Media assess role in covering BRICS

Media in the five member countries of the BRICS should deepen their cooperation, tell great stories and inject more dynamism into the partnership, a senior leader in the Communist Party of China said on Wednesday.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a meeting with journalists attending the BRICS Media Forum in Beijing.

BRICS comprises five major developing countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The forum was a preparatory event ahead of the ninth BRICS Leaders Meeting in Xiamen, Fujian province, in September.

Liu told the attending media executives and veteran reporters that media cooperation is a key area for BRICS countries.

The group has existed for more than a decade (South Africa was added later, in 2010), and has become an important driver for boosting world economic growth, perfecting global governance and promoting democracy in international relations, Liu said.

China expects to work with other BRICS member countries to achieve more consensus and bring cooperation to a higher level, he added.

Delegates attending the media meeting said they hoped to use the forum as a chance to exchange their experiences to contribute more to BRICS cooperation.

On Wednesday morning, the BRICS Media Joint Photo Exhibition was opened at the National Museum of China in downtown Beijing to show the development and cooperation of BRICS. The exhibition displays more than 170 photos spanning a half century.

"As the BRICS cooperation enters its second decade, the launch of today's photo exhibition ... is our tribute to the decadelong BRICS cooperation, and symbolizes our best wishes for its future," said Cai Mingzhao, executive president of the BRICS Media Forum and president of Xinhua News Agency.

Motshwari Mofokeng, a photographer from Independent Media in South Africa, said the event is a good opportunity to strengthen partnerships between news agencies.

The BRICS Media Forum attracted leaders of 27 media groups from the five BRICS countries, including Correio Braziliense, Russia Today TV, the Hindu, China Daily and Independent Media.

The attendees will discuss topics including multimedia innovation, as well as the duties and social responsibility of media outlets.

Xinhua contributed to this story.