Cai Mingzhao, executive president of the World Media Summit (WMS) and president of Xinhua News Agency delivers a speech at the opening session of the WMS 2016 in Doha, Qatar, March 20, 2016. (Photo: Xinhua/Meng Tao)
World media organizations have pledged to enhance cooperation in an era when traditional media is facing great challenges.
At the World Media Summit (WMS) that opened Sunday, more than 350 delegates of media outlets from 100 countries gathered here to exchange their views on the theme of "The Future of News and News Organizations."
CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES COEXIST
The two-day meeting, hosted by Qatar-based Al Jazeera, comes at a time when media is undergoing profound changes and audience demands are increasingly diversified. Traditional media is facing both major challenges and unprecedented opportunities.
"As executives of media organizations, we all feel the profound changes in the media ecosystem," WMS Executive President Cai Mingzhao said in his speech titled "Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges, Facing Our Future" at the opening ceremony.
Cai, who is also president of Xinhua News Agency, said the rapid development of information networks and digital technology is catalyzing a revolution in mass communication and has brought about unprecedented challenges for traditional news organizations around the world.
"The Internet, while bringing challenges, has opened a new door," he said, adding that the advantages of professional news organizations are "prominent" and "irreplaceable."
"The situation of the media environment is becoming severe," Masaki Fukuyama, president and editor-in-chief of Kyodo News told Xinhua, echoing Cai. "It is a very meaningful opportunity for each media organization to exchange opinions about this situation."
Gary Pruitt, president and CEO of the Associated Press, also highlighted the importance of such a gathering of the world media in current circumstances.
"It's an important gathering of the world media with the focus on the future of the news, and how we can meet the challenges of the market," he said.
"The way of news distribution and the audience have changed today, which is the reality we have to deal with," Pruitt told Xinhua, adding that he will also focus on the common challenges encountered by the world media in his speech.
