CGTN Global Media Summit tackles media challenges

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The very first CGTN Global Media Summit and Video Media Forum 2017 kicked off on Tuesday morning in southern China’s Hainan Province.

Nearly 100 media organizations from 45 countries have gathered to seek solutions to the challenges and opportunities the traditional media world is facing.

One of the issues concerns the growth of social media platforms into competitive mainstream news sources.

CGTN controller Jiang Heping said his vision for the future of global media is one of common concerns being tackled together.

"We must explore the ways and solutions to those problems and challenges ahead of us. That’s why we sit together, talk together and find solutions," he said.

CGTN controller Jiang Heping./CGTN Photo

Jiang used the opening speech to put a case for media integration. "Some argue that content is king," he said. "Others champion technology and yet others put accessibility above everything else. In the media today, only integration can be king."

The summit is co-hosted by the China Global Television Network and its content provider CCTV+.

In October, CGTN launched its news center – one that attempted to break the barriers of TV and social media – hoping to provide one solution to the challenges.

"We CGTN is a brand new media, we don’t have any history burdens.," Jiang said. "We could embrace all the technologies and all the solutions to the new media as well as the traditional media. CGTN’s TV channels and digital media platforms are well equipped to adopt invigorated approaches in content gathering and presentation and thereby to share with and involve their users."

In a panel discussion, experts from five TV broadcasters – CGTN, CNN, RT, Al Jazeera and ARD – shared their thoughts and experience on media convergence.

Many worry this trend might dilute the essence of news, but industry insiders say convergence doesn’t mean the loss of true news values.

Lyu Ningsi, editor-in-chief of Phoenix Satellite Television, said, "It’s a trend that we transform from traditional and social media to convergent media, or even smart media like AI. But traditional media shouldn’t forget its original inspiration and professional journalism with the change of communication instruments."

In a time when fake news on social media can influence a country’s elections and politics, sticking to professional journalism is especially important for traditional media outlets.

John Pullman, Reuters’ global head of video and pictures said, "If what we publish is accurate, honest, truthful and useful to the reader or the viewer, it’s really important that those core values (have) a chance of succeeding."

The CGTN Global Media Summit will continue for a second day when technology and media leaders will discuss the future integration of media and technology.

The summit will be CGTN’s biggest annual media event in the future.