Leaders of international media organizations exchanged views on the current challenges and strategic shifts taking place in the contemporary media landscape at the Global South Media Partners Mechanism Inauguration Meeting and the 13th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) in northwest China's Xi'an on Thursday.
Themed "Building Consensus for Shared Benefits: Media's Role in Global Governance," the two-day event has gathered hundreds of government officials, leaders of international organizations, and representatives of major media outlets across the Global South to exchange views on enhancing the voice of developing countries and promoting fairness and equity in the international communications environment. At a panel discussion themed "The Role and Responsibility of Media in Global Governance", guests from around the world emphasized the positive roles the media can play in building trust and understanding among the people of different countries, and highlighted the necessity of promoting South-South cooperation in news production and transmission.
Adrian Wells, managing director of the Luxembourg-based European News Exchange (ENEX), said a significant gap has emerged in international reporting because media organizations in the traditional Global North are cutting back on their overseas reporting due to strained funding models.
He said this has created a crucial opportunity for Global South media agencies to inhabit this space and provide much-needed perspectives from their own nations.
Wells also stressed that if news content from the Global South is presented with clear and compelling messaging, then there is hope it can build a stronger worldwide audience and successfully fill the current void in international news coverage.
Leonardo Attuch, founder and CEO of the news website Brasil 247, noted some of the problems facing the Latin American media landscape. He said that many media companies being under the control of private billionaires has fueled political polarization and social division, both from international and local sources.
"It is creating a situation of a lot of conflict and polarization in our societies. And I think the solution not, in my case but globally, is to learn more about the countries where the system is more concentrated in public communication and public information. Therefore, [what's important] is to create public consensus and also to avoid social divisions as we have nowadays in countries like Brazil and many other countries in Latin America," he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Al Alawi, editor-in-chief of the Al-Ain News of the United Arab Emirates, said the media must not view itself merely as a transmitter of information, but as a vital instrument of communication and soft power which can help foster greater cohesion and effectively deliver messages to wider audiences.
Given the challenges brought by modern technological advances such as artificial intelligence, Al Alawi said the establishment of a strong legal and regulatory framework is urgently needed to handle issues such as the spread of misinformation.
"The fabricated news and misleading rumors we see there today must be combated in the right way. There must be appropriate frameworks, foundations and legislation to deal with this problem which we are witnessing today in the fight against misinformation," he said.
Irfan Junaidi, editor-in-chief of Indonesia's Antara News Agency, highlighted the importance of ensuring media content is delivered in an entertaining format. He said that ensuring all types of information are presented in an engaging way is vital due to a major shift in how the younger generations of society are now consuming information.
Najib Gouiaa, the CEO of MediaCity Mauritius, pointed out that the majority of media content being consumed in the Global South tends to be imported but not locally or regionally produced, and believes greater South-South cooperation in the media sector could be vital for expanding media production resources at a more local level.
Established by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) of the China Media Group back in 2011, the VMF focuses on video content dissemination and technological innovations and serves as a key annual exchange platform for global media users and partners.
The event has evolved into a premier global forum, attracting extensive participation from media organizations and professionals worldwide.
This year's gathering also saw the inauguration of the Global South Media Partners Mechanism, which aims to deepen collaboration among media outlets of the Global South, encourage practical cooperation, content sharing, professional training and joint productions, as well as foster dialogue and research among participating media partners.
Media cooperation vital to overcome modern challenges in global news production: forum attendees
