In brief
The summit, held from November 5‑9, brought together roughly 500 media representatives from 112 countries and focused on developing global consensus on combating misinformation and regulating artificial intelligence. Belarusian Telegraph Agency chief Andrei Mokhar underscored the importance of open dialogue, unified standards, and technical guidelines to restore trust in news. He called for harmonized AI frameworks and equal access to AI tools, urging clear rules for technology giants to protect journalists and ensure accurate reporting.
In a briefing with Xinhua on November 10, Andrei Mokhar, director‑general of the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA), praised the 7th World Media Summit in Beijing for creating a platform where media outlets from 112 countries could collaborate to combat misinformation and establish unified standards for artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism.
The summit, themed "Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action," took place from November 5 to 9 and drew about 500 delegates, including representatives of 330 media organizations, think tanks, government ministries and international bodies. It aimed to foster dialogue, share best practices, and set joint editorial guidelines across the global media landscape.
Mokhar highlighted that the summit’s core mission is to "consolidate the international media community" and to establish common technical standards that will help prevent misinformation and strengthen public trust. He explained that in an era where technology companies evolve faster than legislation, there is a pressing need for a harmonized framework that can reduce errors in content creation and distribution "without proper human oversight."
Artificial intelligence in newsrooms is a central issue discussed at the summit. Mokhar underscored that AI, defined simply as computer systems that simulate human reasoning to perform tasks such as generating text or images, can both enable rapid information dissemination and, if misapplied, create new pathways for misinformation.
"While open dialogue cannot instantly end information warfare," Mokhar told Xinhua, "it is a key mechanism to break the cycle of misinformation by serving as a diplomatic corridor for media." This statement points to the summit’s broader strategy: creating spaces where journalists, regulators, and tech companies can negotiate rules that all parties can accept.
The discussion has moved beyond theoretical debates to practical proposals, with delegates proposing measures such as ensuring equal access to AI tools for newsrooms worldwide, creating mandatory markers for synthetic content, and safeguarding the authorship rights of journalists who use AI. Mokhar said the summit could set "clear rules of the game" that would require technology giants to provide safeguards for journalists and evidence that truth remains attainable.
During the event, several key leading bodies articulated the importance of shared standards. Participants from UNESCO and the International Federation of Journalists circulated a joint memorandum calling for immediate regulatory actions on AI-generated media. Meanwhile, a panel featuring representatives from major AI firms like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft discussed the challenges of deploying synthetic media responsibly in news environments.
Beyond AI, the summit tackled broader misinformation eradication tactics, including standardizing fact‑checking protocols and cooperative cross‑border verification networks. Mokhar noted that unified norms will help media outlets verify claims more efficiently, reducing the frequency of false narratives that spread across national borders.
Looking forward, Mokhar emphasized that the summit is just the starting point. He called for sustained, substantive discussions that will translate into concrete policy frameworks and technical guidelines, ensuring that news production remains reliable and diverse in the face of rapid digital change.
As the digital age morphs the way information flows, the 7th World Media Summit marks a critical step toward a more coordinated media ecosystem—one that will combine technological sophistication with the human tenacity required to preserve journalistic integrity.
