Explainer: What’s worth knowing about upcoming World Media Summit

In the dynamic landscape of global media, the World Media Summit stands as a pivotal forum for fostering collaboration and addressing challenges, bringing together leaders and influencers from diverse corners of the world to engage in meaningful dialogue.

Here is some essential information worth knowing about the World Media Summit.

WHAT IS WORLD MEDIA SUMMIT?

The notion of holding the summit was first proposed by Xinhua in 2008 with the aim of facilitating exchanges among leading media groups worldwide on the challenges posed by the emergence of the « New Media » and enhancing their win-win cooperation.

Co-initiated by a collection of media organizations with global influence — including Xinhua News Agency, the Associated Press, Reuters, TASS Russian News Agency, the first summit, organized by Xinhua, was held in Beijing in 2009.

With Moscow hosting the second in 2012, followed by the third in Doha, Qatar, in 2016, and Beijing in 2021 for the fourth summit via video link, the World Media Summit has demonstrated its commitment to inclusivity and a diverse representation of global media perspectives.

From top executives and editors-in-chief to seasoned journalists and media scholars, as well as press officials, the summit seeks to foster dialogue, share insights and collectively address the multifaceted challenges confronting contemporary media.

WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY THE SUMMIT?

Since its inception, the summit has achieved remarkable progress in its effort to promote international people-to-people exchanges as well as exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

A series of documents have been issued to strengthen media connections and promote cooperation, including the World Media Summit Joint Statement, the World Media Summit Convention on the Protection of Intellectual Property Related to Media Results, the World Media Summit Doha Statement, the Fourth World Media Summit Presidium Meeting Shanghai Consensus, and the joint statement of the 4th World Media Summit.

Multiple activities have been successfully held to enhance practical cooperation.

For instance, the World Media Summit Global Awards for Excellence were organized in 2014 and 2021. Training programs for media professionals from Asia, Africa and Latin America were set up, and several large-scale international public welfare projects were initiated, like the Global News Day for Children with a global live broadcast around the clock, the Zoom-in on Poverty Global Photo Contest, as well as media campaigns focused on Africa.

Through establishing the presidium, the supreme decision-making body of the summit, and the Secretariat as part of the daily administrative structure, the summit has made significant strides in institutional building, which ensures the long-term stability and development of the summit.

KEY FACTS OF THE FIFTH WORLD MEDIA SUMMIT

The fifth summit will be hosted by Xinhua on Dec. 2-8, in China’s Guangzhou city of Guangdong Province and Kunming city of Yunnan Province.

Over 450 attendees from 101 countries and regions — representatives from nearly 200 mainstream media outlets, think tanks and government agencies, as well as international organizations — will participate in the event this year in the hope of reaching practical cooperation.

Themed « Boosting Global Confidence, Promoting Media Development, » the summit will address topics including bolstering media confidence, coping with opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies, exploring new markets in the digital age, and striving for a shared future in global media cooperation.

Xinhua