Transformation and transcendence - reforming news production in the convergent media era¹

Transformação e transcendência: reformando a produção de notícias na era da mídia convergente

Abstract:

The present-day networked media ecosystem is distinctly characterized by convergence. Recently, media convergence has experienced rapidly progress both in theoretical circles and in practical applications, and convergence development has inevitably become a leading trend in media development. Media convergence has uniquely transformed the ecology of news, communication and public opinion, in which an overhaul of news production stands out as its main expression. As a result of media convergence, news production has shifted from a traditional linear to a nonlinear mode. Due to the use of video, audio and H5 forms of news in new media, in addition to traditional media primarily based on text and image content, news reporting is now more diverse, visually appealing and innovative. The process of producing news has changed as a result of media convergence, becoming more effective, adaptable and diverse. By studying the impact of media integration on news production, this article aimed to understand how media should be adjusted in the era of integration, how news production should develop and break through, and the general laws of news production in the process of integration development. At the same time, in this context, the research under consideration investigates the impact of media convergence on news production, outlines the way that media can adapt to dynamic landscapes, proposes new methods of news production to promote the progress of the convergence era, and aims to establish the basic principles of news production in integrated development. Under the trend of digitization, networking and informatization, the mode of news production has undergone changes. With the rise of new media and the gradual transformation of traditional media, the news production environment and mode have also undergone profound changes. This article revealed the underlying mechanisms and future trends of this change, which can improve the efficiency and quality of news production and enhance its competitiveness in a diversified media environment. It has important reference value for news organizations, media practitioners and relevant policy makers, and can provide scientific basis for their decision-making.

Keywords:
Media convergence; News production; Transformation; Reform.

Resumo:

O atual ecossistema de mídia em rede é claramente caracterizado pela convergência. Recentemente, a convergência de mídia tem progredido rapidamente, tanto nos círculos teóricos quanto nas aplicações práticas, e o desenvolvimento da convergência tornou-se inevitavelmente uma tendência importante no desenvolvimento da mídia. A convergência de mídias transformou, de forma única, a ecologia das notícias, da comunicação e da opinião pública, na qual uma revisão da produção de notícias se destaca enquanto sua expressão principal. Como resultado da convergência da mídia, a produção de notícias mudou de um modo linear tradicional para um modo não linear. Devido ao uso de vídeo, áudio e formas H5 de notícias, na nova mídia, além da mídia tradicional, baseada principalmente em conteúdo de texto e imagem, as reportagens de notícias são agora mais diversificadas, visualmente atraentes e inovadoras. O processo de produção de notícias mudou como resultado da convergência da mídia, tornando-se mais eficaz, adaptável e diversificado. Ao estudar o impacto da integração da mídia sobre a produção de notícias, este artigo teve, por objetivo, entender como a mídia deve ser ajustada na era da integração, de que maneira a produção de notícias deve se desenvolver e se superar, e as leis gerais da produção de notícias no processo de desenvolvimento da integração. Ao mesmo tempo, nesse contexto, a pesquisa em questão investiga o impacto da convergência da mídia na produção de notícias, delineia a maneira como a mídia pode se adaptar a cenários dinâmicos, propõe novos métodos de produção de notícias para promover o progresso da era da convergência e visa estabelecer os princípios básicos da produção de notícias no desenvolvimento integrado. Sob a tendência de digitalização, rede e informatização, o modo de produção de notícias passou por mudanças. Com o surgimento da nova mídia e a transformação gradual da mídia tradicional, o ambiente e o modo de produção de notícias também passaram por mudanças profundas. Este artigo revelou os mecanismos subjacentes e as tendências futuras dessa mudança, que podem melhorar a eficiência e a qualidade da produção de notícias, e aumentar sua competitividade em um ambiente de mídia diversificado. Ele tem um valor de referência importante para organizações de notícias, profissionais de mídia e formuladores de políticas relevantes, podendo fornecer uma base científica para a tomada de decisões.

Palavras-chave:
Convergência de mídia; Produção de notícias; Transformação; Reforma.

Introduction

The news industry has been impacted by the growth of media convergence, which has also taken center stage in the evolution of mainstream media. It is essential to effectively use new technologies, redefine media communication, and emphasize that integration and unification are the core of integrated growth. The news production sector has never had more development potential due to technological innovation, but these opportunities come with risk, and the news industry will face significant challenges as it undergoes transformation. From a technical perspective, intelligent technology has broadened human perception and created new opportunities for news production and media integration, which is a noteworthy sight. Still, from the standpoint of media environment research, industrial and technical change will always have an effect on the news ecology, and reforming the news production process is not without its challenges. There is no such thing as news alone. It is the result of industrial, political, social and economic processes. In addition to reporting on reality, news also contributes to creating the real world. The media ecology and social context impact its creation process, and it also has the opposite impacts on the media and society. In addition to being a word that characterizes the overall outcome of news practice, news production is also a verb that denotes the procedure by which news is converted from event facts into information. The concept, method and relationships surrounding news production have all undergone significant change as a result of the technological environment created by artificial intelligence and the media environment of media integration. These changes have had a profound impact on the entire news production chain. Computer networks, media content, and the phenomenon of information and communication technology interconnection are all components of media convergence. It is a direct product of digital media content and the mass Internet, combining the “three Cs” of computation, communication and content. As a result of media convergence, new types of material have been made possible and established businesses, services and work patterns have changed.

