With over 450 attendees from 101 countries and regions, including representatives from nearly 200 mainstream media outlets, think tanks, government agencies, and international organizations, the summit hosted by Xinhua from 2-8 aims to foster practical cooperation and shape the future of media.

Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency, set the tone in his keynote speech by emphasizing the pivotal role of confidence in navigating the challenges of the media landscape.

He likened confidence to gold, emphasizing its crucial role in shouldering the responsibilities of fostering unity and boosting global confidence for historical development, civilization prosperity, and human progress.

The summit served as a crucial platform for international media communication and cooperation, with Fu Hua calling for efforts to enhance the multilateral mechanism, urging stakeholders to innovate collaboration models and expand cooperation channels.

Xinhua’s commitment to improving communication and consultation processes with media organizations from various countries was explicitly outlined.

Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta, President of Prensa Latina News Agency, expressed his view of the summit as an opportunity to collaborate with other media outlets in providing objective and responsible reports, amplifying the voices of developing countries.

Iqbal Surve, Chairman of South Africa’s Independent Media, also urged media to position itself as the voice of the Global South, emphasizing the role of media as a change agent for social-economic development.

Meanwhile, Roger Agana, Managing Director of News Ghana, stressed the need for the world to know the real Africa and China, asserting the African media’s role in telling authentic stories.

Experts at the summit underscored the importance of South-South cooperation among media in ensuring that the voices of developing countries are heard worldwide.

Seife Deribe Endale, CEO of Ethiopian News Agency, highlighted the need for a grand shared narrative, particularly through the lens of alternative narratives like that of the BRICS, to promote common prosperity globally.

Maria Bernarda Llorente, President of Telam, Argentina’s official news agency, emphasized the significance of South-South communication in building relations between developing countries.

Understanding the World Media Summit

The World Media Summit (WMS), conceived by Xinhua in 2008 to address challenges posed by the emergence of "New Media," has evolved into a dynamic platform for global media collaboration.

Co-initiated by influential organizations such as the Associated Press, Reuters, and TASS Russian News Agency, the inaugural summit took place in Beijing in 2009.

Since then, subsequent summits in Moscow (2012), Doha, Qatar (2016), and Beijing (2021) have showcased the WMS’s commitment to inclusivity, bringing together top executives, editors-in-chief, journalists, media scholars, and press officials. Various documents, including the World Media Summit Joint Statement and conventions on intellectual property protection, have strengthened media connections and promoted cooperation.

The WMS has played a crucial role in fostering international people-to-people exchanges, mutual learning among civilizations, and organizing impactful activities like the World Media Summit Global Awards for Excellence and public welfare projects such as the Global News Day for Children.

Through institutional building, the WMS has secured long-term stability and development.

The 5th World Media Summit not only reflects on past successes but also serves as a guiding light for future collaborations, innovation, and global dialogue within the ever-evolving media landscape.

The summit served as a crucial platform for international media communication and cooperation.

Guests attend a parallel session during the 5th World Media Summit in Nansha District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. The summit attracted more than 450 representatives of nearly 200 institutions from over 100 countries and regions, including media outlets, think tanks and international organizations.

Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency, set the tone in his keynote speech by emphasizing the pivotal role of confidence in navigating the challenges of the media landscape.