“Dialogue on Fake News”: Media Expert Asem Mirzekeyeva Talks to ENU Students About Fake News

Media expert Asem Mirzekeyeva, a member of the Association of PR and Media Professionals and the Union of Journalists of the Republic of Kazakhstan, delivered a lecture to ENU students titled “Dialogue on Fake News.” The speaker discussed the origins of fake news, factors contributing to the spread of false information, methods for identifying it, and analyzed several well-known cases.

Asem Mirzekeyeva noted that there is currently no precise global statistics on the amount of fake information being disseminated. According to her, determining the scale of this phenomenon has become increasingly difficult amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

The media expert explained that fake information can originate from destructive and prohibited organizations, foreign sources, as well as ordinary users.

To identify unreliable information, the lecturer advised first asking oneself: “Why should I believe this?” She also emphasized the importance of cross-checking information against official sources.

As another way of identifying fake news, the speaker highlighted humor. If a news story appears absurd or evokes laughter, this may be a reason to question its credibility and verify the information. Asem Mirzekeyeva paid particular attention to deepfakes, which are often designed to provoke a strong emotional response from audiences.

According to the expert, in order not to become part of the chain of disseminating unreliable information, it is important to consciously choose how to respond to questionable content and verify it before sharing it further.

At the end of the lecture, the speaker answered questions from the students.