Azerbaijan to Establish Media Excellence Center to Combat Disinformation in D-8 Countries

A new media center initiative aimed at combating disinformation across developing nations is taking shape in Azerbaijan, following recommendations from the country’s highest office.

The Media Excellence Center, proposed by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, will focus on countering fake news and disinformation throughout the D-8 countries while developing professional expertise in the media sector, according to Ahmed Ismayilov, Executive Director of the Media Development Agency.

Speaking to journalists at the D-8 Media Forum in Baku on Thursday, Ismayilov outlined the center’s ambitious mission, which includes comprehensive personnel training programs and strategic projects designed to strengthen media integrity across member nations.

“The forum serves multiple purposes – establishing international and regional cooperation among media entities of D-8 Economic Cooperation Organization member states, improving collaborative efforts to counter disinformation in today’s digital landscape, and creating a sustainable platform for ongoing cooperation,” Ismayilov explained.

The D-8 Media Forum, currently underway in Azerbaijan’s capital under the theme “Promoting Dialogue, Cooperation, and Regional Solidarity,” has become the launchpad for the center’s strategic framework. Participants are actively contributing to the development of the initiative’s operational blueprint.

“We’ve presented the strategic plan for the D-8 Media Excellence Center to forum participants,” Ismayilov noted. “By the conclusion of today’s proceedings, we will incorporate valuable recommendations from media experts and government officials representing D-8 member countries into the center’s future strategic framework.”

The timing of this initiative is particularly significant given the escalating concerns about misinformation and fake news across developing economies. The D-8 organization, formally known as the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, comprises Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey – representing a combined population of approximately 1.1 billion people across three continents.

Media integrity has become an increasingly critical issue for these nations, many of which are experiencing rapid digital transformation while simultaneously facing challenges related to information authenticity and media literacy.

The D-8 Media Forum has drawn high-profile attendance, including heads of media agencies, representatives from leading media organizations throughout the D-8 member states, senior government officials, and distinguished media experts. This broad participation underscores the shared concern about misinformation among these diverse nations.

Azerbaijan’s leadership role in establishing the Media Excellence Center aligns with broader international efforts to create institutional frameworks for media integrity. Similar initiatives have emerged across various regional blocs in recent years, though the D-8 Media Excellence Center represents one of the first coordinated efforts among this particular group of developing nations.

Media experts note that such collaborative approaches are essential in addressing transnational disinformation campaigns, which frequently target developing economies with potentially destabilizing narratives. By pooling resources and expertise, D-8 member states aim to build more resilient media ecosystems capable of identifying and neutralizing misinformation before it can cause significant harm.

As the forum continues in Baku, participants are expected to finalize key operational aspects of the center, including governance structures, funding mechanisms, and specific programmatic priorities. Once established, the center will likely become a focal point for media development efforts throughout the D-8 nations, potentially serving as a model for similar regional initiatives elsewhere.

The center’s formation comes at a critical juncture when digital platforms have dramatically transformed information consumption patterns across the developing world, creating both unprecedented opportunities for media reach and significant challenges related to information integrity and public trust.