Editor’s Note: The Supreme Leader emphasized at the symposium on the Party’s news and public opinion work that the Party’s news and public opinion work is an important work of the Party, a major event in governing the country and ensuring national security, and it is necessary to adhere to the correct direction, innovate methods and means, and improve the communication power and influence of news and public opinion. This year’s coverage of the two sessions has become the best "touchstone" to test the media’s implementation of the general secretary’s speech. Judging from the national media reports, Guangdong’s media industry can be described as brilliant. In the past, with the help of the unknown Guangdong Satellite TV, on the opening day of the China National People’s Congress on March 5, it won three titles: convergence index, ratings and activity. Southern Metropolis Daily launched a special report on "The Time of the Two Sessions of the Supreme Leader’s General Secretary" with seven pages, and reported with pictures and texts that the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader and the NPC deputies and CPPCC members attending the two sessions of the National People’s Congress discussed the country on the spot, with lofty ideas and great momentum, which was well received by readers. Under the current background of integration and transformation, the Propaganda Department of Guangdong Provincial Party Committee actively strives for innovation and change, with frequent highlights, and the reports of the two sessions are the best proof.
From the youngest vice president of Xinhua News Agency to the Standing Committee of Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Minister of Propaganda Department, Shen Haixiong’s thinking, exploration and practice on the development of Guangdong media industry have well solved the problems of "for whom", "who to rely on" and "who I am" in the party’s news and public opinion work. Facts have proved that only by daring to take responsibility can we overcome difficulties; Only by taking the initiative can we stand on the tide. At the end of 2015, in an exclusive interview with the reporter of Media, Shen Haixiong said that the positive energy of the "Southern Voice" in the field of news propaganda began to be established, which proved that the Guangdong media fully possessed the foundation to make great efforts in the new situation. As long as it clearly recognized the situation, faced up to the problems, prepared for danger in times of danger, showed the courage to turn back, the ambition to give up others, and the spirit to break the ice, it was believed that the Guangdong media industry would keep pace with the times and forge ahead courageously.
The "assembly number" of integrated development has sounded, and the reform has achieved initial results.
Media: Guangdong media industry, especially Guangdong newspaper industry, has always played an important role in China. Under the background of media transformation and integration, what do you think of the development status of Guangdong media industry?
Shen Haixiong: Guangdong is a big media province. At present, the province has published 141 newspapers, 381 periodicals, 148 broadcasting frequencies, 163 TV channels and 670,000 filing websites. It owns many newspaper groups, such as Southern Newspaper, Yangcheng Evening News, Guangzhou Daily and Shenzhen Newspaper, and also owns Internet companies like Tencent. As the frontier of reform and opening up, Guangdong is also a region with abundant economic and social vitality, but a highly complex public opinion environment. In recent years, with the profound changes in the media structure and public opinion ecology, we deeply feel that it is more urgent and urgent to strengthen the capacity building of mainstream media to guide public opinion. How can the mainstream media achieve both persistence and innovation? Not only can we face up to our own shortcomings, actively respond to the challenges brought by social development and technological changes, but we can also use our own accumulation to define and lead a new public opinion field confidently. This is a major topic that needs to be explored quickly and carefully studied.
It should be said that the development of Guangdong media started early and has a high degree of marketization, especially Guangdong newspaper industry, which is ahead of the whole country in the traditional media era. However, the glory of the past does not represent the glory of today. Nowadays, the media industry is facing unprecedented changes. To stand on the forefront in the new round of integration and development, we must further enhance the sense of crisis, urgency and mission of reform and development. As far as the current media situation in Guangdong Province is concerned, the "assembly number" of integrated development has sounded. The main media in Guangdong Province are combining their respective advantages and characteristics, aiming at creating a new mainstream media, boldly exploring and innovating, striving to promote the deep integration of content, channels, platforms and management, and constantly enhancing their communication power and competitiveness, and have achieved initial results.
