ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum and Azerbaijan’s Growing Role in Global Media Dialogue

By Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum themed “The Mission of the Media in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust” was held in the city of Shusha, the Republic of Azerbaijan. More than 160 journalists and media representatives from 54 countries attended the forum, with participants from 30 international news agencies and 60 major media organizations. The forum gave journalists, media experts, editors and public officials a chance to come together and discuss how the media can help build a more peaceful and informed world. This is a very important forum, because it attracted attention to the growing role of Azerbaijan in the world. It was also the reflection of Azerbaijan’s remarkable development under the leadership of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev. A few days back, Azerbaijan hosted World Urban Forum 2026, then Baku Energy Week 2026, and now the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum was held in Azerbaijan. The success rate and the widespread participation in all these international forums show that Azerbaijan is a trusted member of international community and is emerging as a key regional player. It is worth mentioning that the forum was held in Shusha, a city in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. The choice of holding the forum in Karabakh region is extremely significant. Thanks to the forum that journalists from around the world were able to see how the government of Azerbaijan managed to rebuild this war-torn region within just five years. The city of Shusha served as the symbol of renewal.

The 4^th Shusha Global Media Forum is important as it brought together voices from different countries to discuss the future of global media. The discussions focused on how the social media and news are changing. What new challenges are being faced by the journalists and media across the world and how all countries can work together to address these challenges. At the same time forum also explored how journalism is adapting to artificial intelligence, disinformation and declining public trust, with discussions focusing on responsible reporting, media ethics and international dialogue. It provided a great opportunity to journalists and media experts from across the globe to directly engage with the President of Azerbaijan and ask him questions directly.

The forum highlighted how today’s media is being transformed by AI, digital communication, and the growing spread of misinformation. Participants also discussed how they can uphold principles of ethical journalism and ensure factual and accurate reporting in this era of technological advancement. They also discussed how they can make people trust the media more, in what ways media and governments should respond to false or misleading information. It should be noted that the experts highlighted both the challenges and opportunities presented by digital media and the artificial intelligence. When they discussed the misuse of AI, they also talked about how AI should be used responsibly in journalism and media. It shows the responsible attitude of both the participants and the leadership of Azerbaijan that they brought such important topic under discussion. The forum also underscored that media is not just for reporting events but it plays a pivotal role in building trust encouraging dialogue and promoting understanding between nations.

The role of the leadership of Azerbaijan in hosting the Global Media Forum for the 4^th time is highly commendable. Creating such an engaging international platform at a time when the global information environment is becoming more complex deserves immense praise. The forum also paved the way for cultural exchange, dialogue, and increased human connectivity as people from diverse backgrounds attended the event.

The most interesting and the strongest feature of the Shusha Global Media Forum, I believe, is its openness to different viewpoints. It provides equal opportunity to all the participants to ask questions, share their experiences, give new ideas, and discuss pressing global issues in a professional environment. Such opportunities encourage honest conversations and result in some pragmatic ideas that can actually help address various challenges and fight disinformation. These discussions are very important as news travels faster than ever before and public trust in media remains a global concern.

Another highlight of the forum was the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, how is AI both an opportunity and a challenge for the journalism. At the forum, experts discussed the role of AI in news production, fact-checking and content creation. They agreed that technology is helpful in improving efficiency but it can never replace human judgment, moral standards, and accurate reporting done by humans.

The exchange of ideas on these topics reflected Azerbaijan’s readiness to host conversations on issues that are shaping the future of global communication.

A particularly positive aspect of the event was the participation of media representatives from wide range of countries. All of them came together to discuss common challenges, exchange ideas and share knowledge. Such platforms, dialogues, and collaborations help reduce misunderstanding between societies. Professional connections are built and already existing networks are strengthened. Meanwhile, such platforms also open new areas of cooperation and create opportunities for future collaborations. It also allows participants to learn from one another’s experiences in dealing with rapidly changing media environments.

When His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev addressed the forum he talked about peace, regional advancements, connectivity and the increasing importance of dialogue and communication. H.E.’s participation made it clear that Azerbaijani leadership will always support international discussions on media and global affairs. Moreover, the senior government officials were also present at the forum. Their presence demonstrated Azerbaijan’s efforts to maintain direct engagement with the international media community.

With the passage of time, the Shusha Global Media Forum has evolved into a respected international platform for discussing the future of journalism and strengthening media cooperation. Its significance lies in the fact that it offers an opportunity to media professionals to come together and discuss and timely resolve the pressing challenges global media is facing. The continued success of the forum showcases Azerbaijan’s commitment to promoting dialogue, responsible journalism, and global engagement.