ASTANA — The media is changing faster than ever, and so are the rules of the game. As artificial intelligence reshapes how information is created and consumed, and as trust in news sources faces unprecedented pressure, the second Central Asian Media Forum opened with a powerful plenary session on April 16, bringing together heavyweight media leaders from Europe to East Asia.
II Central Asian Media Forum opened with a powerful plenary session on April 16. Photo credit : The Astana Times
The discussion focused on redefining journalism in a polarized, hyper-digital world — and building a shared vision for its future.
Moderated by journalist and presenter Natalie Lindo, the session featured a high-caliber panel, including Kairat Sarybay, secretary general of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Claus Strunz, CEO and editorial director of Euronews, Ahmed Nadeem, secretary-general of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Ding Yong, deputy editor-in-chief of CGTN (China), Rufat Khamzayev, director of AnewZ TV (Azerbaijan), and Mikhail Kalmykov, first deputy director general at TASS (Russia).
Central Asia – not landlocked, but land-linked
Sarybay opened the conversation with a cultural and geopolitical reflection on Central Asia’s identity that goes beyond borders and geography.
“Central Asia is not just a geographical region. It is a cultural and historical platform,” said Sarybay.
“The Silk Way culture has been essential for our development, and we must embrace this heritage as we move forward together,” he added.
Echoing a phrase often used by Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko, Sarybay stressed that Central Asia should no longer be seen as “landlocked,” but as “land-linked” — a hub of connectivity, dialogue and cooperation.
Moderator Lindo underscored the importance of this mindset. According to her, this approach to looking at the region from a “land-linked” perspective signals potential, not limitation.
“Looking at the region as integrated, cooperating and working together is crucial,” she said.
Journalism today: neutrality as a mission
Claus Strunz of Euronews took the conversation into more urgent territory: the crisis of polarization and the fading line between journalism and opinion. He acknowledged that complete neutrality is hard for anyone because people are shaped by their cultural and social contexts.
“In a totally polarized world, where every piece of news feels either left or right, neutrality in journalism becomes revolutionary,” he said.
Strunz described neutrality not as passivity, but as active curiosity. According to him, journalism means being interested in what’s going on. It means listening without preaching. It means showing the audience Europe and the world not just what is happening in Central Asia, but why it matters. He reiterated that Euronews strives to show audiences in Europe and worldwide what’s happening in the Central Asian region: “together with you, not against you.”
“That is an important distinction. We see this region as a region of the future. Just think about it: two weeks ago, there was an incredible summit in Uzbekistan where a new level of cooperation between Europe and Central Asia was established. Our role is to report on that, to highlight the opportunities, to share visions — and to do so from all perspectives, without exclusion,” he said.
Strunz also highlighted that AI, already a major disruptor across industries, is also reshaping journalism. According to him, Euronews does not ignore AI. Instead, it embraces it. However, being all in with AI, he said the organization approaches it with a healthy dose of responsibility.
“We embrace AI not as an enemy, but as a tool to make journalism better. The real question is: how can we use it wisely? How do we ensure it elevates truth, not distorts it? We should not see AI as an enemy or a step backward in our development. It is on us, on the humans in this game, to decide how we move forward with it. That choice will play a major role in shaping our future,” he added.
Strunz also reflected on his personal experience attending the World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan last fall as a turning point that deepened his understanding of the region’s cultural depth. He shared that this made him reflect again that one cannot understand a society without knowing its history.
“Western media has a duty to become translators and partners — not outsiders telling someone else’s story,” he concluded.
Trust as the new currency
For Nadeem of ABU, the challenges are different — but equally existential. Representing over 230 broadcasters across 65 countries, he issued a stark warning about eroding credibility.
“In today’s media, everything is fast, everything is easy — but not everything is true. Once misinformation is out, it’s out. We must not normalize disclaimers like ‘we cannot independently verify this.’ That’s not journalism — that’s abdicating responsibility,” he said.
Citing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Nadeem highlighted the surge in trust toward national public broadcasters, not because they were flashy, but because they were reliable.
“If you recall, we witnessed a significant rise in the popularity of national broadcasting entities, particularly public broadcasters, across many countries, including our regional members. Why did that happen? It is because there is trust in these broadcasters, especially national service broadcasters, that they deliver the most accurate and reliable news and information. So I believe it is crucial not to lose that trust, not to lose our credibility, and to maintain our integrity,” he said.
He added that trust is also easily lost in a world driven by technology and algorithms. AI cannot replace credibility. Ethics cannot be automated, he said.
Nadeem also voiced concern over the rise of influencers as self-declared information authorities. According to him, this poses a new challenge to traditional journalism.
“This is something we did not see earlier, but there are influencers now — it is even part of the CV for some people,” he noted, cautioning that many operate with their agendas.
In this context, Nadeem underlined the duty of public service media to restore integrity by educating and informing the public on the accuracy of the information, whether it comes from an influencer or a public figure.
Khamzayev from Azerbaijan’s AnewZ TV channel emphasized the urgent need to address the key global trends that are reshaping the media industry. These include rapid digital transformation, the growing influence of AI and big data, and a persistent crisis of trust and credibility. According to him, the shift from traditional broadcasting to personalized, on-demand content requires not only technological adaptation but also a redefinition of editorial responsibility.
“We at AnewZ have embraced a digital-first strategy, inspired in part by our colleagues and consultants from Euronews. We are leveraging the power of AI to make content more accessible and trustworthy, particularly for younger, globally-minded audiences,” he said.
Still, Khamzayev stressed that technology must serve journalism, not undermine its ethical foundations.
“Trust, balance, and responsibility must guide every innovation we adopt,” he said.
As media navigates the tension between speed and depth, and algorithms increasingly shape worldviews, he urged editors to remain gatekeepers of accuracy and integrity. Khamzayev highlighted the growing importance of regions like the Caucasus and Central Asia not just as topics of coverage, but as sources of original narratives.
“We are here in Astana not only to observe, but to engage, collaborate, and co-create,” he said.
Kalmykov of Russia’s TASS news agency noted that all the speakers in the plenary session, in one way or another, emphasized the importance of trust.
“After listening to two plenary sessions, I noticed that one of the most important words mentioned was trust, or rather, credibility. Every speaker who gave a speech emphasized this word. It is truly important because trust is the foundation of our dialogue. First, we need to strengthen the bond between us; only then can we think about AI and other digital developments. This is especially crucial in the work of journalists,” he said.
He added that despite new tools at journalists’ disposal, such as AI, it is essential to remember that people remain the focal point of the profession, because “they are the ones who set trends and shape messages.”
As global media grapples with polarization, algorithmic influence, and the rise of AI, one message from Astana rang clear: while technology may shape the tools, it is people — professionals with integrity, vision, and responsibility — who will define the future of journalism.