In the era of multimedia, the production and operations of news have undergone significant changes due to the rise of new media and the continuous development of information technology (Oliveira, 2022, p. 439). The transformation of news production and operations involves various aspects, including newsgathering processes, news content forms, news production methods and news values.

The digital evaluation of the value of news content can be finished by fine-tuning the features and semantics of the text through technical digital analysis. Natural language processing technology can encode textual aspects of news content. The news theme or characters can be combined with this coding to create evidence supporting the news value assessment. The information that people share and the behavioral traces they leave behind can be analyzed and screened by media, which can then choose the most potentially lucrative information points for in-depth mining. For example, articles published on the official WeChat platform of People’s Daily often feature positive reviews from netizens and filter out the most popular comments to find relevant tags and news items.

Firstly, the transformation of newsgathering processes has become a major trend in the era of multimedia. Journalists now obtain news information through various channels, such as interviews, observation and online platforms (Aoiz, 2022, p. 169). This has made it easier for news organizations to publish news stories at any time and anywhere, which has shortened the time required for news to be published.

Secondly, the transformation of news content forms has also become a significant trend in the era of multimedia. Traditional news content forms, such as news reports, special reports and comments, still play an important role, but the range of news content forms has expanded significantly. Journalists can now use videos, live broadcasts, photos and audio to present news stories, making news more vivid, intuitive and visually appealing (Bai; Ge; Li, 2023, p. 24).

Thirdly, the transformation of news production methods has also become a major trend in the era of multimedia. Journalists now have more options for obtaining news information, and they can process and publish news stories more quickly (Li; Li; Tang et al., 2021, p. 21). News organizations now use online platforms to publish news stories at any time and anywhere, which has shortened the time required for news to be published.

Finally, the transformation of news values has also become a significant trend in the era of multimedia. Traditional news values, such as objectivity, truth and accuracy, still play an important role, but the range of news values has expanded significantly. Journalists now need to focus on user-centeredness, customer needs, and providing more timely, vivid and intuitive news information.

Overall, the transformation of news production and operations, in the era of multimedia, has brought about significant changes in the ways news is gathered, processed and distributed. Journalists and news organizations need to adapt to these changes by emphasizing user-centeredness, customer needs, and providing more timely, vivid, and intuitive news information. This will help to promote the value and significance of news services and better meet the customers’ needs.

This article explores continuity and regression through the development of a unique theoretical approach based on practical theory, namely, the use of anti-media in practice. It explains the research method by analyzing three different cases, from anti-media as an object or discourse to media practice. This can solve the process of media and propose the essence, significance, specific activities and behaviors of media (Magaudda, 2019, p. 673). Cultural intermediaries are applied to celebrities, social media influencers and algorithms to highlight how media is produced and distributed through new intermediary forms. It outlines how new participants in social media transfer from one stakeholder group to another, and how algorithms are increasingly highlighting specific types of content. Number first is a key actor, in cultural intermediaries, to ensure that public issues remain visible to those stakeholders who are most affected by timely information about social issues (Hutchinson, 2020, p. 1284).

The ascendency of media convergence to the national strategic level, and its far-reaching convergence with emerging new technologies, such as big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and media, has expedited in-depth media convergence.

The present communication world is characterized by three key trends: media globalization, communication globalization, and media digitization. 1. Media globalization: Information and media are now disseminated beyond national borders due to the quick advancement of information technology. This broadens and expands the worldwide reach of media material while also quickening the flow of information. 2. Globalization of communication: This describes the cross-border movement of media services and content on a worldwide scale. This covers films, songs, news articles, posts on social media, etc. 3. Media digitization: The production, distribution, and consumption of media have all undergone radical change thanks to digital technology, which has also expanded the opportunities for data collecting and analysis (Shao, 2014, p. 36).

News production, as a central link in the communication ecology, is inevitably prone to influences. In the face of media convergence, the conventional production process, production mechanism, information source and processing, news value and communication power all require transformation, rebuilding and refurbishing.

1 Convergence and reform: the development of media convergence and its impacts on news production in China

“Media convergence” was first proposed, in 1983, by Professor Ole at Massachusetts University of Technology in America. Over the ensuing decade, the development of news transmission has been accumulating the forces and factors of convergence. The development of the Internet has offered an excellent opportunity for the expansion of convergence. Media convergence is the manifestation of the diversified development trend of social media. “It will become an inevitable trend of media development in the twists and turns” (Shao, 2009, p. 58). Convergent news is of particular significance and has gained attention from scholars, such as Professor Cai Wei, who introduced the concept and put it into practice in China (Cai, 2007, p. 12). Since then, research and practical applications of media convergence, in Mainland China, have flourished. The publication of the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Integration and Development of Traditional Media and Emerging Media, in 2014, demonstrated China’s determination to undertake major reforms in media convergence. In general, the main ongoing reforms in media convergence include the following aspects: 1. Promoting the deep integration of traditional media and new media. 2. Promoting mergers and reorganizations in the media industry.3. Promoting the innovative development of the media industry. 4. Strengthening the supervision of the media industry. Its purpose is to outline precise guidelines and plans for advancing the growth of media convergence in light of the current circumstances. Some people point out that integrating news media resources, promoting the integration and development of traditional and new media, implementing comprehensive and in-depth reform plans, and promoting publicity and cultural innovation are key tasks that must be completed. This can adapt to significant changes in the media landscape, enhance the credibility and influence of mainstream media communication, and enhance the ability of public opinion to guide important policies.

