Media leaders from across the Global South gathered in Xi'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Thursday for the inauguration of the Global South Media Partners Mechanism and the 13th Global Video Media Forum (VMF), issuing a unified call to reclaim control over their own narratives and harness emerging technologies to combat misinformation.
Themed "Building Consensus for Shared Benefits: Media's Role in Global Governance," the event brought together hundreds of government officials, leaders of international organizations, and representatives of major media outlets from across the Global South.
The aim was to exchange views on enhancing the voice of developing countries, promoting fairness and equity in international communication, and sharing compelling stories of peace and development.
Attendees at the forum emphasized the crucial importance of this platform in promoting a more balanced and authentic representation of their nations.
"Our stories have been told through the lens of other people. They don't know our experiences, they've not experienced what we have experienced. So it's important for us to come up with our own narrative, share the stories. For a long time, especially in Africa, stories have always been told about poverty, with just statistics, and with despair, hopelessness. Yet, there are great things happening in Africa. Thus, it's important to have this Global South Media [Partners] Mechanism, whereby we will tell our stories from our own experiences," said Agnes Kalekye Nguna, managing director of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, in an interview with CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) on the sidelines of the event.
The event highlighted a growing consensus that media is not just a messenger of news, but a powerful tool of soft power.
"Today, the media serves as a vital bridge, bringing the peoples of the Global South and their diverse perspectives closer. As such, we view it as a powerful tool of soft power, fostering mutual understanding and advancing the shared values of equality, peace, and coexistence," said Ahmed Al Alawi, editor-in-chief of the United Arab Emirates–based Al-Ain News.
A central focus of the discussions was the urgent need to harness emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to detect and fight disinformation.
"I think many changes will come, especially at this time when we have artificial intelligence -- just to give you an example -- and we know China is at the top of countries with developing this solution. With the platform, we, as countries from the Global South, will have access to these technologies and technologies of some exchange, so it will be very critical and helpful in the job we want to do, because today is not only speaking about what is going on -- it's news -- but it's always about fighting disinformation, fighting fake news. And if you want to fight all those things, you need to be ready, you need to be prepared," said Patrick Muyaya, minister of communication and media of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of the Delovoy Kazakhstan newspaper, emphasized that media professionals bear a fundamental responsibility to report the news with objectivity and integrity — and to ensure the voices of the Global South are heard.
"You have to tell the truth and speak louder in the voice of the Global South and its countries, because Western countries and media are not always objective or truthful in their reports. As media workers, we understand and see our responsibility to be objective and truthful," said Korzhumbayev.
The VMF is an annual professional journalism forum launched in 2011 by the CCTV Video News Agency under the China Media Group. It focuses on the latest trends in video communication and innovation, providing a specialized and interactive platform for media professionals from China and abroad.
Global South media leaders attending Xi’an forum call to redefine narratives, embrace AI
