II Media Forum within the framework of the XIV EEYF

On April 22, the 2nd Media Forum “Media in the Context of Eurasian Integration: Challenges and Prospects” opened at Ural State University of Economics. It took place as part of the XIV Eurasian Economic Youth Forum. It gathered 17,500 participants from 114 countries. The forum is held at 12 venues, and USUE is the central one.

The event was opened by the USUE rector, Doctor of Economics, Professor Yakov Silin. The event participants paid tribute to the memory of Semyon Eryemin, a Izvestia military correspondent, who died during shelling by Ukrainian armed forces. Besides, the USUE rector awarded the title Honorary Professor of USUE to the rector of St. Petersburg State University of Economics Igor Maksimtsev.

In his welcoming speech, Yakov Silin drew attention of those gathered to the wide geography of the Media Forum participants. To participate in it, journalists came to Yekaterinburg from Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and, of course, from different regions of Russia, including those regained: Zaporozhye, Kherson region, DPR and LPR.

The USUE rector emphasized that the task of media is not only to reflect how the world is changing, but also to help the public form the correct perception of these changes. And the Eurasian Economic Youth Forum contributes significantly thereto.

“The topic of the Media Forum is “Media in the Context of Eurasian Integration: Challenges and Prospects”. It is of particular importance, and first of all for Russia, though any country is interested in this, no matter where it is,” Yakov Silin emphasized. He recalled that the information war being waged against Russia and countries close to it. It is important to make our point of view play a significant role in guiding international public opinion. We need to be able to effectively refute the distorted messages of our ill-wishers. In the context of the global information mainstream, an alternative is needed more than ever. It guarantees people free access to objective information.

“We stand for a new world and are ready to participate in its creation. A new one that suits you and me. We live in this process. The future is ours!” Silin said.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to Russia Eduardo Villegas Mejias.thanked the USUE rector for the opportunity to take part in the youth forum. And he emphasized that for him this is an opportunity to establish a dialogue between our countries. According to him, diplomacy is strengthening bilateral ties. And it implies that the ties that bind countries are becoming stronger every day.

First Deputy General Director of the Minsk-Novosti news agency Andrei Bass told the audience that Russia and Belarus live in the same information space: “Because all media resources operate on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. What do our brothers from Russia know about Belarus? I dare say- they know less."

He also spoke about the creation of the Belarusian-Russian regional news association, established on the initiative of the Belarusian Union of Journalists. In his opinion, it could correct the existing imbalance. And he called on colleagues from Russian regions to participate in it.

One of the speakers at the Media Forum was the First Deputy Chairman of the Commission for the Development of the Information Society, Media and Mass Communications under the Public Chamber of Russia, Alexander Malkevich. He also heads the Department of Journalism and Media Communications at Kherson State Pedagogical University. Alexander Malkevich noted that in relation to the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as the DPR and LPR, it is incorrect to use the concept of “new territories”, more correctly is “regained territories”. He spoke about local journalists who risk their lives every day, even when preparing publications on peaceful topics. They also have to cover the consequences of the shelling.

“We should learn their self-restraint, how to stand at the sight of all the pain that they observe. It is impossible either to sink such people or to put them in fear,” Malkevich said.

One of the speakers at the forum was a journalist from Donetsk, Victoria Melnikova. She is one of those people who has been working in a risk zone every day for 10 years.

The Media Forum was concluded by USUE rector Yakov Silin. He emphasized that we are talking about changing the worldview, about changing the world. This is very important because we cannot escape this.

“We are talking about integration. And Russia’s place in it is very important!”, summed up the USUE rector.

The media forum is being held within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Youth Forum for the second year. In 2024, 52 journalists from leading media outlets from the CIS countries attended the meeting.