The Shusha Global Media Forum panelists discussed the impact of social media evolution on public trust

The final panel session at the 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum, held under the theme “Digital Pathways: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of AI,” was dedicated to the topic “How Social Media Evolution Affects Public Trust: Embracing Media Literacy.”

The panel discussion, moderated by Ms. Mariam Zaidi, a presenter at TRT World, featured distinguished experts including Dr. Karen Sutherland, a specialist in Google and YouTube; Mr. Dennis Yu, CEO of BlitzMetrics; Mr. Seamus Clancy, Head of Public Sector, Healthcare, and Nonprofit Sales for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America at LinkedIn; and Ms. Serguei Sokolov, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Mongolia at TikTok/ByteDance. The panel explored a wide array of critical issues, such as the influence of social media in shaping political and public narratives, strategies for maintaining public trust and confidence in the media, promoting responsible digital behavior and ethical standards, the impact of artificial intelligence on content flow, and the importance of social media literacy.

It was underscored that the rapid growth of information volume, the participation of users in sharing misleading or confusing content, and the proliferation of selective content necessitate enhanced cooperation among governments, society, media organizations, and digital platforms. Establishing systematic relationships among these stakeholders is essential to safeguarding the security of the information environment. “Digital platforms, engaging millions of active users and serving as key channels for information dissemination, have a profound influence on shaping public discourse and trust in the media, contributing to new behavioral patterns,” participants emphasized.