Shusha, Azerbaijan, July 20 (Petra) – The third Global Media Forum opened Sunday in the historic city of Shusha under the theme “Digital Pathways: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of AI.”

The two-day event has drawn high-level officials from across the globe, alongside representatives of major international and regional news agencies including the Jordan News Agency (Petra) as well as seven international organizations, over 80 media institutions, civil society actors, business leaders, and advocates for press freedom.

The forum aims to identify innovative approaches to delivering accurate, transparent, and reliable information to the public while confronting the growing threat of disinformation. It also explores collective responsibility in the information-sharing process and ways to safeguard truth, ensure data security, and reinforce media vigilance amid rapid digital transformations.

Participants are engaging in a series of sessions examining the influence of social media on political and societal narratives, strategies for maintaining public trust in the media, and the importance of responsible behavior in the digital space. Discussions also address the ethical use of technology, the impact of AI on content distribution, and the role of media literacy in an age of manipulation and information overload.

Key topics include the global rise of disinformation, the erosion of audience trust, and the urgent need to develop critical thinking skills and ethical standards to navigate the complex digital landscape.

Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department, opened the forum by highlighting Shusha’s cultural and historical significance as the birthplace of many prominent Azerbaijani intellectuals and artists. He described the forum as a vital platform for sharing forward-looking ideas and perspectives.

Hajiyev noted that this year marks the 150th anniversary of Azerbaijani journalism, dating back to the launch of the nation’s first newspaper, Akinchi, by Hasan bey Zardabi. He emphasized that AI should be viewed as a tool to support journalism rather than replace it, acknowledging the profound shift underway in traditional media due to digital technologies.

Speakers at the forum called for clear global distinctions between journalism and personal content creation, asserting that managing a social media page does not constitute journalism. They urged legal frameworks to address this misperception and stressed the need for heightened global collaboration, ethical accountability, and stronger media literacy to counter manipulation and disinformation.

On the sidelines of the forum, participants visited the cities of Aghdam and Lachin to observe the ongoing reconstruction and development efforts in the region.

//Petra// AF
20/07/2025 22:57:53