ABU DHABI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday issued a federal decree-law to establish the National Media Authority as a federal public entity affiliated with the UAE cabinet, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The authority aims to unify national media direction and messaging, coordinate media policies across federal and local entities, and consolidate the UAE's media discourse both domestically and internationally.

Under the decree-law, the new body will assume the functions, rights and obligations of the former UAE Media Council, the National Media Office and WAM.

The National Media Authority will be responsible for proposing national media strategies, regulating and licensing media activities, including digital media, publishing and free-zone entities, and setting media content standards. It will also enhance mechanisms to address media risks, including misinformation and fake news.

The authority will further develop WAM as the official channel for publishing and distributing approved news, establish an international correspondent network, train national media professionals, and oversee the registration of foreign media representatives in the UAE. Enditem