Cape Town - Dr Iqbal Survé on Thursday presented the BRICS Media Forum Action Plan (2018 – 2019) to delegates at the two-day conference attended by leaders of 38 mainstream media organisations from BRICS countries, and other African countries.
In presenting the plan, Survé said this year’s forum – jointly held by China’s Xinhua News Agency and Independent Media, and under the banner of ‘BRICS Media - Fostering an Inclusive, Just World Order’ – was important in promoting personnel exchanges, promoting mutual learning amongst BRICS media outlets, and enhancing practical cooperation among BRICS countries.
Present at the forum were leaders of the five initiating media organisations, including China’s Shanghai United Media Group; Brazil’s CMA Group; Russia’s TV BRICS; India’s Indian Express, and representatives from media agencies in Uganda, Liberia, Tanzania and Zambia, amongst others.
The forum allowed for delegates and media leaders to seek new ways to enhance cooperation among the new media in BRICS countries and BRICS Media.
Survé said that with the formation of a multi-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging cooperation pattern, the BRICS co-operation
mechanism has become an influential platform for cooperation on the global stage.
The Action Plan was presented in keeping with the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusivity and cooperation, “in order to contribute to the development of the next “golden ten years” as well as the brighter future of our mankind”.
The Action Plan includes:
• Encouraging exchanges between our nations’ public and private media organisations;
• Promoting pragmatic cooperation throughout our media communities;
• Consolidating and extending the circle of friends of BRICS media outlets;
• Following the current trends of news dissemination;
• Taking full advantage of new media (internet and social media);
• Spreading good stories of BRICS cooperation;
• Creating new highlights of BRICS reporting;
• Building a fairer and more just international communication order;
• Developing an education network to develop young journalists;
• Establishing a BRICS media academy for journalists, which will include workshops to be held wherever BRICS meetings are staged;
• Engaging with other nations in terms of ensuring BRICS nation journalists have access to all countries in the world in order to promote and spread responsible and accurate journalism;
• Creating a BRICS news portal/agency;
• Identifying how to create an environment in which there can be people-to-people exchange between journalists and media people throughout the BRICS community.
"The media sector around the globe is undergoing unprecedented changes. BRICS media organisations should adapt to the trend and meet new challenges, use opportunities such as this forum. Engage in high-level talks and mutual visits to share experiences, learn from each other and jointly explore the path of media innovation and development in the internet era,” Survé said.
He added that through the adoption of the Action Plan, BRICS media outlets should expand multilateral and bilateral cooperation under the mechanism of the forum.
The 10th BRICS Summit will take place in Joburg on July 24 and 25.