The fourth annual TRT World Forum held virtually under the theme, ‘Shifting Dynamics: The International Order in a Post-Pandemic World’ this year.

Delivering his opening speech via teleconference, Turkish President Erdoğan stated that he sees the Forum as a ground for effective discussions for the world, the region and the country.

President Erdoğan also said: “I believe that in the four years since its establishment, TRT World has filled an important gap with its qualified staff, which includes world-renowned journalists. I wish them success in their difficult but honorable mission. I sincerely congratulate all TRT employees, from the general manager to the reporters, as well as the technical staff. ”

 

 

Mr İbrahim Eren, TRT Chairman and Director General and ABU Acting President stated that during the first days of the pandemic, the situation was reflected as a catastrophe, creating the perception that a world war had erupted: “During the first days, people were lost in the numbers. In this sense, we can say the reactions in the first days of the pandemic were psychological. The global pandemic numbers reported on television are more reliable now. Thus, conventional media has proved itself to be better compared to digital media.  We have seen the highest ratings for our news channels during the pandemic.”

The opening session was entitled, ‘How the International Media Impacted the Pandemic’. Some of the topics discussed were the influence of international media on people’s understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the constructive roles it should play in helping to mitigate the impacts of similar crises in the future.

The speakers included some of the most prominent names in international media outlets, including İbrahim Eren, the Chairman and Director-General of Turkish Radio Television Corporation (TRT), Noel Curran, Director-General of the European Broadcasting Union; Javad Mottaghi, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union; Gregoire Ndjaka, CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) and Marcello Foa, the President of the board of directors for RAI, Italy;