In recent days, vigilance! “information operations” has shown a serious downward trend, which has led to a dramatic deterioration in news operations and their regularity due to unprecedented challenges. In response, it was observed that the consequences of the deterioration of the “news business” were emerging。
What is the main “news business” of the media age? How has the media's living environment and business processes in news production changed in the midst of a wave of media integration? Is it scientific to measure industry-wide degradation in part from the operational standards of the media? How can “degradation” be viewed more comprehensively and objectively? The small cow studio dialogue brought together two media experts to talk about the “news business” of the media age。
Zhang zi an, professor at the faculty of journalism, university of jordan, and vice-president of the global media institute
In the context of the public communications movement of the commercial media, which has gained ground from the media, the media are confronted with platform shocks and the temptation of traffic, and the “news business” has changed from multiple dimensions。
General secretary, researcher, new media research centre, chinese academy of social sciences
In a complex media environment, where media integration is now in full state of progress, and in the face of the urgency of reform, there are signs of “news business” facing development challenges。
What has happened to “news operations”
The news operations of the era of media integration have changed significantly compared to those of traditional media. According to huang chu, these changes are reflected not only in the use of technology, but also in the way in which news content is produced, participated and disseminated:
First, the era of media integration has given rise to a trend towards fragmentation, making it more diverse in the news production chain. The integration of news not only combines text, pictures, audio and video, but also uses big data technologies to access news leads, gather information and analyse and diversify content。
Second, the era of media integration has changed the one-way feedback from traditional news audiences, and “visibility feed” has further expanded news values. With the introduction of smart technologies, integrated news operations can be tailored to the individualized needs and interests of the audience. Through algorithms and user data analysis, user-friendly news content has been accurately disseminated, and “audience feedback” has become “ahead-of-the-face feedback”, making “active users” “original productivity”。
What are the challenges to “information operations” development
Zhang zion noted that, in the context of the public communications dynamics of the commercial media, which have entered the bureau from time to time, the media face the temptation of platform shocks and traffic, with some of the media tending to “platform dependence” and “data worship” in their operations. According to huang chu, the current “information business” faces the following challenges in development:
1. Declining specialization of some institutional practitioners. A rapid transformation and expansion of information operations is required as a result of changing traditional ways of working and thinking and incorporating new ideas based on traditional news operations. However, rapid recruitment may lead to deficiencies in the training of personnel in some media, leading to a decrease in the professionalization of practitioners。
Reduced user loyalty to a single medium. The post-truth era forces the attention of new media users to be distracted by the fragmentation of information, their reduced loyalty to a single medium and the difficulty of the media to attract and sustain attention in the long term. At the same time, the spread of new yellow news and false news has led users to question the authenticity of news messages。
3. The issue of proactive adoption has become more prominent. Journalists are passively waiting for a draft in news gathering and production, and lack a proactive approach to the news. In a number of incidents, there was insufficient follow-up by the media, lack of unique perspectives and in-depth analysis, and difficulty in quantifying the impact of communication。
Why is there a “news business” depraved
The challenges to the development of the “news business” are always presented in some form, and now the new media, which is the most frequently updated and accessible to its audiences, becomes a direct window for demonstrating the development of the “news business”。
According to huang chuxin, there are some problems in the news of the new media:
The text level is weakened. The frequent occurrence of miswords, speech disorders and unregulated language not only affects the reading experience of users but also undermines the credibility of the media。
The content is homogenized. Media coverage of topical topics tends to be followed by replicating other media content, lacking unique perspectives and in-depth analysis。
It's an expression of forced video. With the rise of short videos, many media began to disseminate news via video, and some of the news that was originally written was forced to be translated into video, made for video purposes without taking into account the nature of the news。
Turning to how to address existing development challenges, zhang believed that the media must be aggressive and understand the trade-offs. For example, there should be a strategy for the distribution of traffic on each platform, with a breakdown of the market and precision. In addition, it is also relevant to strengthen the third revision and revision system for the new media, to arrange rigorous clearance for senior editors and to use smart technology to assist in the re-examination of errors。
What is a “news business” that cannot be degraded
With regard to the true credibility of the news, huang chu xin believes that the information published should be strictly closed to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the news content at the first level. Increasing the activity of news products and making them more quality and depth. By linking theoretically to practical, in-depth investigations and interviews, the content of the news is enriched, thereby increasing the interest and loyalty of the reader。
For the search for the news site. “do journalists of the new media age need to go to the scene, do they sit in the office and edit their available resources, or do they go to the scene to collect their material?” according to zion, these are “problems” for journalists in the new media age, but no matter how the media environment changes, journalists and the media should stop pursuing news spots。
A discussion of public values. “as a gathering place of public opinion, journalism is about the rational expression of public opinion and concern for public issues.” zhang zian stated that the public value of journalism lay not only in delivering information, but also in leading the public to think rationally and participate in public life. In the current complex and fluid communications environment, the media need, first and foremost, to continuously optimize their own business models and reporting。
