The Baku Network Research and Analysis Public Association, as part of the project “Supporting Increased Awareness of Harmful External Influence and Fake News,” implemented with the support of the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations, held a meeting with students of the Faculty of Journalism at Baku State University.
The meeting featured remarks by Sahil Karimli, Deputy Director of the Trend News Agency and an expert trainer for the project, as well as Elchin Aghajanov, Chairman of the Baku Network Research and Analysis Public Association and project manager.
Karimli noted that the spread of false information is also a pressing issue for Azerbaijan. According to him, inaccurate news not only misleads people but is also used to influence public perceptions of certain events.
“Like every country, Azerbaijan also suffers from fake news. An information war has always been waged against us through the use of false information. No matter how much we fight it, it is impossible to eliminate this problem completely,” he said.
Karimli stated that malicious information campaigns targeting Azerbaijan have continued in the period following the country’s victory in the Second Karabakh War. He noted that such efforts may be aimed at influencing young people, creating confusion, and provoking tensions in society.
According to him, fake news is also used in attempts to damage Azerbaijan’s relations with countries with which it maintains strong ties. For this reason, journalists’ responsible handling of information and their assessment of its credibility are of particular importance.
“In this regard, journalists bear a major responsibility,” Karimli said. He also listened to the students’ views on identifying false information and increasing awareness of such threats.
In his remarks, Aghajanov spoke about attempts to influence the thinking of young people. He noted that because young people are one of the leading forces in society, they must remain vigilant toward those who seek to bring them under the influence of various ideas.
“Attempts to suppress young people by influencing their thinking have always existed and will continue to exist. You are the main driving force and the hope of society,” he emphasized.
Aghajanov urged young people not to trust those who seek to influence them by exploiting religious issues and called on them to stay away from extremism. He stressed the importance of remaining vigilant, properly evaluating the ideas being presented, and distinguishing between the true picture of events and artificially created information.
“The concept of a hybrid threat includes not only fake news but also various methods of information manipulation,” Aghajanov said.
