How New Media Shape the Values and Heroes of Our Time: Insights from the World Public Assembly

Moscow, September, 2025.

The World Public Assembly hosted a panel session titled “New Media in the Service to Humanity: Heroes, Exploits and Challenges”, bringing together global experts to examine how evolving media platforms are shaping values, narratives, and public consciousness.

Speakers highlighted that media today are no longer passive reflectors of reality but powerful creators of meaning and identity. The session emphasized that modern heroes are not confined to soldiers or athletes but extend to scientists, workers, parents, activists, and everyday citizens whose actions inspire and unite communities.

“People are demanding authenticity from the media,” participants noted, stressing that journalists, directors, producers, and even game developers now play the role of cultural guides and meaning-makers.

• Olga Azhnakina, director, underscored the rising demand in cinema for the portrayal of the “man of work” — ordinary individuals whose daily contributions serve as sources of inspiration.

• Nikita Anisimov, journalist, urged media outlets to highlight positive stories of achievement that foster global solidarity.

• Silvana Yarmolyuk, filmmaker and radio host, shared examples from her projects that spotlight the lives of ordinary citizens whose personal stories resonate with viewers and listeners.

• Ibis Brito, Editor-in-Chief of Prensa Latina, emphasized the importance of amplifying the voices of women and indigenous peoples in media narratives.

• Yaroslav Meshalkin, Communications Advisor at Axiom Game Labs, drew attention to video games as transformative tools: “Games allow you to live out stories and ideas and become a part of them.”

• Oleg Yasinsky, journalist, warned of the “information war for consciousness”, stressing the need to restore cultural meaning and spiritual depth in the media space.

The session underlined the growing role of new media in shaping societal values and identities. Culture, authenticity, and inclusivity were identified as critical foundations for trust.

The discussion was part of the larger media forum organized by the New Media Workshop on the sidelines of the World Public Assembly. Participants concluded that a continuous, international dialogue is necessary to develop strategies that position media as a force for peace, social cohesion, and humanitarian progress.