Media as Empathy Engine: Experts Unite at Beijing Forum

Can media bridge global divides and foster empathy in a polarized world? Over 150 leaders tackled this question at Tsinghua University’s 3rd Global Development and Health Communication Forum this weekend. With debates ranging from AI’s pitfalls to health misinformation, one theme emerged: storytelling is humanity’s superpower.

\"Tech evolves faster than ever, but it’s widened inequality gaps,\" said Tsinghua’s Deputy Dean Yang Bin. His solution? Media must humanize data and amplify marginalized voices.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Zheng Zhijie doubled down: \"Empathy isn’t just nice—it’s our survival tool as a species.\" Meanwhile, UN China rep Siddharth Chatterjee warned that poor health communication costs lives: \"If people don’t recognize threats, they can’t act.\"

The coolest moment? A VR trip to Zambia where attendees shadowed frontline health workers battling polio. \"Seeing beats hearing,\" said one participant, highlighting immersive tech’s potential to build cross-border understanding.

As People’s Daily’s Cui Shixin put it: \"Knowledge fuels empathy. Media fuels both.\" Will this spark a new era of connection-first reporting? The world’s watching.

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Experts discuss how media can promote empathy at Beijing event

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