BONN – Media professionals from Kazakhstan participated in the 17th edition of the Deutsche Welle (DW) Global Media Forum 2024 on June 17-18 at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB). The initiative was supported by the Embassy of Germany in Kazakhstan.
Kazakh reporters during the meeting with DW Editor-in-Chief Manuela Kasper-Claridge at the DW premises in Bonn on June 16.
The fellowship program of the German Foreign Office included a meeting with DW editor-in-chief Manuela Kasper-Claridge, workshops with leading journalists and experts, and networking events on June 16.
Makhabbat Esen, a media manager, journalist, and producer of Aisholpan project, noted that participation in the media forum contributes to the professional growth of reporters and provides a vision for international trends.
“It is time to enhance our journalism community in Kazakhstan,” she explained. “That’s why we are here today. We learn global trends and bring them to our communities. Collaboration and integration are essential. The forum helped us to find like-minded people and new partners. We also showcased the potential of Kazakh reporters. We can invite our partners to the forums in Kazakhstan and strengthen our collaboration. The annual Astana Media Week is one of the projects that will be held this fall. The forum serves as a platform to discuss the world and regional trends in media.”
Director of The Trend Buro and media expert Sabina Abatova noted the impressive agenda of this year’s forum.
“The atmosphere is so inspiring. Complex topics require content creators to be especially responsible and constantly think critically about their own actions, which is perhaps more important than ever. Quality, fact-based journalism is becoming increasingly important as an antidote to low-quality content on social media and polarized judgments,” she said.
For Kazakh experts, the event serves as a networking platform to create new projects and promote local content with foreign partners.
Mutabar Kushvaktova, an eco-activist from Uzbekistan, said the event provided an exciting opportunity to learn solutions as the industry’s competition grows and technologies change rapidly. As an expert, she is interested in raising awareness of climate issues through various sources.
“I support professional journalism. Bloggers should take responsibility for making news and information. They need to portray issues and events in a neutral and unbiased manner,” she said.
She has ideas on making content after attending the “Live Journalism: How to Bring Good Stories onto Stage” workshops.
Kushvaktova also noted that journalism in Central Asia lacks inclusivity and a multi-perspectival approach to news content diversity.
The workshops included ready-to-use fact-checking tools, the use of AI content for efficient writing, and case studies on detecting disinformation campaigns on social media.
Global Media Forum 2024
Media professionals from Kazakhstan participated in the 17th edition of the Deutsche Welle (DW) Global Media Forum 2024 on June 17-18 at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB).
The focus theme of DW’s global platform was sharing solutions. Approximately 2,000 experts and reporters from more than 120 countries debated disinformation, the impact of AI on ethical issues, the importance of democratic engagement, and the future of journalism.
DW Director General Peter Limbourg said that this year’s motto is important because “sharing solutions is a prudent strategy for all.”
Limbourg also spoke about the challenges related to AI and disinformation. “As journalists, we must embrace AI responsibly to maintain public trust, ensure accuracy in reporting and support democracy.”
During the Sharing Solutions session, Ellen Heinrichs, the CEO and founder of the Bonn Institute, said that it is necessary to transform journalism on the country level. “We really need to focus much more on a diversity of perspectives, on solutions, as well as on addressing the problems and fostering constructive dialogue with our audiences, in order to engage them in a more democratic and diverse dialogue.”
