Journalism and Communication Masterpieces: An Introduction to Special Features and Reportage Literature

Author: Song Yushu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Throughout the history of news in China and the world, any transformation and development in news communication, as well as the proposal and formation of any news communication concept, are closely related to the social development and historical context of the time. The proposal of the "premium news strategy" was one of the most visionary slogans put forward by the Chinese news industry in the 1990s and also one of the most practical and meaningful initiatives. Throughout the history of news in China and the world, any transformation and development in news communication, as well as the proposal and formation of any news communication concept, are closely related to the social development and historical context of the time. At the turn of the century, as China was deepening its reform and opening-up, new phenomena, contradictions, and problems were emerging every day, countless in number. Under the conditions of a market economy, news, as a special commodity, must also participate in market competition. As the news market matures, it can be said that the news market has also shifted from a seller's market to a buyer's market, with the market calling for high-quality news works. Any news media that does not wish to be passive must demonstrate its talent in fierce competition to secure space for survival and development. Therefore, the proposal and implementation of the premium news strategy have naturally become a matter of urgency, an inevitable trend that cannot be influenced by human will. The audience is the lifeblood of the media, and everything the media does is for the audience. The vast Chinese audience, who have previously been exposed to a lot of false, exaggerated, vague, and empty news reports, long for genuine and excellent news works. Therefore, we can fully say that implementing the premium news strategy is a need of the times, a need for news competition, a call from the audience, and an urgent and significant issue facing the Chinese news industry in the new era and new circumstances. The Party Central Committee, taking the situation into account, proposed the famous four sentences in the historically significant 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 is both a requirement for the entire ideological and cultural front, including news, and can be seen as the clarion call for implementing the premium news strategy. The term "premium" is originally a commercial term, referring to high-quality goods. The "premium news" refers to high-quality, high-standard news works, which is commonly known as good news, including good reports, good commentaries, good layouts, good columns, good special features, good photographs, good advertisements, 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 measure for evaluating premium news. In light of actual news practice, the specific criteria for evaluating premium news mainly include—
Political nature. To determine whether a news work belongs to the category of premium news, one must first consider the political perspective. We must firmly regard political nature as the primary value standard for premium news, which is also a clear distinction between the working class and the bourgeoisie in terms of news values. Premium news must possess the ability to move people and have a significant impact to a certain extent and in a broader scope, and must be able to guide the formation of correct public opinion, help people solve difficulties, and set a precedent. This is because news work itself is a highly political endeavor, as a seasoned journalist once said: "News workers are not just 'writers'; they should approach things with the perspective and attitude of a statesman and extract 'treasures' that can solve 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 premium news. Of course, truth can sometimes become falsehood if taken to extremes. Blindly pursuing so-called political heights, arbitrarily adding or exaggerating, and、、, making news detached from objective reality; or carelessly handling sensitive issues that affect social stability and problems in the exploratory stage, blindly chasing so-called "sensational effects," all of these may become constraints on premium news, and we must be vigilant.
Significance. Many experts and scholars have pointed out that premium news must possess authority and persuasiveness, and I fully agree. The news figures and events involved in premium news must have distinctive and extraordinary qualities. The people and events should avoid being commonplace, highlighting their distinct personalities and characteristics, and striving to make them stand out from others. As the name suggests, premium news emphasizes the "excellence" of the "premium" word, and this excellence is primarily reflected in the meticulous selection of news figures and events. In recent 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 and the firefighters of the Hengyang fire, which have had a tremendous impact and persuasiveness. The success of these reports 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. Premium news requires far more than these factors; news professionals should elevate the pursuit of readability and accessibility to a necessity to read, meaning that once the audience encounters this news, they cannot help but read or listen. This requires news reports to reflect things 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.