On a mid-October afternoon in Baku, the Rashid Behbudov Song Theatre opened its doors not for a concert, though the atmosphere had a strange, quiet intensity that suited a great performance. The occasion was the 9th Congress of Azerbaijani Journalists, a gathering that brought together 225 delegates from across the country — editors, reporters, producers, and writers whose work shapes the nation’s public consciousness. The theatre, named after a singer famous for pouring his soul into Azerbaijani folk songs, was an appropriate setting. Journalism, after all, is also about voice, melody, and the ability to reach a listener’s heart. As…

In an age where words can be manufactured in seconds and made to look as real as the morning news, trust has become one of our most fragile possessions. That fragility was on full display when Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube was forced to issue a strong condemnation of an AI-generated article that falsely claimed the National Senior Certificate English Paper 3 examination had been leaked. For the country’s matriculants, who have been walking a tightrope of anxiety, sleepless nights, and impossible expectations, such a story is more than a mere nuisance—it is a direct blow to the spirit. Imagine…