Since 2015, in a series of important nodes and major events such as the "9.3" military parade and the third anniversary of General Secretary of the Supreme Leader’s visit to Guangdong, Guangdong media such as Nanfang Daily have performed well and the community has fully affirmed them; After the "12.20" landslide accident in Guangming New District of Shenzhen, Guangdong media gave strong guidance, which fully demonstrated the responsibility of serving the overall situation. The positive energy of the "Southern Voice" in the field of news propaganda has begun to be established, which proves that the Guangdong media is fully equipped to make great efforts in the new situation. However, compared with the requirements of the Central Committee and the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, compared with the central major media and some brother provinces and cities, compared with the status of Guangdong as a major economic province and a major media province, the work is not strong enough, the pace of development is not fast enough, and the impact of the project is not great enough. At the same time, we should also see that Guangdong’s media industry has good conditions and foundation, and there is no shortage of soil and cultural genes for reform and innovation. As long as we have a clear understanding of the situation, face up to problems, prepare for danger in times of danger, show the courage to turn back, give up the ambition of others and break the ice, keep pace with the times and forge ahead bravely, I believe we will surely take new steps and create new glories in the trend of integrated development.
Hold the overall situation, grasp the general trend, and seize the commanding heights of transformation and integration
Media: With the fission development of the Internet, the dazzling new media has a strong impact on the traditional media represented by paper media. The CPC Central Committee has put forward a strategic plan to promote the integration and development of media, but many people still have a pessimistic attitude towards the survival and development prospects of traditional media. What do you think of this issue?
Shen Haixiong: With the rapid impact of the new wave of scientific and technological revolution, the content and structure of news information products, the form and function of communication terminals, and the psychology and habits of audiences are all undergoing revolutionary changes. Especially with the rapid development of emerging media represented by the Internet, the ability of the Internet to generate and influence public opinion is increasing day by day, and the younger generation regards new media as the main channel to obtain information. Traditional media are facing the problems of market compression, declining influence, and weakening of public opinion guidance and leading ability. This has even become a major issue related to whether our party can firmly grasp the initiative and discourse power of ideological work.
In this context, the CPC Central Committee focused on consolidating the propaganda ideological and cultural positions, expanding mainstream ideological and public opinion, and put forward major strategic arrangements to promote the integration and development of the media. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader asked us to adapt to the new situation of the continuous advancement of social informatization, accelerate the integration and development of traditional media and emerging media, make full use of new technologies and new applications to innovate media communication methods, and occupy the commanding heights of information communication. Can we follow the requirements of the central deployment and the General Secretary, keep up with the times, walk steadily and quickly on the road of media integration and development, and test our mission and ability.
For the traditional mainstream media, integrated development is a subversive systematic project, and the development process is bound to be full of ups and downs, and it is impossible to achieve Ma Pingchuan. We must face up to the all-round and deep-seated influence brought by the profound changes in public opinion ecology and media structure on news propaganda work, but there is no need to feel sorry for ourselves and give up on ourselves, or even have doubts and lack of self-confidence about whether or not the party’s propaganda and ideological public opinion position can be held and how long it can be held. In fact, all kinds of media are the products of scientific and technological changes. Today, with the rapid development of information technology, any media form may die and be subverted, but news is immortal and content is king! Moreover, opportunities are also mixed with shocks. For example, with the explosive growth of various news information, the audience is more eager for authoritative news and valuable information, not just the overwhelming fragmentation bubble. The advantages of traditional media in this respect are incomparable to any other new media. Judging from the current signs, the function and role of traditional mainstream media in guarding the bottom line of public opinion, setting the agenda of public opinion and providing the criterion of public opinion have not fundamentally changed, and the responsibility of guiding public opinion has become more prominent. As long as we follow the strategic plan of the CPC Central Committee, keep in mind the overall situation, grasp the general trend, focus on major issues, identify the starting point and focus of work, and actively seize the commanding heights of transformation and integration, we can still make great achievements in the future media structure.
Media: Promoting the transformation and integration of the media is an important task of comprehensively deepening the reform. Would you please talk about what ideas and measures Guangdong Province has in this regard?
