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Developing countries start news service

KUALA LUMPUR: Developing countries on Monday started an Internet-based news service, pooling their media resources to provide an alternative to unfair coverage by the Western media.

Malaysia's national news agency Bernama will host the NAM News Network, a joint effort of the 114 member-countries of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM).

"We can be the balance to counter the manipulation of the Western media and to confront their influence on us," Cuba's ambassador to Malaysia, Pedro Monzon Barata, was quoted as saying by Bernama. He said NNN could reduce dependency of developing countries for news coverage on the Western-controlled media, which often painted a negative picture.

NAM includes mostly developing countries, also thriving economies like Singapore, Malaysia and India.

Content for the NNN website will be provided by the national news agencies of NAM member-countries as well as others such as China, whose Xinhua has a wide global presence. It is expected to be formally inaugurated in June. French, Spanish and Arabic news services are planned.

On the Web, it is at www.namnewsnetwork.org — AP

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