MERIT forum 2025 participants in gathered in Copenhagen, November 2025. Photo: IMS
MERIT Forum 2025: Exchange in times of turbulence
MERIT Forum 2025 brought together media leaders from Ukraine, Armenia and Denmark. On the agenda: challenges facing journalism and ways to safeguard audiences’ right to high-quality, reliable information.
The MERIT forum is a platform for in-depth dialogue on how media can counter disinformation, withstand various types of attacks, strengthen trust and adapt to rapid changes while remaining committed to high journalistic standards.
During the forum, participants met with representatives of Danish media – DR, Politiken, TV 2 – as well as the Danish Union of Journalists, members of parliament and other key stakeholders. Discussions covered regulatory policy, audience engagement methods, dispute resolution on content, including the role of the Press Council in Denmark, self-regulation, business models and the role of the journalistic community.
“It was a great to have Ukrainians alongside Armenians . Our countries share a common trauma – the Soviet past – and as a consequence attempts by totalitarian systems to maintain and expand control, particularly through media. Today, the situation in Ukraine and Armenia differ, but we still gain from exchange. In dialogue with colleagues you gain new perspective and fresh ideas,” says Anastasia Ravva, general producer at Espreso Media (Ukraine).
“It was important to discuss the situation in media regulation, media ethics, transparency of media ownership and adherence to journalistic standards despite all the challenges journalism faces,” commented Varduhi Petrosyan, press-secretary of the Compulsory Enforcement Service of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia and professor of journalism at the Yerevan State University.
Themes of the MERIT Forum in Copenhagen included disinformation, information wars, media resilience in times of various attacks, challenges linked to the use of artificial intelligence, and the role and responsibility of global technology companies.
To Gohar Khodjayan, IMS programme manager, the MERIT Forum, held in Copenhagen in November 2025, underscored the importance of collaborative approaches to strengthen media resilience and uphold democratic values across Europe.
“By bringing together diverse perspectives, the Forum fostered dialogue on safeguarding information integrity and advancing inclusive legislative frameworks. It also offered Armenians and Ukrainians a unique opportunity to meet and exchange regional experiences and perspectives, enriching the conversation with insights from both contexts.”
About MERIT Forum
The MERIT Forum is part of REACH: Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust, IMS’s regional programme in the Eastern Partnership, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MERIT aims to foster democratic, inclusive, and resilient media environments through knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and regional cooperation. Special attention is given to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and alignment with EU standards and international human rights norms.
You can find information about Merit Forum 2025 activities here:
MERIT Forum exchange on media resilience | IMS
Calling Ukrainian media experts – applications open for MERIT FORUM 2026
