Experts: Cooperation between media outlets key to tackling pandemic

Media organizations around the world should fight disinformation and promote international cooperation to help people of all nations overcome the pandemic, said diplomats and the leaders of more than a dozen media outlets during a symposium in Shanghai on Saturday.

Themed "Unite as One: International Cooperation in the Post-pandemic Era", the symposium was one of the many sub-forums of the Hongqiao International Economic Forum held alongside the fourth China International Import Expo.

Representatives from UNESCO, members of a European Union delegation to China, and leaders of Chinese and foreign media outlets joined in the discussions which took place online and offline.

Gao Anming, vice president and editor-in-chief of China International Publishing Group, said that the pandemic has prevented face-to-face exchanges between people, and this has heightened the need to build and maintain cultural exchange platforms to boost understanding and prevent misconceptions.

"Media play a critical role in this regard," Gao said, adding that the group has since last year organized more than 50 online activities to bolster communication between young people from various nations.

Carolyn Gibson, Chief Revenue Officer of Euronews, said the pandemic has accelerated the ongoing disruption in the media landscape where newsrooms have had to transition to remote work. The importance of fact checking, she added, has also been reiterated amid the deluge of misinformation, especially on social media, about the virus.

Alex Yeow, CEO of the Star Media Group in Malaysia, said in a video speech that despite the constant changes faced, media still places a key role in the development of a healthy society.

"Our role was made even more crucial given the surge of misinformation, heightened fears and uncertainty amid pandemic," he said."When media houses work hand-in-hand, we can bring about more substantial and verified content in diversified forms, which ultimately help people make informed decisions on things that matter."

Yury Tavrovsky, chairman of the Russian Side of the Expert Council of China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development, said that steps should be taken to allow the world to learn more from China's experience in containing the pandemic.

"I suggest the building of a media information exchange center in China where international media outlets can access authoritative data and resources from Chinese media, so that journalists in other countries can report more about the nation's successful experiences," said Tavrovsky.

"It is only by fighting the spread of disinformation can we win the fight against the pandemic," he added.