The Global South Media has been urged to shape a media landscape that reflects the complexity, beauty, and aspirations of its people.
Mr Philly Moilwa of the South African Broadcasting corporation (SABC) said this at the opening of the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Forum on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum has ‘’Building Consensus to Amplify the Voice of the Global South’’ as its theme.
He said that this would not only give the continent a voice but an identity to re-assert itself as a more balanced, inclusive, and equitable global media landscape.
‘’The Global South stands at a defining moment in history. We are no longer passive observers of global transformation we are its architects.
‘’Our nations represent most of the world’s population, vibrant societies filled with creativity, innovation, and resilience. Yet, too often, our stories, challenges, and triumphs are filtered through external lenses or marginalized in dominant narratives.
‘’This conference … is an act of reclaiming agency, a declaration that our voices matter, that our realities deserve authentic representation, and that our cooperation must transcend borders, languages, and ideologies.’’
He said that media institutions across Africa and Global South carry a moral responsibility to advance peace journalism that tells stories that build understanding rather than division.
He added that this forum would strengthen a collective capacity to share verified information, exchange best practices in conflict-sensitive reporting and establish cross-border mechanism for fact checking and content verification.
Moilwa said that in spite of progress, global narratives remain dominated by a handful of powerful platforms headquartered in the Global North.
This imbalance, he said, shapes how Africa, Asia, and Latin America are perceived and how their development priorities are defined.
He, therefore, said the Global South Media should promote fair content exchange, and establish ethical frameworks that safeguard public interest journalism.
‘’Innovation must be coupled with accountability from algorithmic transparency in digital platforms to regulatory harmonization across borders.
‘’Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers vast possibilities, but it also poses ethical challenges of bias, accuracy, and job losses.
‘’We believe Global South broadcasters must shape AI policies that reflect our own values, not those imported uncritically from elsewhere.
‘’Mutual learning is not one directional. Africa has as much to teach the world as it has to learn.
‘’Our storytelling traditions, community-based media, and oral heritage provide valuable models for global understanding.
‘’Through training exchanges, fellowship programmes, and collaborative journalism, we can nurture a new generation of media professionals who embody the values of truth, empathy, and inclusiveness,’’ he said.
He said that the varied challenges were being faced by Global South Media in spite of the opportunities that abound for them.
He said these include shrinking revenue streams due to audience fragmentation and global streaming platforms, and political and commercial pressures undermining editorial independence.
Others are limited digital infrastructure in rural areas, regulatory inconsistencies hampering cross-border collaboration; and the dominance of global technology giants controlling advertising markets and user data.
‘’The task before us is clear, to strengthen unity, foster connectivity, drive innovation, and deepen mutual understanding.
‘’Let this forum not mark the end of a conversation, but the beginning of a collective movement, a movement that positions the Global South not as the subject of others’ stories, but as the storyteller of its own destiny.
‘’Together, let us shape a media landscape that reflects the complexity, beauty, and aspirations of our people,’’ he said.(NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
