Interview: BRICS media to deepen cooperation under action plan

By Hou Qiang and Liu Xin

BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhuanet) -- "We will, in fact practically implement media cooperation in the BRICS countries, not just in a sort of ideas, but in the real, deep and meaningful way," a leader from South Africa's Independent Media said in an interview on the sideline of BRICS Media Forum in Beijing on Thursday.

Zenariah Barends, co-chairperson of BRICS Media Forum and chief of staff with South Africa's Independent Media, also said that with the deepening economic and cultural ties and collaboration between China and South Africa and other African countries as well, China and South Africa would jointly cover many areas under an action plan for media cooperation.

The BRICS Media Forum "Deepening media cooperation among BRICS countries, promoting equity and justice in international media," was proposed by Xinhua News Agency and jointly initiated with Brazil's CMA Group, Russia's Sputnik News Agency and Radio, the Hindu Group of India and South Africa's Independent Media.

Xinhua will provide one million U.S. dollars to establish the BRICS Media Fund for the implementation of the action plan carrying out pragmatic cooperation, including exchanges of visits, professional training and joint interviews, announced its President Cai Mingzhao at the opening ceremony of the forum.

"People don't really always have the sense of how people live in other parts of the world. So when we cover these human-interested stories, it will break down estrangement and bring people close together," she stressed the virtue of media to promote people-to-people and culture exchange.

Media are a very powerful force and have various communication forms and publicizing platforms, especially in times of information technology, she added.

It is valuable to make the world hear the BRICS voice by influence and platforms of the BRICS media, she added.