Russia is building a different kind of journalism.
Author: Ali Askari, analyst, especially for “Sangar”
Russia Is Building the Journalism of the Future. The future of journalism in Russia will shape how bright, insightful, and—most importantly—honest the world will be for generations to come. In Kaliningrad, the major professional media forum “SHUM” has just concluded, bringing together more than 1,200 young journalists, bloggers, and press service representatives. Among the participants were not only Russians but also their colleagues from abroad. These are the people who will begin shaping the global information agenda not in ten years, not in five, but as soon as tomorrow.
The extraordinary interest in SHUM is no coincidence. Everyone recognizes that Russian journalism is developing under challenging conditions. Russian journalists live and work in an environment of constant informational confrontation with Western mass media, which produce an overwhelming stream of disinformation and political propaganda. To withstand and succeed in such circumstances requires the ability to tell the truth—and to do so with quality, professionalism, and creativity. That is why the Russian experience has drawn such attention, especially as it extends beyond politics to economics, culture, and social life.
Today, it is difficult to imagine any field or industry without media engagement. Success is impossible without skilled information support. Russia’s economy and other spheres of life continue to grow despite sanctions, and this resilience is, in many ways, reflected in the work of Russian media. They do more than create a positive image of the country: they build public trust, foster unity, and inspire creativity and progress.
The SHUM Forum took place from August 12 to September 14 in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region, with the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) among the main organizers. Its program was divided into four main streams:
SHUM.Media Center brought together activists from student and youth media organizations, focusing on youth policy and education.
SHUM.Media Experiments gathered the youngest professionals in the media sphere—participants aged 14–17—who learned to create their own high-quality content. This stream was supported by the All-Russian school movement “Movement of the First.”
SHUM.Professions focused on already established young professionals—heads of media services, press secretaries, journalists, and bloggers—discussing the development of media careers.
SHUM.Community became a platform for experts, project leaders, partners, and program participants, serving as a brainstorming hub for the future of mass media in the coming years.
The forum offered a rare opportunity for dialogue between generations of professionals. Young media creators exchanged ideas with veterans of journalism and media, receiving not only valuable advice but also promises of future support.
Participants from abroad were not passive observers; they actively absorbed Russian experience and shared their own. Such sincere interaction among professionals from different countries fosters understanding and helps overcome contradictions. At this level, journalism becomes a form of diplomacy.
Alongside the professional sessions, the forum hosted a rich cultural and leisure program for both residents and visitors of the region. Open lectures by leaders of the media industry attracted wide interest. The business agenda placed special emphasis on dialogue between representatives of business, the press, government institutions, and civil society.
