In brief
Acting manager Confidence Musariri of the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) announced that his newsroom already deploys artificial intelligence to streamline production and reach wider audiences. He called for a united Global South media network that bypasses Western gatekeepers and leverages social platforms to counter the “one Africa” stereotype. Musariri will seek on‑the‑ground collaboration and AI training at the World Media Summit in Beijing.
On 31 October, Confidence Musariri, Acting Manager for Editorial and Operations at Namibia’s national news agency, pressed for a pan‑Global South media partnership during a Xinhua interview ahead of the World Media Summit in Beijing.
Musariri said his agency has already integrated artificial‑intelligence tools that slash production costs, accelerate content delivery, and extend its audience reach. “We are embracing these technologies to make our news faster and cheaper, and to reach listeners in hard‑to‑reach areas,” he said, noting that the AI system is already in daily use at NAMPA.
He urged newsrooms across the Global South to break away from a reliance on Western gatekeepers. “There is a need for us now to also boost the cooperative news exchange agencies. There has to be exchanges within the agencies within the Global South for us to share the content directly with one another,” he said.
Musariri highlighted the damaging effect of widespread stereotypes that paint Africa as a single, impoverished, war‑ridden continent. He said the image of “one Africa” obscures the sovereignty of individual nations and hampers investment. To combat such portrayals, he called for the adoption of social media, where creators can tell stories from their own perspective and “demystify the stereotypes and false narratives.”
Looking to the Summit, Musariri expects to secure hands‑on skill exchanges on AI beyond conventional lectures, hoping the event will foster tangible cooperation agreements. He said the summit would also serve as a venue to learn next‑generation AI solutions that could be shared across the region.
However, Musariri did not address how many Global South agencies will actually participate in the proposed exchange or the exact nature of the AI tools to be discussed. The actual reach of the partnership, the depth of the technical collaboration, and the measurable impact on countering stereotypes remain to be seen. The outcomes will depend on the decisions made at the Beijing conference and the willingness of other media houses to commit to direct, intra‑regional cooperation.
