailing journalists until new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed power in April 2018. His government set several dozen reporters free.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Ethiopia currently has no journalists behind bars and new publications are flourishing on various platforms. Since Abiy came to power the country has unblocked over 260 websites and journalists who had been banned returned home.
But the media organization noted that challenges still remain for journalists in Ethiopia, including the risk of attack and arrest, especially in restive regions.
“Perhaps most fundamentally, journalists told CPJ they are anxious for the freedoms they are enjoying to be rooted in law rather than guaranteed only by the goodwill of the Abiy government,” Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative, noted this week.
On Thursday, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is being awarded to jailed Myanmar journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone by Ethiopian and African Union officials. The Reuters journalists are serving seven-year prison sentences for their reporting on the military’s brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims.
This month the One Free Press Coalition is highlighting the Reuters journalists on its “10 Most Urgent” cases along with missing Tanzanian journalist Azory Gwanda, detained Nicaraguan journalists Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda, imprisoned Indian journalist Aasif Sultan and others.
World Press Freedom Day events raise alarm on fake news
World Press Freedom Day events raise alarm on fake news
- According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Ethiopia currently has no journalists behind bars and new publications are flourishing on various platforms
- The relationship between the press and democracy is the main theme this year, with more than 100 events taking place around the world
SRMG launches G.O.A.T, AI-powered sports platform for data-driven fans
- The launch comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is increasingly at the center of global sport
- The app complements live broadcasts by keeping fans connected before, during, and after the game
RIYADH: The Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) on Tuesday announced the launch of G.O.A.T, a new sports app designed to deliver fast, credible, and curated coverage in one destination. Built for a mobile-first generation, G.O.A.T is designed for a sports landscape evolving at unprecedented speed.
The launch of G.O.A.T comes at a time when Saudi Arabia, and the region more broadly, are increasingly at the center of global sport. Saudi football in particular has been undergoing rapid transformation, emerging as one of the fastest-growing and most closely followed leagues in the world.
“As fan behavior evolves alongside this growth, audiences are no longer looking only for headlines, but for trusted context, real-time access, and platforms that reflect how sport is experienced today,” the group said in a statement.
Created to meet these expectations, G.O.A.T is an audience-first, data-driven app built for the AI age. It brings together real-time updates, breaking news, video highlights, and match insights in a simple, always-on experience designed around fan behavior and matchday flow.
The app complements live broadcasts by keeping fans connected before, during, and after the game, from instant goal alerts to key stories, highlights, and the conversations shaping matchday momentum across screens and platforms.
The launch marks the first phase of G.O.A.T’s rollout, initially focusing on football and the Saudi Pro League, alongside coverage of the world’s most prominent competitions. In its early release, the app serves as a leading destination for up-to-the-minute Saudi football news, grounded in SRMG’s editorial standards and designed to cut through misinformation and noise that increasingly dominate sports coverage.
In its initial release, G.O.A.T curates content from SRMG’s most trusted brands, including Arriyadiah, Asharq Al Awsat, Asharq Sports, and Sport 24, giving fans access to reporting, analysis, and match coverage from the region’s most established newsrooms through one unified product experience.
As the platform evolves, G.O.A.T is expected to unlock new monetization opportunities aligned with fan behavior and premium engagement. These include intelligent sponsorship integrations, data-driven brand partnerships, and premium experiences built around key moments and competitions. Designed as a scalable product platform, G.O.A.T enables brands, leagues, and partners to connect with highly engaged sports audiences through context-rich formats that enhance rather than disrupt the fan experience.
The launch of G.O.A.T also marks another step in SRMG’s expansion across the sports media ecosystem, following the group’s acquisition of exclusive rights to broadcast the Saudi Pro League across the Middle East and North Africa through Thmanyah.
Alaa Shahine Salha, Content Development Managing Director at SRMG, said: “G.O.A.T was built around a simple idea. Sports fans need speed, depth, and credibility in one place. This first phase establishes a strong editorial and community foundation. What comes next will expand how fans interact with content, match moments, and each other, powered by a smarter, data-led experience.”
SRMG said it will continue to evolve G.O.A.T through interactive and community-driven features that deepen participation and bring fans closer to the action, while maintaining a clear commitment to credibility and responsible reporting.
G.O.A.T is now available to download on iOS and Android.