Shen Haixiong: Over the past year or so, the CPC Central Committee has made a strategic plan to promote the development of media integration. The Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government have vigorously implemented the central reform and deployment, issued the Implementation Plan for Promoting the Development of Traditional Media and Emerging Media in Guangdong Province, clarified the work objectives, tasks, initiatives and safeguard measures for promoting the development of media integration in our province, established a joint conference system involving relevant provincial departments, news organizations and cultural enterprises, set up support funds for media integration development, demonstrated and determined a number of key projects for media integration development, and actively consolidated them.
From the perspective of our province, the next step is to focus on the following aspects: First, further optimize the media layout. Promote the cooperation between newspapers and radio and television media in Guangdong Province, share resources, improve asset utilization efficiency, reduce media operating costs, reduce homogenization and redundant construction, and jointly improve service capabilities and sustainable development capabilities. The second is to further build fist products. Take the idea of supporting the superior and eliminating the inferior, promote the main media in the province to integrate new media units, control the small and abuse, plan from a high starting point and invest heavily, and strive to create several benchmark projects and fist products that are well-known in China. For example, support new media projects such as "South Plus" and "Lohas" and explore the product model of "News Plus Service" and "Information Plus Creativity"; Integrate the main media resources in the province, promote the establishment of financial media groups, and strive to build a first-class professional financial service platform in China. The third is to further strengthen policy support. Make full use of the national cultural industry development policy, learn from the successful experience of domestic sister provinces and cities, break the unreasonable institutional obstacles, strengthen the platform integration ability and resource convergence ability of mainstream media, and attract the inflow of high-quality talents, technology, capital and management power. At present, Guangdong is planning to set up a new media industry investment fund with a scale of 10 billion yuan to help media integration and development with a market-oriented operation mode.
For the main media in Guangdong Province, we must continue to play a good role in guiding the main force of public opinion and treat the competition for users and positions as a top priority. Under the current overall development environment and stage of the media, the mainstream media should adhere to the idea of walking on two legs. On the one hand, we should strive to hold the position of traditional media, improve the quality of content, and use better services to delay the scale and speed of audience loss; Innovate marketing methods, maintain the relative stability of traditional revenues such as advertising and distribution, and strive to win time for transformation and development. On the other hand, we should look forward to the layout, look for the strategic fulcrum in the future, vigorously expand into new media, seize the Internet position and users, recreate the core carrier and platform, content support system and survival and profit model of the media in the resource reconstruction, and strive to achieve a gorgeous turn.
Hold the party’s ideological and public opinion position and make it full of vitality.
Media: After you came to Guangdong, you have repeatedly suggested that the news media should "stick to the bottom line and be brave in pioneering and dare to innovate". Can you talk about how to understand this sentence in detail?
Shen Haixiong: Facing the current situation and tasks, the news media must conform to the general trend of Internet development and be brave in innovation and change. If we stick to the rules, change with the same, and miss the opportunity of development, the traditional media can only decline more and more. The only way out is to grasp the laws of modern news dissemination and the development of emerging media, make full use of each other’s strengths, create new advantages and win new space in the process of integrated development. However, taking the right path is the premise for the media to develop greatly. Any heresy and crooked ways will eventually damage the foundation of media development. Only by keeping the bottom line can we let go of our hands and feet, only by being strict with self-discipline can we plan the future in a down-to-earth manner, and only by wearing a seat belt can we dance gracefully in the air. In accordance with the spirit of the CPC Central Committee, we must focus on development and management at the same time, so that management will follow wherever the cause develops and ensure that the development of media integration always advances in the right direction. It can be understood from two levels.
