Cape Town - The 3rd BRICS Media Forum is currently under way in Cape Town, under the theme of ‘BRICS Media Cooperation – Fostering an Inclusive, Just World Order’.
Delegates from the various BRICS nations are attending the two-day forum, a precursor to next week’s BRICS Summit in Joburg.
Speaking during a panel discussion of six international keynote speakers discussing ‘strengthening the BRICS narrative: the media’s role and responsibility’, China’s Fang Jiangshan said it was important for the BRICS countries to deepen their cooperation in a world that was becoming increasingly polarised.
The Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China’s People’s Daily said that changing the narrative of international reporting by sharing a unified BRICS voice would ensure that all voices would be heard.
“It’s important in a time of unilateralism that the media plays the role on behalf of those who are silenced. If we have a common hope and feelings, then distance cannot set us apart,” Jiangshan said.
“The media are recorders for the times and reporters for our people’s needs. We must maintain correct and strategic reporting and let the world know the truth about BRICS.”
Picture: Latashia Naidoo/Weekend Argus
Jiangshan said there were three outcomes which needed to be implemented by the global media in order to achieve these unified goals.
“We must share information on economic growth and decrease negative reporting on the BRICS cooperation. We must tell good BRICS stories and try to describe the successful outcomes of the BRICS cooperation by promoting human values and conveying BRICS spirits.
“We must make our voices sounding boards for world peace and the fight for multilateralism.
“Finally, all BRICS countries have huge influences and we play a huge role in promoting inclusive and equitable economic growth. As media, we should convey BRICS spirits and voices,” Jiangshan said.
He concluded that it was symbolic that today’s summit was being held on Nelson Mandela’s centenary, as the world could learn from the values and ideals embodied by the late former statesman.
“There’s an African proverb which says: ‘If you want to walk fast you walk alone; if you want to walk far you walk together. We must follow in Mandela’s footsteps by working together as BRICS countries to bring about change,” Jiangshan said.