Southern daily news: the mainstream media should increase public opinion monitoring degrees

In recent days, public opinion monitoring has become a hot topic in the media. Many media, while lamenting the serious loss of journalists for in-depth reporting, which is primarily concerned with public opinion monitoring, were encouraged by the calls of some local party committees for greater public opinion monitoring. The monitoring of public opinion, which has been dubbed the crown of journalism, is an enabler of social progress and its irreplaceable value cannot be underestimated。

The monitoring of public opinion often takes the form of “criticism” and targets social injustice, incorrect decision-making, etc. It can be said that it is born with a strong “issue awareness”. This is a healthy force for social progress. However, there is a lack of “issue awareness” on the part of some local and sectoral authorities, as well as opposition to public opinion oversight that is good at detecting problems. They equate normal public opinion surveillance with “negative reporting” and are accustomed to the idea of “fire and theft journalists”. Even a small number of leadership cadres have pushed their faults into media scrutiny, accusing and squeezing journalists. These are misperceptions about the oversight of public opinion, and they are counterproductive to the party's policy of philosophies. The general secretary of xi has made it clear at the party's press conference: “the monitoring and positive publicity of public opinion are uniform. The media must face up to the problems at work, face up to the uglyness of society, promote clarity and cynicism, and publish critical reports with accuracy and objectivity.” thus, the party centre, with comrade xi at its core, is concerned with encouraging public opinion oversight, which is by no means a flood beast。

Public opinion monitoring is the responsibility of the media. Whether it is the propaganda party's policy ideas, the recording of times, or the promotion of social progress and respect for justice, the media must monitor this instrument with good public opinion. One is that public opinion oversight itself reveals the values that are universally respected and expected of this society, and that the report deals with the natural inspiration of false, good and bad position judgements; the other is that public opinion oversight is not the opposite of positive propaganda, and that the two roles, while different, are mutually reinforcing and indispensable, and are equally important for enhancing the credibility and authority of the media. In a sense, public opinion monitoring is also positive. The media, for example, monitor pollution at local and corporate levels, not only as a matter of exposure, but also as a means of promoting environmental policies at the central level, with a view to promoting good policies at the grass-roots level. Isn't this a positive publicity? If it is just the promotion of advanced paradigms, high-profile reporting, neglecting the discovery of the problem, criticism of backward elements, one is unable to achieve a comparative effect, making it difficult to create an advanced social climate, and the other does not satisfy the public's demands for information because they have the same informed claims about negative paradigms, problems and shortcomings. This is lacking and can easily affect the credibility of the media in the eyes of the audience。

What does mainstream media think is mainstream? One important criterion is the ability to set the issues. In monitoring public opinion, the mainstream media have also taken the initiative in setting up issues, thinking about issues from the perspective of promoting central policy implementation and defending the interests of the people, looking at the shortcomings of development with a broader perspective and a longer-term perspective, daring to criticize and report on progress in social development. Only by doing so will it be possible to rise above two spheres of public opinion and become a truly mainstream media. Otherwise, it is likely that the function of monitoring public opinion will be relinquished to some media outlets. This has become more or less evident in the recent series of hotspot events. It is difficult to predict that the mixed media, with both legitimate public scrutiny and a variety of speculations, incitements and rumours, will be a blessing for the creation of a good public opinion environment. However, it is certain that, as long as the mainstream media do not have the power to monitor public opinion, even in the face of intense competition from the media, it will be possible to occupy the new media, whether for the creation of good public opinion or for the construction of healthy social ecology. Thus, the mainstream media should and must increase public opinion oversight。

Time and power. China is now in an era of radical change, and there is an urgent need for good policies at the central level to be translated into a sense of popular access and for people-centred development thinking to be tested. This is an opportunity for both the media and the media to make a difference, and it is therefore important to ensure that the party and its people are satisfied by the full exercise of its public opinion monitoring function while pursuing the party's public opinion policy and making positive messages。

Song zho gwangxia