1st Syrian-Russian Media Conference kicks off in Damascus

Damascus, SANA-The 1st Syrian-Russian Media Conference kicked off on Sunday at the Russian Cultural Center in Damascus under the slogan “The Power of Media and its Influence on Public Opinion”. 

The conference is organized by the Russian Cultural Center in cooperation with the Syrian-Russian Cooperation Foundation and the Syrian Association for Graduates of Russian Universities. 

Over two days, the conference will discuss topics related to analyzing media discourse and its impact on the recipient, freedom of electronic media, how to trust its content, and the effective role of artificial intelligence and its importance as a new force in the world of media and politics. 

Minister of Information, Dr. Boutros Al-Hallaq, said in his speech that the purpose of the conference is to create a joint media space to serve the Syrian and Russian peoples in light of the historical development of relations between the two countries. 

“The great support that Russia provides to the Syrian people in their war against terrorism, and preserving the unity and territorial integrity and standing by the just causes of the peoples expresses Russia’s principles in its defense of peace and stability in the face of Western policies, “He added. 

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Syrian-Russian Cooperation, Dr. Fadi Isani, pointed out the importance of shedding light through the conference’s themes on the influence of the media on public opinion and enhancing dialogue between Syrian and Russian media professionals in the service of the media in the two countries in light of the misinformation and distortion campaigns to which both countries are exposed. 

In his turn, Director of Russian Cultural Center in Damascus, Nikolai Sukhov, stressed the necessity of continuing high-level cooperation and coordination between Syria and Russia in the media field. 

Head of the Russian Federal Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation, Yevgeny Primakov, said via “video” the effectiveness of exchanging experiences between media professionals in the two countries in the context of the global confrontation they are exposed to in light of technical development, as well as the media’s responsibility to move towards conveying the truth. 

He called for journalists to invest in digital technologies and artificial intelligence to achieve media benefit.