Shusha: A panel discussion centered on the theme “How the evolution of social media affects public trust: In the context of media literacy” took place as part of the III Shusha Global Media Forum, APA’s correspondent in Shusha reports. The event brought together notable figures from various sectors to discuss the intricate relationship between social media evolution and public trust.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the panel featured Karen Sutherland, a senior lecturer in public relations at the School of Business and Creative Industries of the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. She highlighted the dual nature of journalism in the age of social media, pointing out that while some journalists adhere to ethical standards and verify their information, others may prioritize popularity over accuracy by spreading unverified news.

Sergey Sokolov, director of public policy and government affairs at TikTok/ByteDance for Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Mongolia, contributed to the discussion by emphasizing the distinction between information providers and journalists. He noted that people often mistakenly view information providers as reliable sources without considering the credibility of the media itself.

The panel also included insights from Dennis Yu, an expert on Google and YouTube and CEO of BlitzMetrics, and Simas Clancy, the head of public sector, healthcare, and non-profit sales for the EMEA and LATAM regions of LinkedIn. Their participation underscored the multi-faceted nature of social media’s impact on public trust and highlighted the need for media literacy in navigating the contemporary information landscape.