Description

Panel Description:

As artificial intelligence continues to transform the global media landscape, journalism in Eurasia is confronted with a complex mix of technological innovation, political constraint, and societal transition. This panel examines how media professionals and institutions across the region are responding to these shifts, balancing innovation with ethical responsibility and navigating the pressures of automation, limited press freedom, and digital inequality.

The discussion will highlight a range of case studies, including media education challenges in Central Asia, international news coverage of religious freedom restrictions in Azerbaijan and Georgia, youth-driven water data collection and environmental media literacy initiatives in Uzbekistan, and the multifaceted challenges facing modern journalism in Tajikistan. These examples reflect the broader tensions and creative adaptations occurring across Eurasian media environments.

Bringing together journalists, scholars, and media practitioners, the panel will offer a comparative perspective on the evolving role of traditional and digital media in the age of AI. Special attention will be given to the ethical use of emerging technologies, the protection of journalistic autonomy, and the disparity in digital infrastructure across countries.

In addition, the panel will explore broader regional issues such as the current state of the information ecosystem in Eurasia and the notable absence of research-based knowledge regarding public opinion among internet users. Through these discussions, the panel aims to uncover both the challenges and emerging opportunities for media development and civic engagement in an era shaped by data, algorithms, and shifting societal expectations.

Eric Freedman, Professor of Journalism and Knight Chair, Director, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Director, Capital News Service, Michigan State University, (U.S.)

Dilfuza Mirzakhmedova, Journalist, media monitor, Editor-in-Chief of the fact-checking platform Factchecknet.uz, Director of the Center for Media Research and Educational Development, Uzbekistan, dilfuzmir@gmail.com (Uzbekistan).From awareness to action: youth-driven water data collection and environmental media literacy in Uzbekistan.

Mukimov Muhamadi, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor of the Department of International Journalism of the Tajik National University, E-mail: jovidm@mail.ru (Tajikistan). Problems of Modern Journalism in Tajikistan.

Dr. Nozima Fakhriddinovna Muratova. Doctor of Sciences, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan.