Presentation at 10+3 Media Cooperation ForumBy Dr. Jeong-Woo Kil
President and CEO of JoongAng m&b
Publisher at large of the JoongAng Daily Seoul, Korea
First Session: Role of Media in promoting regional cooperation
Media is playing a certain role in modus operandi of each society which has different historical and cultural experiences. And the role of media has been changing depending on the level of societal development. In South Korea, for example, media has enjoyed its influence over every step and every sector of society in 70s, 80s, and even early 90s when military authoritarian government ruled and no full democracy was guaranteed. Close ties between some media and the authoritarian government limited the role of media as a tool of propaganda and not as representing diverse voices/ opinions of society.
In regard of regional cooperation and integration of many countries sharing different level of development and not necessarily sharing their history, we should not overestimate the role of media in enhancing political trust, mutually beneficial economic cooperation and in extending cultural understanding and exchanges of their peole.
In some countries major media, especially broadcasting TV (sometimes owned or controlled by the government) is manipulated by the government and cannot play a role as balanced messengers for readers and viewers.
However, we should not as well underestimate the positive role of media which can connect people in different culture and broadening the common ground for cooperation between governments and countries.
In some cases, major media can play a certain role in preventing the controversial matters between countries and cultures from getting worsened, but in most cases media are often criticized as it highlights the issue.
We, the Korean newspaper group has hosted for the last ten years, called the Asia-Europe Press Forum(formerly Asia Forum), a gathering of senior media people from Asian and European countries in Seoul and have an informal two-day talks on the current issues and contribute to enhancing understanding between different cultures and countries. That is a good example for the media to play a certain positive and constructive role..
We, JoongAng media group also launched two years ago, called the Northeast Asia Trilateral Forum, a gathering of 30 senior distinguished people from China, Japan and Korea and discuss informally potentially controversial issues between countries and the region. This Forum is supported by three major media group of three countries and introduce some selected gist of the talks to the people of three countries.
Free Trade Agreement(FTA) has remained for the last two years in Korea a controversial issue and raised lots of debate in Korean society as well as in political circle. Media in this process played a certain role to highlight the problematic points in the FTA between Korea and the U.S. and sometimes played a constructive role in educating the people. Any media in any country should get prepared for taking some role play to get sided or get balanced as well as educating people by promoting information flow which guarantees product and service flow which FTA really stands for.
Second Session: How to deliver and strengthen Asia’s voice
Asian countries have time to time suffered from self-imposed obsession that they are wrongly and in unbalanced manner represented by the Western media. Yes. Sometimes that is correct, but not necessarily ..and Asian societies would better be proud of their own success and development in economic wealth as well as societal maturity including press freedom and media industry.
Problems might be in Asian countries’ mindset in dealing with Western media. For example, Western media could get access to the information more easily than Asian reporters mostly because Asian sources of information simply think Western media are more influential and more balanced in their reporting. As far as such mindset keeps unchanged, Asians cannot simply blame Western media’s voice is louder and influential than Asians.
Asian countries and information sources could better treat well their own media and reporters and respect their talent..then more balanced and better reporting and news would come out from our own regional media which eventually is to draw attention and respect from other Western media and societies.
For example, when we report on six-party talks on North Korean nuclear issue, the Chinese host authorities should treat our Asian countries’ reporters and media well or preferably better than do other Western media reporters..Well.. that is not the case. Asian regional countries are more influenced by the result of the six-party talks and have naturally more attention to the issue. The Chinese host should keep that in mind.
As far as information technology is concerned, Asian countries especially Japan and Korea are often mentioned ahead of the trend in technology development. We now should pay further attention to the media as an industry from our previous and current mindset to approach the media from journalism’s perspective. Then we could get more sensitive to the information technology growth and will have a more powerful media business which can compete with Western media mogul. (Which probably is the way to increase the voice and influence of Asian media and societies.)
Third Session: 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and its Reporting
No doubt, the Beijing Olympics will be a big success and will contribute to the regional peace as well as harmonious world by enhancing understanding between different cultures.
We as Asian media do not expect any special treatment compared with other Western media, and we do just want fair opportunities provided to all media coverage and reporting. But we should face the reality that some Western TV are more powerful and strong in transferring image and message to the world comparing with major Asian media including TVs.
I just hope our Asian media would get prepared for making their program and coverage added by their own touch of skill and sense based on unique demand of their viewers and readers. In this process, the Beijing Olympic authorities would provide equally to Asian media with affluent information and reporting opportunities. And I trust the host in this regard. Which will make the Beijing Olympics a uniquely successful event. (end)
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