News Under Fire: Leading in the age of misinformation

“We’re not only under literal fire in conflict zones, we’re under fire from misinformation, AI, and political agendas,” said the Chair of the ABU News Group & TRT Haber News Coordinator, Ahmet Görmez, who moderated the News Leaders’ Forum at the 2025 Global News Forum.

During the session, the Director of Kazakhstan’s Khabar TV Channel, Zhainagul Tolemissova, shared strategies to tackle disinformation. “It begins with teaching journalists to verify — not just the facts, but the sources themselves,” she said, noting that even politicians can be sources of misleading narratives.

Zhainagul stated that Khabar TV invests in weekly training sessions and has launched fact-checking programs both on-air and online. “Understanding the psychology of disinformation is key,” she said. “We slow down the news cycle when needed, it’s better to be accurate than first.”

The General Manager of Television at FBC Fiji, Sitiveni Halofaki, said, “People rewrite our stories and circulate them like originals,” noting that disinformation is also a growing threat in Fiji.

Sitiveni stressed the importance of continuous journalist training and adapting to digital platforms. “We’re investing in the next generation, in both ethics and tech,” while he stressed that it is impossible to avoid technology, but we can choose how to use it.

The Group Director at CMG Sri Lanka, Chevaan Daniel, emphasised that journalism is a form of activism, by becoming the custodians of truth and trust.

He also stated that human creativity and cultural knowledge remain irreplaceable. “AI doesn’t replace our responsibility. It’s just a tool, and not always a reliable one.”

Zhainagul shared Khabar TV’s efforts to connect with younger audiences through social media and issue-based campaigns.

“We aired a documentary on male depression, a taboo topic, and it sparked 200 questions. So, we hosted a live online forum with the creators. This is what authentic engagement looks like,” she added.

Chevaan said that journalists’ task is not just reporting today’s events. “We’re writing tomorrow’s history. We must get it right,” he added.