On the one hand, we must insist on innovation and effectively improve our ability to control the laws of propaganda and ideological and cultural work under the new media environment. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader has repeatedly emphasized the promotion of media integration and innovation, pointing out where readers and audiences are, where the tentacles of propaganda and reporting will extend, and where the focus and foothold of propaganda and ideological work will be placed. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee proposed to vigorously implement the strategy of strengthening the country by network, the national big data strategy and the "internet plus" action plan, which fully demonstrated that the central government attached great importance to the Internet strategy and Internet thinking. If we stick to the old routine and rules, do propaganda, manage propaganda, entertain ourselves, sing and talk to ourselves, and "change with constancy", the result will inevitably be that our position will shrink and exist in name only. This is actually a dereliction of duty! We must persist in putting innovation into all our work, promote the deep integration of traditional media and emerging media with innovative thinking, innovate the methods and means of propaganda and ideological work, improve the propaganda discourse system, and innovate the working system and mechanism, so as to truly realize effective propaganda and effective management, hold positions and expand positions, and create a new situation in propaganda and ideological work in our province. In the second half of last year, Guangdong started the construction of media influence evaluation index system, with the aim of guiding the media to be innovative and pioneering under the background of integrated development by establishing a scientific and reasonable public opinion guidance evaluation system, so as to better consolidate the main position and strengthen the voice of mainstream public opinion.
On the other hand, we must adhere to the guidance management, and we must not be vague and slack in position management. Under the new communication pattern and public opinion ecology, we must adhere to the principle of the party’s management of the media, and we must adhere to the responsibility, responsibility and responsibility of defending the soil. Only by establishing good rules, highlighting the background color and building a solid bottom line can we grasp the initiative and dominance in innovation. We should always put the correct orientation through all links, aspects and the whole process of media integration development, and ensure that there are no problems in content, process, channels, technology, terminals and other aspects. The integrated development makes the media management structure, team structure and capital structure increasingly complex and diverse, which increases the complexity and uncertainty of media people’s property, projects and guidance management. Think broadly and tread on thin ice. Subversive mistakes are not allowed in the development of integration. Both the safety of public opinion positions and the safety of funds and projects must be fully guaranteed. Especially in the field of new media represented by the Internet, we must pay attention to strategy and tactics, innovate management concepts, and ensure controllable risks and predictable results. You can’t work hard to integrate, and finally you have a burden on your back and even lost your position.
Media: In recent days, the Guangdong media such as Nanfang Daily have launched many heavy articles on current affairs around studying the spirit of the series of important speeches by the Supreme Leader General Secretary, which has generated good public opinion response and even become a phenomenon. What do you think of the role and position of criticism in the media age?
Shen Haixiong: Comments represent the position and voice of the media. Since the second half of 2015, Nanfang Daily has published a series of important comments around studying the spirit of the series of important speeches by the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader, such as the long commentator’s article "On Five Development Concepts" published after the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, and the "On Supply-side Structural Reform" published after the Central Economic Work Conference, which have been well received by all sectors of society. This gives us the confidence to further build the highland of "Southern Commentary", and also makes us further realize that in the era of Internet and new media, media commentary must be further strengthened. On the one hand, media criticism is an effective means to publicize and educate Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s road, theory and system. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee, with the Supreme Leader as the general secretary, has formed a series of new ideas, new ideas, new strategies and a series of new practices around the theme of upholding and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics. The mainstream media must actively participate in the construction of the discourse system with China characteristics through timely publicity and explanation. On the other hand, in today’s complex public opinion ecology, all kinds of information are indistinguishable from good and bad, and it is difficult to distinguish between true and false. This urgently requires the mainstream media to strengthen their position awareness, dare to attack, dare to respond, spread positive energy more actively and effectively, expose and counter wrong thoughts and opinions more clearly, and make hit the floor’s final decision on issues related to right and wrong and political principles to help cadres and the masses draw a clear line between right and wrong and clarify vague understanding.
Under the new situation, media criticism should keep pace with the times. One is to be more precise. Deeply understand the central spirit, accurately grasp social psychology, and improve the effectiveness of public opinion guidance. The second is to be more timely. According to the characteristics of internet communication, it can make a strong sound and look straight at it in the first time. The third is to ask for more yuan. Adapt to different communication carriers and means, explore and innovate in theme and form, and let the correct ideological public opinion enter the mind. (End)
