Turkish broadcaster TRT hosts Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Global News Forum

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA)— Turkish public broadcaster TRT hosted the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) 2025 Global News Forum in Istanbul on Thursday.

Held under the theme “Journalism under Fire,” the event brought together broadcasters from 66 countries, including major international networks such as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Japan’s NHK, Australia’s ABC, China’s CCTV, and South Korea’s KBS. This was in addition to the over 100 delegates from nearly 30 different countries that also attended the event.

Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, General Supervisor of Official Media in the state of Palestine, Minister Ahmad Assaf, and TRT Director-General and ABU President Mehmet Zahid Sobaci each addressed the mounting threats facing journalists around the world.

Speakers and panelists explored critical aspects of modern journalism such as conflict reporting, disinformation, journalistic ethics, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence and algorithms on news reporting.

This marks the second time TRT has hosted the Global News Forum, the first being in 2019.

- 'Unjust media order'

Altun remarked in his speech that “Western-centered, unipolar, one-way flow of information has significantly shaped the discourses and narratives about the entire world since the 19th century.” He said these stereotypes are what is causing the world to “become a land of meaningless power struggles rather than peaceful coexistence.”

Altun said that this “unjust media order” is trying to “reproduce itself and grow stronger with new media technologies, especially artificial intelligence.”

He explained that the emerging “algorithm dictatorship” has become “one of the new domination tools of Western social media companies,” while underscoring that “the algorithms used by social media platforms produce guided content calibrated according to different segments of society,” which he called an attempt to make “existing domination mechanisms and oppression policies permanent.”

Altun cited the recent firing of a Microsoft engineer who was let go for expressing support for Palestine and exposing how Israel utilized AI in its operations, which he labeled as the "first artificial intelligence-assisted genocide in history."

- Special court on journalist killings

Speaking at the event, Assaf highlighted that more journalists have been killed in the last 20 months than in the past 100 years. In addition to mentioning steps that should be taken to protect journalists, Assaf urged for the establishment of an international special court to prosecute those responsible for the death of journalists.

Assaf said that he would bring this suggestion to every platform, including the UN, adding that the world must hold the killers responsible—that is, if they want the killings to stop.

Assaf also thanked Türkiye for its solidarity with the Palestinian people.

In a special session held with Assaf later in the day, Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos called for a “new rule of law” and a reevaluation of conventions and treaties that govern war crimes and media protection.

- 'PRESS' vests have become 'a sign of death'

TRT Director-General and ABU President Mehmet Zahid Sobaci also addressed the hardships journalists face in their daily work.

“All kinds of problems that trample upon humanitarian values, like war, genocide, invasion, deportation, famine, and deprivation, particularly threaten press members who try to operate in regions that have been devastated by these,” Sobaci said.

“The ‘PRESS’ branded equipment that journalists wear to protect themselves has now become a sign of death, making them more easily targeted,” he added.

Sobaci explained that the minds that seek “the way to the truth” are under the threat of “digital fire” today. He further emphasized that with the developing AI, this struggle has become an “algorithmic war.”

He said this demonstrates the need for emphasis on media ethics, cooperation, and global partnerships to safeguard journalism.

The ABU News Group Meeting on Wednesday brought 31 Asiavision member broadcasters together. Members discussed news exchange, joint projects, and cooperation opportunities, while defining future strategies.

The Asiavision Awards Gala, which will award Asia-Pacific’s most impactful content, will be taking place Thursday evening.

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Global News Forum is running from Wednesday to Friday.

ABU is the largest broadcasting union in the world, boasting 232 members from 66 countries and reaching nearly 4 billion people worldwide.