The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) took part in the World Broadcasting Union (WBU) meeting and the 96th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 24 to 26 June 2026.
ASBU was represented at both meetings by Mr. Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harithi, President of ASBU and President of the Saudi Media Forum, and Ms. Feten Fradi, Head of the Arab and International Cooperation Unit at the ASBU General Directorate.
Public service media protection and independence at the forefront
Discussions at the EBU General Assembly focused on several strategic issues, most notably:
- The protection and independence of public service media
- Strengthening public media institutions against political and economic pressures and ongoing digital transformation
- The impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and news production
The Assembly also revisited the EBU initiative “News Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, launched last year amid growing concerns that AI systems may summarize or rephrase news content in ways that could introduce inaccuracies, remove essential context, omit source attribution, or negatively affect media revenues and long-term sustainability.
The initiative aims to ensure that the use of AI in news remains:
- Safe and reliable
- Enhancing, rather than compromising, professional journalism
- Capable of reducing misinformation and fake news
- Respectful of media rights and the credibility of news content
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ASBU expresses its support for the principles of the “News Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” initiative
The initiative featured prominently in the agenda of the WBU meeting, where its five core principles were highlighted:
1- No consent, no content
News content must not be used in AI tools without authorization from its producer or rights holder.
2- Fair value recognition
The value of trusted news content must be acknowledged when used by third parties.
3- Accuracy, attribution, and source verification
The original source of AI-generated content must be clear and traceable.
4- Plurality and diversity
AI systems should reflect the diversity of the global news ecosystem.
5- Transparency and dialogue
Technology companies should engage in open dialogue with media organizations to develop shared standards for safety, accuracy, and transparency.
In this context, ASBU President, Mr. Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harithi reaffirmed ASBU’s adoption of the initiative’s five principles, stressing the importance of translating them into practical steps to enable member unions to contribute effectively.
He also underlined that engagement with technology companies developing generative AI tools should be based on cooperation rather than confrontation.
It is worth recalling that ASBU has previously taken significant initiatives in this field, notably organizing the Third Arab Media Congress (January 2024) under the theme “Media in the Artificial Intelligence Era: Opportunities and Challenges.” The Congress adopted a set of official recommendations aimed at shaping a shared Arab vision for media in the AI era, including enhanced cooperation between media institutions and AI developers.
Under the umbrella of the League of Arab States, ASBU is also working on developing a strategic Arab vision to address the challenges of global digital dominance. In line with this effort,ASBU has recently submitted an action plan proposal to senior officials and ministers responsible for media affairs across Arab countries.
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