URUMQI, China, May 23 (MENA) - Arab media professionals have unanimously agreed that the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) serves as a bridge for media dialogue, convergence, and the promotion of pluralism amid the rapid transformations shaping the global media landscape.

In exclusive statements to the Middle East News Agency (MENA) on Friday, they emphasized that this event represents a rare opportunity to restore balance in the flow of information, moving away from traditional media dominance. They highlighted the importance of building media partnerships based on mutual respect and experience-sharing—especially in multilingual coverage, digital technologies, and combating disinformation.

Abdulaziz Darwish, a presenter on Kuwait State Television, said the SCO Media Cooperation Forum 2025 is highly significant for the exchange of media expertise among different nations, particularly with the participation of around 26 countries and over 200 attendees. He noted that the forum focuses on modern technologies in media, particularly artificial intelligence, and its use in enhancing media production and news content.

He pointed out that the forum's discussion panels are very fruitful, tackling content creation across different countries, regional media needs, and relevant social media platforms and applications, supported by live examples and success stories.

Darwish added that the media experiences of SCO countries—especially in digital media and cross-border television—can positively collaborate with Arab institutions to improve tools and methods for addressing both local and international audiences.

For her part, Yara Ibrahim, media officer at the Wisdom House Group for Cultural Industries, stressed the urgent need for cultural dialogue and understanding between peoples, especially in a world characterized by the accelerating pace of globalization and growing transnational challenges.

She said that in this context, the SCO Media Forum stands out as a strategic platform playing a central role in fostering mutual understanding and building communication bridges among the diverse cultures and peoples of the region.

She highlighted the forum’s role in promoting cultural pluralism and mutual respect, bringing together media representatives from ethnically, religiously, and culturally diverse countries such as China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Central Asian nations.

Through media dialogue and exchange of experiences, the forum helps break stereotypes and promote values of tolerance and coexistence—foundations for building a cohesive and understanding regional community, she said. Ibrahim also emphasized the forum’s support for media as a partner in development and peace, shaping public awareness and guiding opinion. It allows for knowledge exchange on how media can serve sustainable development goals, counter hate speech and extremism, and promote a culture of peace and cooperation.

The Arab media expert noted that the forum also provides space for journalists and media institutions to exchange views on common challenges such as disinformation and fake news. It strengthens cooperation among member states through partnership agreements, joint training programs, and cross-border media projects.

She concluded that the SCO Media Forum is not just a formal occasion but a strategic platform for reshaping the relationship between media, culture, and politics. In a world of intertwined interests and intersecting cultures, such forums are crucial for fostering constructive dialogue, achieving mutual understanding among peoples, and reinforcing peace and development regionally and globally, she said.

In the same context, Lebanese journalist Charbel Barakat, head of international news at Al-Jarida newspaper in Kuwait, said the forum is taking place at a critical juncture where global media is undergoing technological shifts and being shaped by rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics.

Barakat added that it has become clear that digital technologies and developments in artificial intelligence are redrawing the international media landscape, posing new challenges in content production, distribution, and credibility. Information control is no longer monopolized by traditional power centers; countries with robust digital infrastructure and the ability to invest in modern technologies—such as China—are increasingly capable of influencing global public opinion, he pointed out.

He continued: "At the same time, we are witnessing a noticeable decline in the diplomatic and economic presence of the United States on the international stage, partially due to protectionist policies adopted by former President Donald Trump, which encouraged a push towards establishing a multipolar world order."

Barakat noted that, in light of this, China—during its rotating presidency of the SCO and in hosting the upcoming summit in Tianjin—seeks to promote a more balanced international media system that breaks the Western monopoly on information flow and global narratives. This approach was evident at the forum, where Beijing advocated for "narrative pluralism" and "mutual respect for national specificities."

He emphasized that China, with its financial and commercial power, is best positioned to lead the transformation toward a more balanced global media order—particularly given its political goal of breaking Western media dominance. This Chinese vision aligns naturally with the aspirations of many Arab countries, which have long suffered from Western media hegemony that often served as a political pressure tool, according to him. Thus, this Chinese initiative offers Arab states a real opportunity to become active partners in shaping a new global media landscape, as reflected in the significant Arab participation in the forum, he said.

In turn, Inas Awad, municipal affairs correspondent for Kuwait’s Al-Seyassah and Arab Times newspapers, said the “Spirit of Shanghai” was the overarching theme of the 25th edition of the SCO Media Cooperation Forum, held in 2025 in the exceptionally significant city of Urumqi—both in terms of location and importance on the Silk Road.

She said Arab participation reflects acknowledgment of the region’s influence and key role at both regional and global levels. “It also underscores the media’s role in fostering regional peace and stability, while simultaneously supporting sustainable economic growth—a key bulwark against diverse challenges, especially geopolitical ones facing the Middle East and the Arab world in particular.” (MENA)
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