In brief
At the 7th World Media Summit in Beijing, Belarus' Andrei Mokhar emphasized collaboration to combat misinformation and create global AI standards. The summit drew 500 delegates from 112 nations and focused on establishing guidelines for objective journalism and protecting journalistic integrity. Mokhar outlined future discussions on AI tools, synthetic content marking, and rights safeguarding for newsrooms worldwide.
The 7th World Media Summit, held in Beijing from November 5 to 9, 2026, convened roughly 500 participants representing 112 nations, as reported by Xinhua. Belarusian Telegraph Agency director‑general Andrei Mokhar told the outlet that the summit served as a strategic platform for dialogue and coordination to address shared challenges in global journalism.
Under the theme "Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action", the event brought together representatives of about 330 media organizations, think tanks, government bodies, and international institutions. The gathering aimed to reaffirm a commitment to objective journalism, discuss responses to technological challenges, and develop joint positions on regulating artificial intelligence.
A key focus of the summit was establishing unified standards to combat misinformation. Mokhar said he viewed the meeting as a foundation for practical cross‑border cooperation that could restore trust in media.
"While open dialogue cannot instantly end information warfare, it is a key mechanism to break the cycle of misinformation by serving as a diplomatic corridor for media,"he noted.
He underscored the necessity of “universal AI standards” that transcend national borders, citing the rapid pace at which technology companies evolve compared to legislation.
"A harmonized framework is essential to reducing misinformation, strengthening public trust in news, and preventing serious errors when content is produced or disseminated without proper human oversight,"he added. Mokhar said the overarching goal is to establish common approaches and technical standards that help the media build global resilience against misinformation.
Looking ahead, Mokhar expressed a hope for substantive discussions on artificial intelligence, including ensuring equal access to AI tools for newsrooms across different regions, marking synthetic content, and safeguarding journalists’ rights. He emphasized the importance of setting clear “rules of the game” for IT giants that drive rapid AI development in order to protect journalists and reassure readers that truth remains attainable.
While the summit's outcomes were not yet published in full at the time of the interview, Mokhar indicated that the conference was a critical step toward aligning editorial guidelines worldwide and fostering cross‑border media consensus. The event demonstrated a collective effort to bolster media integrity and enhance international cooperation in an era of complex technological transformations.
