At the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum held in Shusha, Azerbaijan, the responsibility of the media in the reconstruction process of cities, the creation of collective memory, crisis reporting and the fight against disinformation were discussed.
Anadolu Agency (AA) Deputy General Manager and Editor-in-Chief Yusuf Özhan and AnewZ TV Executive Director Rufat Hamzayev attended the panel titled "From Destruction to Renewal: Urban Narratives and the Responsibility of the Media", moderated by AnewZ TV Deputy Editor-in-Chief Orhan Amaşov.
AA Editor-in-Chief Özhan stated that the media plays a critical role in shaping the collective perception of a city and that reporting crises and destruction is important and said, "When the most critical period of a disaster is over, the focus on long-term follow-up of events should not be lost." he said.
Pointing out that the media also plays a critical role in the fight against disinformation, Özhan said that information pollution during the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye in February 2023 was caused by both the panic environment and the deliberate attempts of malicious actors, and that the verification mechanisms of professional journalism significantly reduce these risks.
Noting that journalists try to convey the news as quickly as possible, but this urgency brings with it the risk of errors, Özhan stated that errors are completely different from intentional disinformation, but professional journalism minimizes these risks throughout the news production process.
Citing the Azerbaijan Neighborhood of Kahramanmaraş, which was rebuilt by Azerbaijan after the earthquake, as an example, Özhan stated that the Azerbaijani government protects the common heritage and contributes to the survival of the cultural heritage of the city with its investments in the reconstruction of the neighborhood.
Underlining that journalists not only report news but also play an important role in the construction of collective memory, Özhan noted that news centers should manage crisis processes accurately and in a timely manner, and media managers should be equipped to produce solutions to the problems faced by journalists working in the field.
Emphasizing that journalists are also a part of the events, Özhan said, "The story of your journalists is actually a part of the main story. Because they are a lens. They are the people who enable the world to see all these images in a timely manner." he said.
Hamzayev, on the other hand, pointed out that there were significant differences between the first Shusha Global Media Forum held in 2023 and the fourth forum held this year, and said that the reconstruction process in Karabakh and the re-establishment of Azerbaijan's full sovereignty also transformed the media agenda.
Reminding that President Ilham Aliyev defined the transformation in Shusha as a process extending from "ruins to new cities", Rufat Hamzayev said, "Today, we are no longer talking about destruction, but renewal. This change should also transform the storytelling of journalists." he said.
Underlining that reconstruction is not only a physical construction process, Hamzayev explained that it also represents a transformation in people's lives and social memory.
Stating that the duty of the media is not only to document the destruction, Rufat Hamzayev said, "Destruction is sudden, recovery takes time. The duty of the media is not only to document the destruction, but also to explain the healing process of societies and how this memory will be transferred to future generations." he said.
Stating that one of the biggest challenges facing the media today is the changing competitive environment, Hamzayev mentioned that media organizations competed with each other in the past, and today all media organizations are struggling to attract people's attention.
Panels titled "Peace Building and Public Discourse from Media Perspective", "The Impact of Disinformation on Peace: Coordinated Media Approaches", "The Role of Media Diplomacy and Media Literacy in Rebuilding Trust" and "Social Media and Ethical Frameworks in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" were also held at the forum.
Approximately 160 participants from 53 countries took part in the forum titled "The Mission of the Media in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust".
More than 30 news agencies, 10 international organizations and approximately 60 media organizations participated in the forum.