In a world filled with fake news, information manipulation and deepfakes, news outlets must be a reliable source of information. It is more important than ever to maintain reader trust by providing clear and validated information.
This was a sentiment shared by many participants at the Central Asian Media Forum held in Astana, southern Kazakh.
Media experts, technology experts and government officials discussed the growing excellence towards the region’s global landscape, highlighting the unique narratives that it can tell.
“The region is undoubtedly part of the global media environment and is one of the fastest growing regions on the topic,” said Claus Strunz, CEO and Editorial Director of Euronows.
“So it’s very interesting for us to join in and help, partner, give us the impulse and work with people in this beautiful country.”
The forum, which has served as a conference hall for information ministers in Central Asian countries, addressed the issue of spreading false information.
“Given the latest trends in mass media, one of the common issues in all Central Asian countries is the spread of inaccurate, misinformation and provocative messages about social media and messengers.”
The other pastors repeated her feelings, stressing the need to fight for spreading misinformation. They say that it is important to teach media literacy and fact-checking skills, as advances in AI, especially deepfakes, can be easily abused.
At the same time, participants in the forum discussed the benefits and opportunities that AI can bring.
The way people consume information has changed. The algorithm determines much of what the reader sees. As a result, publications need to try to find a balance between creating compelling stories and search engine optimization.
“Of course, from the perspective of traditional journalistic schools, it’s a kind of challenge for us. But it’s not a new technology compared to journalism. I think we need to see your work as an opportunity to soften your work.”
Experts said that journalists can use AI to speed up and improve the work process, but they shouldn’t do their job for them.
“We can support journalism right, right and with all our responsibility. Or we can destroy journalism. If we rely on it, we can’t become part of a neutral approach. We humans are in our driver’s seat. We are not slaves to technology.
As the media landscape continues to evolve, the forum has served as a timely reminder that while technology provides powerful tools, it is ultimately human responsibility, integrity and collaboration that shapes the future of trustworthy journalism.
