BRICS Media Forum

Context:

Recently, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) launched a three-month-long training programme for journalists.  The programme was an initiative of the BRICS Media Forum.

Relevance:

GS-II: International Relations (Important International Groupings affecting India’s Interests)

Dimensions of the Article:

1. What is BRICS Media Forum?
2. What is BRICS?

What is BRICS Media Forum?

• The Forum was founded in 2015 by media organisations from five nations, including The Hindu (India), CMA Group (Brazil), Sputnik (Russia), Xinhua (China), and Independent Media (South Africa).
• Through exchange and pragmatic cooperation, the forum intends to establish an efficient coordination mechanism among BRICS media, accelerate innovation-driven media growth, and collect stronger impetus for BRICS countries’ development.

What is BRICS?

• BRICS is the international grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• This was set up as a move towards greater multi­polarity; hence the spread across three continents and both hemispheres.
• In terms of GDP, China occupies the second position; India the fifth; Brazil the ninth; Russia the 11th; and South Africa the 35th.
• In terms of growth rates, China grew at 6%; India at 4.5%, Russia 1.7%, Brazil 1.2% and South Africa 0.1%.
• BRICS does not exist in form of organization, but it is an annual summit between the supreme leaders of five nations.
• The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
• The BRICS seeks to deepen, broaden and intensify cooperation within the grouping and among the individual countries for more sustainable, equitable and mutually beneficial development.
• BRICS takes into consideration each member’s growth, development and poverty objectives to ensure relations are built on the respective country’s economic strengths and to avoid competition where possible.
• BRICS is emerging as a new and promising political-diplomatic entity with diverse objectives, far beyond the original objective of reforming global financial institutions.

-Source: The Hindu