In a candid session, Alexey L. Nikolov, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of RT (formerly Russia Today) and a veteran journalist with over half a century of experience, dissected the seismic shifts reshaping journalism.
His remarks painted a vivid picture of an industry grappling with unprecedented change, driven by the dual forces of technological advancement and the erosion of traditional media monopolies.
Nikolov, in the One Week New Generation Program 2025 that convened young journalists from different African countries at RT’s Moscow office, opened with a stark observation, “What we are experiencing right now is a revolution of absolutely unprecedented size.”
He emphasised that this transformation is not incremental but foundational, likening it to the invention of the alphabet 5,000 years ago. “We are not able to fully comprehend what is happening,” he admitted, comparing the current upheaval to being “in the center of a tornado.”
The veteran journalist identified two pivotal revolutions, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the advent of Web 2.0. While AI’s impact remains a topic for future discussion, Nikolov focused on Web 2.0, which he described as the catalyst for democratizing information. “Anyone is now a news consumer and a news producer,” he said. “This is a model which is unprecedented.”
Nikolov highlighted how Web 2.0 dismantled the traditional one-to-many communication model, replacing it with a dynamic where “anyone can talk to anyone.” He noted that social networks, born from this revolution, have turned roughly five billion people into potential news sources. “Media lost their monopoly on news,” he declared. “It totally changed our role as journalists.”
The implications are profound. In an era where news travels at the speed of seconds, 86,470 of them in a day, as Nikolov highlighted, the old 24/7 news cycle is obsolete.
“If your mindset is 24-7, then basically you live in the 20th century,” he said.
Despite the apparent abundance of sources, Nikolov warned of hidden biases. “You think that you have unlimited sources, but in reality, you are being steered to one particular source,” he said, citing some search engines as gatekeepers with their own agendas. He dismissed the notion of absolute neutrality in journalism, calling it a “lie.”
“No source can be 100% neutral,” he asserted, drawing on his experience working for both governmental and opposition media.
Nikolov urged audiences to seek diverse sources to form a balanced view.
“The only chance for regular news consumers to get a versatile picture is to find a few sources of news which will cover news from different angles,” he advised.
As the session concluded, Nikolov left his participants with a sobering reflection on how the digital revolution has irrevocably altered journalism, demanding adaptability and critical thinking from both producers and consumers of news.
“We are more and more into the business of persuading people that we should be their news,” he said, underscoring the new reality for media professionals.
Chioma Kalu
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