Ioane Shaishmelashvili: Fake media campaigns gaining momentum

Disinformation and fake news campaigns in the media are gaining momentum and affecting key topics in both Georgia and Azerbaijan, Ioane Shaishmelashvili, host of the Eurocracy - Former Europe program, said at the Azerbaijani-Georgian media forum, Report informs.

He noted that the scale of disinformation is constantly growing: "We have encountered fake news campaigns on the most important issues – parliamentary and local elections, key regional processes, as well as bilateral relations with Azerbaijan and other countries in the region."

According to Shaishmelashvili, while previously false information was disseminated through print media or insignificant experts, today disinformation is actively disseminated by the media, giving it the appearance of credibility.

"When radicalization and disinformation displace real information, it becomes a national challenge," he emphasized.

He added that similar trends are also observed in Azerbaijan, and the close interrelationship of the two countries' interests makes professional exchanges between journalists particularly relevant.

"Until the media can effectively monitor these processes and the public receives reliable information, the scale of the problem will only grow. Therefore, joint work and cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan are extremely important," Shaishmelashvili added.