Media urged to provide 'fair' reportage

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-10-12 11:51

Leaders and representatives of global media organizations have urged media outlets to provide "accurate, objective, impartial and fair" coverage of news events across the globe.

The call was made in a joint statement issued in Beijing over the weekend after a three-day World Media Summit.

In the statement, representatives of 170 global media outlets also urged organizations to promote transparency and accountability of governments and public institutions, and facilitate the mutual understanding as well as exchange of views and ideas among people from different countries and regions.

Media representatives agreed the world was undergoing complicated and profound changes. They said economic globalization, information explosion, and the prevalence of new communication technologies, plus the diversity and integration of world cultures, have provided great opportunities for global media development.

The changes had also "set up an important platform" for media organizations to cover world events and global issues, the statement said.

It said the media could take full advantage of advanced technologies and help push forward reforms and progress in the global media industry.

"We believe the summit will have a widespread, positive and far-reaching effect on the global media industry to prompt media organizations of the world to work together against challenges, enhance collaboration and achieve common development," the statement noted.

Chinese President Hu Jintao delivered a speech at the summit's opening ceremony on Friday. He urged the global media to use their special assets and advantages to convey the messages of peace, development, cooperation, mutual benefit and tolerance.

Hu also encouraged exchanges and cooperation among media outlets on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and trust.

Proposed jointly by Xinhua News Agency, News Corporation, The Associated Press, Reuters, ITAR-TASS, Kyodo, British Broadcasting Corporation, Turner Broadcasting System and Google, the World Media Summit was held in Beijing from Oct 8 to Oct 10.

Media urged to provide 'fair' reportage

About the broadcaster:

Media urged to provide 'fair' reportage

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.