The Fifth World Media Summit kicked off on Saturday in the Guangdong Province of China, with about 400 delegates attending, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Of the figure, 200 are heads of mainstream media outlets, while other participants are government officials and representatives of international organisations globally.
This year’s Summit is focusing on “Boosting Global Confidence, Promoting Media Development”.
It is expected that delegates will brainstorm on issues of common interests and concerns, one of which is the role of the media in promoting human development and security.
Others are media’s response to new technological opportunities and challenges, the media new markets in the digital age and the media’s worldwide cooperation for a better future.
In addition to the plenary session and parallel forums, delegates will have the opportunity to visit leading tech firms which started on Friday with a tour of GAC Technology Museum.
At the GAC Technology Museum, the delegates were amazed by the array of concept vehicles, some of which will soon hit the market.
Among such futuristic vehicles were driverless minivans and race cars powered by electricity.
NAN reports that delegates to the Summit from across the globe arrived on Friday and quickly settled into business.
Nigeria is represented at the Summit by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Blueprint, a privately-owned newspaper.
NAN managing director Ali M. Ali is expected to deliver a goodwill message and a paper with the title: “Bolstering Confidence: Media’s role in Promoting Human development and security.”
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.
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 organisations with global influence — including Xinhua News Agency, the Associated Press, Reuters, TASS Russian News Agency, the first summit, organised 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.
(NAN)
