Though relatively new to China, Internet news and information media
have become an important part of life for an increasing number of
its citizens, playing a role in their social life. Yang Zhengquan,
former vice minister of the State Council Information Office and
former president of the
China
International Publishing Group tells China.org.cn about China's
Internet media: past, present and future.
"China's Internet news and information media have made giant
progress over the past a few years. In 2001, they made their debut
in covering major political and economic activities in China. In
that year, Internet media were, for the first time, found in the
list of major mass media (traditional media) to cover the annual
sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Internet media
further demonstrated their might in the coverage of the landmark
16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November
2002 as they did real-time online news reporting of the meeting,"
said he.
Yang is a veteran pressperson who was once director of China
National Radio. He has also been vice president of the China Society for
Human Rights Studies and a member of the 10th CPPCC National
Committee.
"Compared with radio and television, Internet media can produce
news coverage with greater information in a faster time. They are
indispensable to foreign target users as they are not limited by
borders or geography. The foreign reader has easy and direct access
and takes delight in viewing Chinese Internet media as long as
those media cater to their tastes in content and language.
"Some key Chinese news and information portal sites have
established a loyal following with their users and have brand
identity in the market. For instance, Xinhuanet.com is an
outstanding information gatherer and producer the most
comprehensive up-to-date news coverage in China;
Peopledaily.com.cn's strength is its informed opinion, partly
represented in their forums; Chinadaily.com.cn has good English
language coverage and CRI.com.cn's audio reporting is unique.
"The multiple-language portal site at China.org.cn is a major
international communication portal site which delivers up-to-date
Chinese news reports to its users abroad and provides essential
introductory information about China. For instance, it offers
background information on the political, judicial and legislative
systems of China along with coverage of the annual sessions of the
NPC and the CPPCC to get an informed understanding of Chinese
politics," Yang added.
The progressive development of China's Internet media over the past
number of years indicates a bright future, he said. Yang also
argues that China's Internet media should improve their technology
and infrastructure as well as produce better information grouping
and higher-quality coverage as well as increasing the proportion of
their in-depth reporting.
China's mass media underwent significant transformations over the
past 20 or so years as they have made progress in quality, quantity
and transparency of news coverage, he said.
"As a new and developing sector, China's Internet media are likely
to play a constructive role in future reforms of other media. Such
signs of its influence have already appeared in the idiomatic
language and style, once exclusively found in Internet media, being
accepted and influential in a wider audience than its devoted
netizens, as well as influencing non-Internet or traditional
media," Yang said.
(China.org.cn by Staff Reporter Chen Chao, March 26, 2003)