By Albert Futukpor
Beijing, China May 23, GNA – A two-week seminar to find a new way out for the development of the mainstream/traditional media as well as appreciate the Chinese media industry and enhance international cooperation has ended in Beijing, China.
The seminar, organised by the Research and Training Institute of National Radio and Television Administration of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC.
It was attended by 29 Senior Management Personnel of Mainstream Media of Belt and Road Countries including a representative from the African Union Commission.
The countries were Bulgaria, Cyprus, Cuba, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Iraq, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Zambia.
Participants were taken through various topics including “China’s Radio and Television Development an International Cooperation”, “Chinese Radio and Television Networks and 5G Communication”, Media Technology Innovation and Media and Information Literacy in Internet Age”, “Mode of International Communication of Chinese Culture – Short Videos on New Media Platforms as an Example”, amongst others.
They visited various media houses in Beijing, and Fujian Province including CCTV.Com, Fujian Media Group, Fujian Daily, Fujian Radio and Television Station, Media Convergence Centre at Sharpu County in the Fujian Province, as well as visited tourist and cultural centres, and organisations in Beijing and Fujian Province experiencing the daily lives and enthusiasm of the Chinese people.
They also shared their experiences in media building and management in their countries as well as their thoughts on promoting international cooperation and understanding of general problems faced by the media industry in their countries and how to build a communication system.
Mr. Meng Jichang, President, Research and Training Institute of National Radio and Television Administration of the PRC, speaking during the closing session of the seminar in Beijing on Wednesday, expressed hope that the lessons learnt during the seminar could be inspiring for participants’ future work and media practice in their home countries.
Mr. Jichang said Chinese media organisations from city to county levels were undergoing in-depth transformation and reforms aimed at combining them to serve the whole community, adding “In today’s era of artificial intelligence, technology development and social networking service platform development, traditional media like radio, television, and newspaper need to have a stronger voice.”
He explained that “Our audience is having different channels of receiving messages. So, it is our responsibility to select the necessary information. So, we are faced with common problems like preventing audience from reading or watching fake news and promoting technology development in the media field as well as promoting the communication of news as information in a timely manner.”
He was optimistic that, “in future, hopefully, our countries can cooperate together to promote content and technology related to the media, and I hope that together, we can form a synergy of media and shoulder our responsibility of spreading the information, building the consensus and promoting prosperous community development.”
Mr. Jichang said: “I hope that we can all tell good stories, make the voices of people heard, and build mutual trust together. And together, we can all make our contributions to the building of our community with shared future for all mankind.”
He commended participants for demonstrating professionalism and enthusiasm saying, “Through such cooperation, we can build a sustainable media communication platform.”
Mr. Ian Marshall, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Grenada in China lauded the initiative saying it had provided a unique platform for sharing diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration and enhancing collective understanding of the dynamic field of the mainstream media.
Mr. Marshall said: “In today’s interconnected world, the role of the mainstream media is pivotal as it shapes public opinions, drives social change, and fosters international understanding. Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the media has the power to bridge the gaps, build consensus and highlight or share aspirations as different nations.”
He added: “As this seminar concludes today, I am filled with optimism about the future of the media collaboration between Grenada and China, and of course, each and every country represented in this room today.”
Participants took turns to share their impressions about China and her media sector as well as the Chinese people where they all praised the Chinese Government for its strong support for the media.
GNA