Cape Town July 19 (IANS) Leaders of media organisations from BRICS countries have met here in South Africa seeking closer cooperation to make their voice heard on major international issues.

In a welcome message on Wednesday at the 3rd BRICS Media Forum the organisers said media cooperation will help to change the narrative of the work BRICS countries are doing Xinhua reported.

The forum is co-hosted by South Africa s Independent Media and China s Xinhua News Agency and themed as "BRICS Media Cooperation - Fostering an Inclusive Just World Order". The Hindu of India CMA Group of Brazil and Sputnik of Russia are co-chairs of the presidium.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day (July 18-19) event Iqbal Surve executive chairman of South Africa s Independent Media said the forum was held on a special occasion as it came just days before the 10th BRICS Summit to be held on July 25-27 in Johannesburg South Africa.

Surve also co-chairman of the BRICS Media Forum said delegates of BRICS media will gather together to discuss ways to deepen pragmatic cooperation so as to better serve the peoples as well as the social and economic development of BRICS countries.

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony Cai Mingzhao president of the Xinhua news agency and executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum said media from BRICS countries share a common responsibility and play a unique role in increasing information sharing promoting common understanding and enhancing the influence of BRICS in international discourse.

"BRICS media should play their constructive role in full. Through news reporting we should push the deepening of practical cooperation among BRICS countries in all aspects jointly forge a closer more extensive and overall strategic partnership and achieve common prosperity and sustainable development " he said.

He also urged media organisations to stick to the three principles in international news reporting namely to be true comprehensive objective and balanced; to be fair just and progressive; and to be people-oriented and caring for all.

Major topics to be discussed at the forum include media s role and responsibility in strengthening the BRICS narrative and measures to enhance new media cooperation in BRICS countries.

A total of 48 media organisations from the five BRICS countries of Brazil Russia India China and South Africa as well as from African nations including Namibia Zambia and Ghana among others are participating in the event.

--IANS pgh/