GELENDZHIK (Krasnodar territory), October 27 (RIA Novosti) - The deputy head of the Russian Security Council said Thursday that the media and society played a key role in countering terrorism.
"No state will conquer terrorism if mass media, public organizations, and the people do not help," Valentin Sobolev said in an interview with RIA Novosti during the first international conference, Terrorism and Electronic Media.
He also said media should not endanger the public. "The press should not create panic, expose hostages and those involved in [rescue] operations to danger, or incite extremism and religious discord," Sobolev said.
According to the law on media, a journalist may report anything that is not prohibited by law, he added.
He also said the media was improving coverage of counterterrorist operations.
The conference in Gelendzhik, a Russian Black Sea resort, brought together more than 130 delegates from 18 countries. Representatives of Russian and foreign media companies, the United Nations, UNESCO, and European parliamentarians and diplomats are discussing how the media should cover terrorist acts and counterterrorist organizations.
