Global South needs bold action to earn media agency: experts

Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin, second from left, speaks during a session titled “Reclaiming Agency in International Media” at the Doha Forum 2025 in Doha, Qatar, Sunday. From left are Myriam Francois, director of MPWR Productions; Oh; Irene Khan, special rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression at the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner; Khaled Beydoun, associate professor of law at Arizona State University; James Bays, diplomatic editor of Al Jazeera; and Renaud Girard, journalist of Le Figaro. Korea Times photo by Ahn Seong-jin

DOHA — The Global South lacks the power to shape international media narratives, and rather than waiting for established Western outlets to change their ways, nations there are required to create “breathtaking” moments to force a shift in perspective, Oh Young-jin, president-publisher of The Korea Times, said Sunday at the Doha Forum 2025.

He made the proposal during a session titled "Reclaiming Agency in International Media" in which participants discussed how media agencies from the Global South, which refers to developing nations located primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, could build narrative power.

"The word 'reclaiming' suggests taking back something that once belonged to you. But in reality, the Global South never truly had ownership over how it is represented in international media. There is nothing to 'reclaim,' because that agency was never theirs to begin with,” Oh said during the panel discussion at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort. The Korea Times is participating in the forum as a media partner.

Oh argued that the media industries in powerful nations of the Global North naturally reflect their countries' interests and biases. He said the narratives they push won't change easily unless these countries change drastically.

However, he suggested that smaller nations also possess a "trump card" to break through this structural bottleneck, as they have the undeniable power of significant events and cultural impact.

"Media outlets ultimately follow events. In that sense, we are not the makers of news; we are its messengers," Oh said. "The lesson is straightforward: Do something bold, something breathtaking, and you give the media new stories they have no choice but to follow."

Oh cited examples such as the Middle East’s recent hosting of mega-events like the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as well as the rise of K-pop in Korea.

"For years, my country was often described as punching below its weight. But the rise of K-pop completely overturned those old stereotypes and created new narratives that global media simply could not ignore," he noted.

From left are Myriam Francois, director of MPWR Productions; Oh Young-jin, president-publisher of The Korea Times; Irene Khan, special rapporteur of the United Nations; James Bays, diplomatic editor of Al Jazeera; Khaled Beydoun, associate professor of law at Arizona State University; and Renaud Girard, journalist of Le Figaro; during a session of the Doha Forum 2025 in Doha, Qatar, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

Colonization of information

The session, moderated by filmmaker Myriam Francois, featured a diverse panel including Irene Khan, special rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression at the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner; Khaled Beydoun, associate professor of law at Arizona State University; James Bays, diplomatic editor at Al Jazeera; and Renaud Girard, a journalist for Le Figaro.

Khan echoed the sentiment of structural imbalance, describing the current state of global media as “colonization of information."

"It is high time that there is decolonization," Khan said. "But decolonization will not happen simply by transfer of ownership from the North to the South." She pointed to the situation in Gaza, where international media outlets have been barred so local journalists risk their lives to provide information.

Beydoun also cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza, highlighting how social media has disrupted the monopoly of legacy media.

"We've seen in real time over these last two and a half years how indigenous Palestinians, for the very first time, have had the opportunity to convey what is taking place to them," Beydoun said.

He argued that platforms like X and Instagram have allowed marginalized voices to bypass traditional gatekeepers.

Bays emphasized the continuing massive efforts by legacy media journalists covering the region.

"Of the 260 media professionals killed in Gaza, 10 were from Al Jazeera," Bays said, emphasizing that the network's mission is fundamentally about providing an alternative narrative flow to Western hegemony.

Girard suggested the issue was less about agency and more about reclaiming nuance. He criticized television news for reducing complex geopolitical conflicts into simplistic “good guys vs. bad guys" narratives, while ignoring complex conflicts entirely, such as the war in Sudan.

Looking toward the future, Oh expressed optimism about digital platforms.

"Social media shouldn't be painted as the root of all evil," Oh said. "There are long-form contents on platforms like YouTube that are trusted. These tools are a gift of civilization, and we should accept them with a degree of appreciation."