4th WMS issues joint statement

BEIJING, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The fourth World Media Summit (WMS), hosted by Xinhua News Agency on Monday, issued a joint statement.

Representatives from over 240 media outlets across the globe attended the event in Beijing either by person or online.

Under the theme of "Media Growth Strategy under the Impact of COVID-19," the attendees held in-depth exchanges on five topics, namely, "Media Development: New Technology, Better Vision," "Media Marketing: New Partners, New Markets," "In the Spirit of Science and Cooperation: Media Response in Public Health Emergencies," "Media: A Bridge Among Civilizations," and "Role of Media in Global Development," the statement said.

The participants called on global media to share authentic, objective, and comprehensive information in the battle against COVID-19, and jointly uphold the authority and credibility of the media to secure the health and wellbeing of humanity, the statement said.

Noting that the impact of the once-in-a-century global changes and unprecedented pandemic are intertwined, the participants agreed that the media sector around the world should adhere to objectivity and truth, uphold justice, promote people-to-people exchanges, enhance mutual understanding, and build bridges of mutual learning among civilizations.

In face of COVID-19, global media should focus on the economic and social development of all countries and give full play to the positive role of the media in informing the public, according to the statement.

The participants called on the media industry to evolve with the times and use new technologies to drive its transformation and development, the statement said, adding that media organizations should focus on the use of new media technologies and markets to provide interactive, service-oriented, and experiential news and information services.

This summit has enhanced understanding and friendship among the media and will pool a powerful force for building a community with a shared future for humanity and a better world, the statement said.

The WMS is a high-end communication and coordination platform for global media. The summit also announced awards for its winter sports photo contest.

The participants look forward to media coverage of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games, the statement added. Enditem