BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Media leaders from BRICS countries discussed ways to carry out practical cooperation at a presidium meeting of the BRICS Media Forum in Beijing Wednesday.

Cai Mingzhao, president of Xinhua News Agency and executive president of the BRICS Media Forum, announced at the meeting that Xinhua will invest 1 million U.S. dollars to set up a fund to boost media cooperation among BRICS countries.

The fund will be used to facilitate the implementation of the Action Plan to Strengthen Cooperation Among BRICS Media, which was deliberated at the meeting.

"The action plan will demonstrate our consensus in the following four aspects: to promote strategic partnership among BRICS countries, to build a fairer international communication order, to fulfill media social responsibilities and to expand exchange and cooperation among BRICS media," said Cai, while briefing the meeting.

"The action plan also shows our strong desire to carry on a six-point mission through joint efforts: to strike a balance in international communication, to strengthen media's sense of social responsibility, to promote people-to-people exchanges, to expand scopes of cooperation, to jointly develop BRICS digital media and to provide financial information services," Cai told the meeting.

In a separate development, Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, praised the cooperation among BRICS countries over the past decade while meeting with representatives of media from BRICS countries.

Liu said that cooperation under the framework had significantly boosted global economic growth, improved global governance and promoted the practice of democracy in international relations.

He hoped BRICS media would carry forward the spirit of BRICS, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, tell good stories of BRICS countries and inject more positive energy into BRICS partnership.

In addition, Xinhua proposes carrying out practical cooperation in five aspects to maintain the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Cai said BRICS media will further strengthen the role of the BRICS Media Forum's liaison office. This will lead to better coordination among BRICS media outlets, especially members of the presidium, to strengthen the leading role of the presidium in developing cooperation mechanisms.

BRICS media need to set up BRICS journalism awards and begin the award selection process. "This will encourage journalists and media employees of the BRICS countries to improve professionalism, seek excellence, innovate for change, and fulfill social responsibilities," Cai said.

BRICS media need to continue hosting BRICS media joint photo exhibitions and carry out training and exchange among BRICS journalists.

Also on Wednesday, the BRICS Media Joint Photo Exhibition opened at the National Museum of China in Beijing to show the development and cooperation of BRICS.

The exhibition, hosted by Xinhua News Agency, displays more than 170 photos spanning over half a century, selected by media exhibitors and from Xinhua's China Photo Archive.

"We will primarily draft journalist training and visit programs, which allow journalists to visit and work in media organizations of another BRICS country for a short period of time. This will help them gain reporting experience and learn the pulse of the public in the host country," Cai said.

Cai noted that BRICS media need to conduct joint interviews, media symposiums, and reporting training. These activities can be held in China or other BRICS countries.

The BRICS Media Forum attracted leaders of media groups from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The presidium is the highest decision making body of the BRICS Media Forum and is represented by the mainstream media organizations of BRICS countries.