A large contingency of media bosses from across the Global South converged on the Chinese city of Xi’an, a state-built cosmopolitan and national central haven of some 13 million permanent residents to map out a path to a new world order.
The event, held this week in the middle of the Chinese Autumn, was dubbed: “Global South Media Partners Mechanism Inauguration Meeting” and also incorporated the marking of the “13th Global Video Media Forum”.
It was held under the umbrella of the world’s biggest media house, the China Media Group (CMG), with offices in more than 60 countries world-wide and more than 1 billion in audience figures. Also, at the centre of putting the mega event together was the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is at the core of the country’s governance system and political direction.
The meeting saw representatives from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is an intimate affair of little stock-taking and more the thrashing out of the way-forward.
“For far too long we’ve said the Global North does not respect us, but respect must start with ourselves,” said the Fan Yun, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the CMG and Editor-in-Chief of CGTN.
Like all speakers, Yun appealed for urgency in the Global South media cooperation, saying the time to act had come.
Saudi Arabia’s Head of Media Operations at Al Arabiya Media Network, Dina Nimer, who said: “Global South media cooperation is no longer optional. It is essential.”
It was heart-warming to notice the overwhelming attendance of the inaugural conference on the intentional declaration of the China-led Global South media cooperation. It will be marked by exchange of technologies and training through exchange programmes, content and experience sharing as well as the deliberate amplification of the Global South voices in international affairs.
The success of the conference was marked by the signing of the historic “2025 Global South Media Dialogue Consensus”. It was interesting in the it was signed by heads of media houses across the Global South, with an added desire to promote South-South relations.
Five key points from the declaration read as follows:
“(1) Participating media representatives support joint program production and broadcasting, focusing on common topics such as global governance, economy, environment, and culture. They will engage in topic selection, organize reporting, provide finished programs, and arrange broadcasts across their respective media platforms.
(2) Members of the Global South Partner mechanism will utilize the Global South media Nexus platform to facilitate the efficient circulation and open sharing of high-quality news materials, premium program resources, and customized cooperation, enhancing content production efficiency and quality for member media outlets.
(3) Participating media representatives support the innovative application of AI technology in the media field, the timely sharing of technological achievements, and the promotion of the transformation and upgrading of media operating models, in order to advance the technological strength of Global South media and make strides in both improving communication efficiency and enhancing its influence.
(4) Participating media representatives support strengthening professional talent training and building immersive communication and practical platforms, focusing on experience sharing in key areas such as content production innovation, new media operation strategies, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies, while providing opportunities for internships.
(5) Participating media representatives support the normalization of the partnership mechanism, establishing long-term stable cooperative relationships among members, and expanding the strength of Global South media to play a greater role in improving global governance.”
I found the document both erudite and courageous at the same time. Additionally, the dynamic document offers a framework on the immediate way-forward in terms of the solidifying the Global South voice as a united force to reckon with. As speaker after speaker alluded to, for far too long the Majority World has played second fiddle to what can only be accurately described as a “Minority World” that is the domineering Global North, the beneficiaries of a post-WWII international world order that was birthed when half the UN members-states only existed as colonies of European conquerors.
South Africa and the AU, the Arab League, Latin America, Asia and the entire Majority World has been crying out for the reforms of the UN system. Everybody seems to agree that it is obsolete, yet the most powerful inside the UN system continue to retain the archaic systems and structures of the world body.
It is an anomaly that through China, the Global South has now rallied to circumvent at least through the media collaboration. After all, journalism is not merely about news coverage. Fundamentally, it is about media representation, agenda-setting and the influence of public opinion. The inaugural conference in China shows the entire world that it does not help to continue to complain to the pillars of an outdated world order. Instead, given the resources, and in particular the brains and courage, former colonial territories that have truly come out of their shell need to focus on themselves – instead of others – and fashion a new way of life where instruments such as the impactful media are channeled in the right direction and driven in ways that benefit the new, emerging world.
As Anthony Greene, President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union told the conference: “Global South media cooperation is more necessary than ever.”
