Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published: August 21,2023
By Staff Writer
Ahead of the BRICS summit to be held from August22-24 in South Africa, the sixth BRICS Media Forum began on Saturday where participants called for a common voice to speak for the developing nations. Held under the theme, “BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future, the participants will focus on three main topic blocs: “Defending justice: the role of mass media in establishment of a new world order,” “Strengthening of exchanges: the role of mass media in stimulating Africa’s economic growth,” and “Facilitating innovations: the media’s obligation to facilitate ecological development.”
Discussions were held under the theme, “BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future. BRICS Media Forum aims to promote practical cooperation among BRICS media outlets.
The biased coverage of western media on BRICS countries as well as Africa is an indication that western media does not report about BRICS and Africa and therefore the BRICS Media Forum advocates for telling the true narrative. Although there are many positive stories for example on what is happening on the African continent, western media coverage always takes an editorial line that shows Africa as a continent of misery affected by hanger, poverty, disease war, AIDS and so on. “Stories released by media outlets other than the Western ones are labeled as “disinformation” once they diverge from the Western narrative, observed Elizaveta Brodskaya, first deputy editor-in-chief of Russia Today.
The diverse cultures of the BRICS nations enrich the global conversations, and the BRICS media advocate for an inclusive, cooperative and just new world order, said Iqbal Surve, executive chairman of Independent Media of South Africa.
The President of Xinhua News Agency Mr. Fu Hua, also executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum called for advancement of high-quality development of cooperation among BRICS media and promoting the shared values of humanity, jointly advancing the building a more just and equitable international order, better narrating BRICS stories in the new era, and jointly promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Fu Hua, further said that economic integration is a process that everyone must go through, helping each other to arrive at a new civilization. “Our strength lies in our differences. We can strengthen cooperation by sharing experiences in all directions. We must work even harder together now to see BRICS succeed even more,” said Fu.
The BRICS Media Forum was proposed by Xinhua News Agency in 2015 and jointly initiated with mainstream media outlets from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.
