News Communication Quality Reading Guide: Radio and Television Volume (Radio and Television Volume)

Author: Yan Sanjiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: A guide to the finest works in news communication. The proposal of the "Strategy for Fine News" was one of the most visionary slogans put forward by the Chinese news industry in the 1990s and also one of the most practically valuable and meaningful initiatives. Throughout the history of news communication in China and the world, any transformation or development in news communication, or the proposal and formation of any news communication concept, has been closely related to the social development and historical context of the time. At the turn of the century, as the world stood at a crossroads and China was deepening its reform and opening-up, new phenomena, contradictions, and problems were constantly emerging, innumerable and uncountable. Under the conditions of a market economy, news, as a special commodity, must also participate in market competition. With the maturation of the news market, it can be said that the news market has shifted from a seller's market to a buyer's market. The market calls for high-quality news works. Any news media that wishes to avoid stagnation must demonstrate its talent in fierce competition to secure space for survival and development. Therefore, the proposal and implementation of the "Strategy for Fine News" have naturally become a priority on the agenda. This is an inevitable trend, not subject to the will of any individual. The audience is the lifeblood of the media, and everything the media does is for the audience. The vast audience in China had previously been exposed to a great deal of false, grandiose, empty, and vague news reports. They long for authentic and excellent news works. Thus, we can fully say that implementing the "Strategy for Fine News" is a need of the times, a need of news competition, a call from the broad audience, and an urgent and significant issue facing the Chinese news industry in the new era and new circumstances. The Party Central Committee, having carefully assessed the situation, proposed the famous four sentences in the historic 14th Plenary Session of the 6th Central Committee and its resolution: "Arming people with scientific theory, guiding people with correct public opinion, shaping people with noble spirit, and inspiring people with excellent works." This served as a requirement for the entire ideological and cultural front, including news, and can also be seen as the clarion call for implementing the "Strategy for Fine News." The term "fine" is originally a commercial term, referring to high-quality products. "Fine news" refers to high-quality, high-standard news works, that is, what is commonly known as good news, including good news reports, good commentaries, good editorials, good layouts, good columns, good special reports, good photographs, good advertising works, and good public relations cases. The famous four sentences proposed in the 14th Plenary Session of the 6th Central Committee can be fully regarded as a criterion for evaluating fine news. In light of actual news practice, the specific criteria for evaluating fine news mainly include—
Political nature. When judging whether a news work is a fine piece, the political perspective should be considered first. We must firmly regard political nature as the primary value standard for fine news, which is also a clear distinction between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in terms of news values. Fine news must possess the ability to move people and have a significant impact to a certain extent and on a broader scale. It must be able to guide the formation of correct public opinion, help people overcome difficulties and solve problems, and set a precedent for guidance. This is because news work itself is a highly political endeavor, as a seasoned news professional once said: "News workers are not just 'writers'; they should approach things with the perspective and attitude of a political figure, extracting 'treasures' that can resolve social contradictions and promote social progress." It can be said that if a news work contains weak or no political elements, it will lack strong appeal and, let alone impact and, and thus cannot be truly considered a fine piece of news. Of course, truth can sometimes become falsehood if taken to extremes. Blindly pursuing so-called political heights, arbitrarily adding or exaggerating, or obsessively high, grand, and complete ideals, causing news to deviate from objective reality; or carelessly handling sensitive issues that affect social psychological stability and issues in the exploratory stage, blindly chasing so-called "sensational effects"—all of these could become constraints on fine news and are things we must be vigilant about.
Significance. Many experts and scholars have pointed out that fine news must possess authority and persuasion, and I fully agree. The news figures and events involved in fine news must have distinctive and extraordinary qualities. Characters and events should avoid being clichéd, highlighting their distinct personalities and characteristics, and striving to make them stand out from others. As the name implies, fine news emphasizes the "excellence" of a "", and this excellence is primarily reflected in the meticulous selection of news figures and events. Over the years, Chinese news media have introduced figures such as Kong Fansen, Xu Hu, Zhong Nanshan, and Yang Liwei, as well as reports on the 1998 flood relief efforts and the firefighters of the Hengyang fire, all of which have had a tremendous impact and persuasion. Their success primarily lies in the careful selection of people and events, all of which possess significance.
Necessity to read. When discussing how news reports can win the audience, factors such as readability and accessibility are often mentioned. These are indeed important guarantees of news quality and are also key aspects of current news competition. However, these are only general requirements for news reports. Fine news requires far more than these elements. News professionals should elevate the pursuit of readability and accessibility to a necessity to read, meaning that once the audience encounters the news, they cannot help but read or listen. This requires the news reports to reflect matters closely related to the work and lives of the people. When you report on something they care about and reflect their wishes, it resonates with them emotionally, stirring their hearts, making them feel compelled to read and listen.
When planning this series of books with Mr. Gu Qian, a senior editor in news communication at Fudan University Press, we set the editorial principle from the very beginning: not only should university students and news enthusiasts enjoy it, but also the frontline news professionals, striving to make it a good reference for them to report and write news, or to elevate their news reporting and writing to a new level in terms of both philosophy and practice. This is because the figures and works selected in this series are representative of various periods and fields, and our analyses are thorough and focus on theoretical organization. Our formats and models are innovative and unique. The chief editors of each volume of this series are deans, department directors, or professors from various news communication departments, who, with their profound academic expertise and scholarly foundation, have meticulously crafted the series, achieving a high overall standard. Professor Gao Ruo Hai, the chief editor of Fudan University Press, and Professor He Shengsui, the president of the press, have given great attention and support to the editing and publication of this series. It is worth mentioning that Professor Gu Qian has a deep insight, fully recognizing the value and broad readership of this series based on decades of editorial experience, and has devoted his heart and soul to its planning, organization, and successful publication. On behalf of all the authors, I extend our sincere gratitude to the experts of the publishing house.