TEHRAN-The Iranian Mehr Media Group and Xinhua News Agency of China have inked a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of media and information.

The CEO of Mehr Media Group, which consists of Mehr News Agency and English-language daily Tehran Times, Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, and Fu Hua, president of Xinhua signed the MoU with the aim of expanding media cooperation between the two news agencies, strengthening the exchange of information, news and new media technologies.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the 6th World Media Summit that opened in Urumqi, the capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Monday, Mehr reported.

The memorandum creates a platform for improving professional exchanges among journalists, facilitating the sharing of media experiences, and developing cooperation in the field of media technologies. The signing of the MoU shows the commitment of both institutions to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote media standards at the international level.

Moreover, the Persian version of Xinhua’s research report, which highlights China's practice of a new development format that underscores the symbiotic relationship between humanities and economy, was released during the summit.

Titled “The Humanomics in the New Era,” the report was originally published in Chinese, English, French, and Russian by New China Research, Xinhua's think tank, during the 5th WMS last year. It has now been translated into Persian by Mehdi Kashefifard and published by Mehr Media Group.

At the release ceremony, Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati presented the Persian edition to Fu Hua and said: “The report offers fresh insights for countries like Iran by introducing innovative theories on the coordinated development of the people, the culture, and the economy. He said that the group hopes to introduce more Chinese experiences and solutions to the Iranian people.

Themed “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation,” the 6th summit has gathered over 500 participants from 106 countries and regions, including representatives of 208 mainstream media outlets, government agencies, and international organizations, which are engaged in discussions highlighting the transformative impact of AI on the global media industry. They examine the media's evolving role and responsibilities amid this technological revolution.

In his keynote address at the opening ceremony, Fu Hua said: “We should proactively align with the technological wave, closely track the advancement of AI, particularly generative technologies like ChatGPT and Sora, and seize every opportunity for media innovation”.

Describing opportunities and challenges that AI brings to media development as “enormous, even disruptive,” Fu underlined the importance of “humans having the final say in human-machine interaction”.

“We should move beyond 'tech-centric thinking' and effectively leverage the initiative of editors and reporters,” he said.

Fu said Xinhua is willing to work with media peers to establish a transnational, cross-regional AI media lab. He emphasized the importance of enhancing AI-related experience and achievement sharing to help bridge the “digital divide,” calling on global media to set professional standards to maintain journalistic ethics in the AI era.

The summit has released a joint statement emphasizing the importance of rationally adopting AI technologies while upholding journalistic ethics and professional standards.

The statement called for enhanced collaboration within the global media sector to share advancements in AI development, thereby facilitating high-quality development worldwide.

Besides Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mehr Media Group Ahmad Madahi has also attended the event.

The 6th World Media Summit will run until October 17.

Photo: The CEO of Mehr Media Group Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati (L) and Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, at the signing ceremony in Urumqi, China, October 14, 2024.

SS/SAB