Foreign news

China-Latin America Media Forum: Cloud summit highlights media partnership amid calls to unite people through ‘facts’ and ‘science’

Published

5 years ago

August 31, 2020

The news has an important role to play in uniting people across the world against COVID-19 and other human disasters. That’s the message from Shen Haixiong, president of China Media Group, the parent company of CGTN. Shen made the comments at a cloud forum on China-Latin America media cooperation in Beijing on Friday. The event saw CCTV Video News Agency, CCTV-plus and the Latin American Information Alliance sign an agreement to cooperate on a new TV show. Here’s what else Shen, and the other participants, had to say.

SHEN HAIXIONG President, China Media Group “We should strive to battle the pandemic scientifically instead of shifting the blame onto other countries. Viruses know no borders and diseases know no race.

In the face of the severe outbreak of COVID-19, the international community did not flinch from the fight, and people of various countries have braved the virus to look out for each other and tide over our difficulties together, showing the great potential of mankind to love and care and creating a powerful force to battle the pandemic. In safeguarding global public health security, the media should broadcast confidence, not air malicious attacks.

In the face of disasters, the media should aim to unite the public, boost morale, praise the glory of humanity, and radiate warmth and confidence based on all the resources and information we have at our disposal. We should cheer for international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic and pay tribute to frontline medical staff in the global battle against the virus.”

ALICIA BARCENA Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America & the Caribbean “At this very difficult juncture, China has been a very reliable partner and a friend. We are grateful to China for standing and being with us in solidarity when we most needed it.

In a world where international cooperation has been severely weakened in recent years, Latin America and the Caribbean and China have stood firm in the defense of multilateralism and against protectionism. We appreciate in particular the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

There is much to learn from each other. Our experiences, and you, the media, have a key role to play in bridging the mutual knowledge gap that still exists between both sides of the world. As we face a global context full of uncertainty, our partnership must become even stronger by transforming it into a more balanced and equal one. The media on both sides will have a critical role to play.”

JUAN CARLOS ISAZA CEO, Latin American Information Alliance “The media carries a huge responsibility. We also have a responsibility in conducting an accountability check on our governments when necessary. But at the same time, we should also support the governments who do their best to fight the pandemic while giving hope to the audience who seek truth and credibility in news

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Foreign news

French Envoy Seeks Collaboration With NAN To Boost Seamless Relationship

Published

1 month ago

February 5, 2025

The Gleamer

The new French envoy to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, on Wednesday called for collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) toward strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.

Fonbaustier, who is the French ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, NAN’s Managing Director, in Abuja.
The ambassador said that his purpose of visiting was to pay tribute to the MD, and to seek collaboration in three areas with a view to promoting stronger, seamless and fruitful partnership between both countries.

He added that Nigeria and its people were hospitable, especially to the foreigners and ambassadors alike.

He added that Nigeria was a country with so much energy, strength, stamina and so many talents.

In Nigeria, with the population of this size, it is inevitable that the elites of the country are very outstanding, “and there may be a Franco/Nigeria moments now”, he jokes.

According to him, France and Nigeria can collaborate more and learn from each other.
“I could feel it particularly during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu which took place in November 2024.

“I was there and I could see the intensity, the strength and the scope of the partnership, and I am here to scale up that partnership in all sectors.

“I am coming here for three reasons, first, to pay a tribute to the NAN MD and his team for the quality of this agency. We can testify that the contents that you publish are very factual, and also very well set up and structured.

“You do fact checking and you really do try to provide the community with quality information. I think, as a French ambassador, I can recognise that as part of a living democracy,” he said.

The French ambassador said the second reason for the visit was to intimate the NAN MD of France’s eagerness to go on partnership with NAN saying he hoped for assurance of a seamless, fluid and easy relationship.

He said that his third reason stemmed from his observation that NAN recently signed some partnership framework agreements with Egypt and China, saying “it may be time to think of balancing this partnership with others”.

“Especially with French, and to talk with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to see if there’s ground for a closer relationship between NAN and AFP.

“Which is also a recognised agency like yours, and I bet you the sky will be the limit to the collaboration, ’’he said.

Responding, the NAN MD informed the envoy that the agency was African’s biggest news content provider on account of its size.

Ali gave the envoy a little details of the agency’s operation and its outreach, saying “as our continent’s biggest news content provider, we have offices nationwide and in selected African countries.

“We have offices in countries such as South Africa, Cote d’ivoire, Addis Ababa, and then we have offices also beyond the shores of Africa. We have in New York and we are the only resident wire service in the United Nations.

“At a time in the past, the agency had 11 foreign offices, including Moscow, and presently, we are trying to re-open some of our shut offices, especially in London.
“We value partnership and understanding that we have with similar news organisation such as Reuters and, incidentally, we have a long standing relationship with AFP which you just raised.
“I know for years we have exchange of news between NAN and AFP but it’s a cooperation that we will like to strengthen and with your greater involvement,’’ he said.

The MD commended the ambassador for reaching out and engaging with some Nigerians communities to douse the tension of the allegation made by the Nigeriens.

He also lauded the envoy’s leadership and visibility to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, “which has helped to douse the perception and misconceptions about France, especially in the Sahel”.
“I think you have helped to reverse some of this perceptions. I thank you for the kind words that you said about the agency and about our management.

“We also see partnership as an important tool in checking the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen instances where fake news has done great deal of damage, and with the coming of social media it has done even greater damage.

“Our country is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the increasing insecurity, and the social media has been used by those who do not want to see our country to prosper,” Ali said.
He further said that NAN was a credible news agency that always fact check to correct the wrong narratives by those who are in the business of causing troubles.

He also told the envoy that the agency has its content in the Nigerian indigenous languages, starting with Hausa and it would proceed to Yoruba and Igbo languages later, “then later in future to French.

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