BRICS media urged to take responsibility for promoting cooperation, dialogue

A media forum in Cape Town, South Africa called Wednesday on press organizations to take responsibility to promote dialogues between people around the world.

The 3rd BRICS Media Forum opened in Cape Town, South Africa on July 18, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

Co-hosted by South Africa's Independent Media and China's Xinhua News Agency, the third BRICS Media Forum is held with the theme of "BRICS Media Cooperation - Fostering an Inclusive, Just World Order," and attended by representatives from 48 BRICS media.

The media's important role was highlighted at a panel chaired by Japhet Ncube, editor of The Star, one of South Africa's largest English language daily newspaper.

Ncube set the terms of the panel deliberations by placing the responsibility and role of the media within a broader context where it must engage both its influence and its essential role, asking: "How do we use power?"

Fang Jiangshan, deputy editor-in-chief of the People's Daily, stressed that the media had a prominent role in ensuring a shift in paradigms because it was "the reporter of our time."

Fang said that BRICS countries should "share information on economic growth" and that this should be underwritten by a "fight for multilateralism."

Noting that the media play an important role in promoting development and that the constellation of countries which had coalesced into one of the world's foremost economic block had taken the lead in solving problems faced by developing countries, Fang urged media entities within BRICS countries to be positive and inspiring in challenging negative narratives and to "tell the good BRICS stories."

BRICS should be promoted as an entity to fight for the common destiny of mankind, Fang added.

Humberto Rezende, an online editor for Correio Braziliense, said that there were common narratives within BRICS countries, but opportunities for partnerships are not fully understood. According to Rezende, cooperation is necessary to be carried out to overcome poverty and find "a sustainable way to a just world order."

The need to take initiative and present a comprehensive narrative of the BRICS positions to build broad traction was also addressed by Sun Shangwu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.

Sun said the true narrative that needs to emerge more clearly is that "BRICS countries now have more say in the world."

Addressing the changing media landscape, the Hindu's editor Mukund Padmanabhan said that "in talking about strengthening the BRICS narrative, we are talking about not merely the media's role but critically also its responsibilities."

"I think if we are collectively going to strengthen the BRICS narrative going forward, we must ask ourselves not merely how much more influence we can wield in this unequal world, but how much more responsible we can be in a world where the very practice of journalism is undergoing profound changes with the advent of the digital age and the growing influence of the social media," Padmanabhan said.

"The term 'responsibilities of the media' has a special resonance in the times we live in. I hope our discussions, our action plans, and our attempts at greater cooperation always have our duties and obligations to the profession at the forefront of our collective exercise," Padmanabhan said, adding that "such an effort is good for us. It will be also good for the very future of journalism."

Wang Xiaohui, who is editor-in-chief of China.org.cn., further examined the terrain on which the BRICS Media Forum seeks to build strong traction for change.

Touching on the development of the mobile Internet, Wang said that media houses in BRICS countries should make full use of new technologies and applications presented in the era of new media to tell the stories and convey the voices of the BRICS to the world more effectively.