Questioning Media: A Record of Enlightenment in Contemporary Chinese Media Communication

Author: Sun Yuemu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: "The Effects and Negative Effects of Series"
"Series" refers to the so-called "series reports" that have appeared in newspapers in recent years, where a topic is reported one after another—part one, part two, part three, part four, and so on. At least four or five articles are involved, while some even have ten or twenty. Tied together with a string, they indeed form a "series." It is said that series reports have many advantages. One of them is that they can thoroughly explain the principles, deeply delve into the matters, and clearly present the background. For example, writing about industry in ten articles, with each article telling the story in a detailed manner, is undoubtedly like a small exhibition. This feature, to be honest, should be considered quite good. Precisely because of this, when used appropriately at certain times and in certain situations, series reports can indeed produce a strong "series effect," form a powerful publicity front, and play a good guiding role in public opinion. Especially when the central tasks of the Party and the government, series reports have a role that other news formats cannot replace. For instance, this year, on National Day, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the country, promote achievements, and grandly showcase the results. Series reports play a significant role in this, with major newspapers special columns for such series reports. CCTV also produced a 24-episode special TV series titled "Liberation" to the publicity, which can also be considered a type of "series report." However, upon closer examination, current series reports still have many shortcomings and, in some cases, have even turned into the opposite, producing "negative effects," which should not be underestimated. First, there are too many "series" and "episodes"—authors are afraid that one or two articles won't be enough to explain the topic, so any "series" must consist of five articles or more before it is considered complete. Second, this is closely related to excessively long, with articles being verbose, covering a wide range of topics, and even being confusing, simply because they are "series" with a "big framework" and are labeled as "key reports." With ample space available, there is no mention of using ink sparingly or writing short news—instead, they are stretched out, becoming bloated like someone suffering from obesity. Third, the material is outdated and empty, with no news value and no "news" to release. The only "news" and information they contain are aggregated from old reports that others have already published. Fourth, the format is rigid and lifeless, occupying a large portion of the page, appearing dark and dull, making readers reluctant to engage with them. In summary, many current "series reports" go against the well-known news elements of "new, short, fast, lively, and strong," and the "negative effects" resulting from this news value orientation and practice are also obvious: readers don't read or watch them, and they are largely ignored. Inside the industry, knowledgeable individuals jokingly say that the readers of such "series reports" are likely only the authors, the subjects being written about, and those concerned with "relevant authorities"—it's hard to find a "fourth party." It's not that they don't want to read; it's that they don't have the time to finish them. It's not that they don't want to read; it's that they can't get through them, or they are too afraid to start. Newspapers are meant to be news papers, but in practice, these news ABCs are often forgotten. It is worth noting that most of these so-called series reports occupy important positions on the main news or news pages. Sometimes, a single such large piece can take up a quarter of a page, or even half, leaving less space for news and information! Moreover, some authors and readers of "series" may pursue "publicity effects" and a sense of grandeur, unaware that others may only respect them for their size and emptiness.