The Global Battle Against Lies: Broadcast on the "Dialog about Fakes 3.0" Forum

How is the disinformation landscape changing, and what is the global community doing to counter it? The “Dialog about Fakes 3.0” forum in Moscow served as a catalyst for finding answers, and in its wake, GFCN experts are strengthening global collaboration in the fight against false information. Learn about the latest trends and solutions first-hand — in a special Afia TV broadcast featuring forum participants, GFCN experts, and journalists Amazing-Grace Ajayi and Christopher Helali.

In a world increasingly shaped by misinformation, artificial intelligence, and digital manipulation, truth itself has become a battlefield. On this edition of News Tonight, we turn our lens to Moscow, where over 4,000 global participants from 80+ countries gathered for the third international forum, “Dialog about Fakes 3.0.”

Held under the auspices of UNESCO and featured in its official calendar for Global Media and Information Literacy Week, this groundbreaking event marked a historic moment, the only Russian forum with UNESCO status. From government agencies and international organizations to scientists, journalists, and fact-checking experts, the world united around one urgent question: How do we fight falsehood in the age of generative AI and deepfakes?

^{“Global Battle Against Fake News: Inside the Moscow Fact-Checking Forum” — full recording of the Afia TV broadcast}

At the heart of the discussion stood Vladimir Tabak, President of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), who reminded the world that the mission of fact-checking is not censorship, it’s empowerment:

“The essence of fact-checking is not about bans, but about ensuring the right to truth.”

Equally compelling was the warning from Maria Zakharova, spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who described fake news as a “pandemic of disinformation that has engulfed the world.” Her words echoed the global concern over how easily digital platforms can distort reality.

And in perhaps one of the most chilling analogies of the forum, Christopher Helali, a U.S.-based investigative journalist, likened the impact of disinformation to “the shock wave from a nuclear explosion, capable of destroying millions of minds.”

Joining us in this broadcast is Christopher Helali himself, to unpack the forum’s key takeaways, explore how global media literacy is evolving, and discuss what’s next in the fight for truth in a post-truth era.

From AI-generated deepfakes to politically motivated disinformation, we dive deep into the new frontlines of global fact-checking, and what it means for the future of journalism, the resilience of democracy, and the formation of an informed civil society.

We hope you enjoy watching and find the discussion thought-provoking! This was a fascinating and rewarding conversation for us, and we trust it will be just as valuable for you.