Media convergence, as used in the context of news communication, is the convergence of various media forms with respect to form, content, style and audience positioning. This tendency results from the growing rivalry among media outlets and the emergence of the digital age, which has progressively dissolved the distinctions among various media genres. The definitions and explanations of content convergence, form convergence, style convergence and audience positioning convergence are as follows:

(1) Convergence of content

The term “content convergence” describes the propensity of many media outlets to use comparable techniques and perspectives while covering the same event or subject. For instance, several media outlets, including newspapers, radio, television and the Internet, may all cover a major emergency. The topic and essential details of the report remain the same, despite variations in form and specific content.

(2) Formal convergence

Formal convergence is the word used to describe how many media gradually converge in terms of expression and communication techniques. For example, with the development of the digital age, traditional media, such as radio, television and newspapers, have gradually given way to new forms of media. Social media and network design reduce formal differences among various media types.

To put it briefly, media convergence is a trend in the news communication area that is demonstrated by the form and content convergence of various media. This tendency results from the growing rivalry among media outlets and the emergence of the digital age, which has progressively dissolved the distinctions among various media genres.

1.1 Realizing the transition from the technological reform to content convergence

“Internet + content” is widely regarded as a primary attempt at convergence. Since this early stage, efforts towards convergent development have aimed at augmenting content production by means of technological reforms. Media have come to appreciate the two-way and interactive nature of news information dissemination by transforming and upgrading their clients. This has further generated a spillover effect in terms of content and has interconnected the main bodies of information, disseminators and audiences in terms of their effects. People can better understand the others’ views and positions, enhance the understanding of each other, promote the smooth progress of communication, and enhance the sense of trust and willingness to cooperate with each other. Starting from the production of news content, media curate topics based on the value of news clues and their audiences’ interests. The improvement of news production and the reform of content are realized through the processing of new technologies, leveraging the manifold advantages of network data. As a result, the news production model has undergone a continuous cycle of innovation with news products enriched, converged and their communication effect continuously enhanced. In particular, data journalism has emerged as a pivotal symbol of the new stage of convergent development.

With the help of big data, visualization, and other technologies, media continue to innovate their data collection, content selection, analysis, and statistics, and visual presentation methods, achieving production, processing, and presentation in the form of accurate news, data journalism, and convergent news (Shao, 2016, p. 355).

Technology has the potential to assist media in gathering vast amounts of data more quickly and accurately. In terms of choosing content, the media can find and gather information and viewpoints that individuals, who are interested in particular issues or topics, are discussing, then deliver these topics and viewpoints to the public using technologies, like big data analysis and machine learning. The media can utilize computer programs and algorithms to examine large data sets, extract relevant information and provide more accurate reports when it comes to statistics and data analysis. In conclusion, media professionals continue to innovate by applying big data, visualization, and other technologies to create, analyze and show information in novel ways.

1.2 Realization of the transformation from breakthrough points to transformation plane

“Media convergence refers to the results and the overall process of convergence across all aspects” (Shao, 2009, p. 62). In exploring the convergence of technology and content, major media have gradually unified the media industry chain to achieve all-encompassing changes. This transformation is chiefly characterized by the convergence of business models and the innovative mechanisms of operation. Business models, such as service-oriented, cultural and creative, big data, e-commerce and other multi-point business models, are merged to actualize the convergence of news media and information services. In order to cope with and adjust the media operation and management under the background of the integration of the three networks, the supervision policy at the ideological level has been greatly strengthened, and the supervision is a unified combination of ideology and policy. Moreover, self-discipline and competitiveness amongst media outlets play a critical role in determining their control over the flow of information. Correspondingly, the macro level primarily emphasizes the rule of law, marketization and morality.

An organized system of values, beliefs, customs and behavioral norms that characterizes a society or group is called ideology. This idea focuses on how people perceive and interpret the world, and how those understandings and interpretations influence the way they behave and make decisions. Ideology is a product of social structure and influences it. Louis Althusser believes that symbolic ideology refers to people’s potential assumptions about what symbols are, what their functions are and what consequences they may have. The analysis of social class helps to show some of the political meanings of semiotic ideology (Althusser, 1974; Alkurdi; Al-Doory; Al-Shetawi, 2021, p. 107). Žižek’s golden mean answer is the basic ideological operation of liberal multiculturalists: the culturalization of politics, from the culturalization of politics to the politicization of culture (Althusser, 1974). Michael Billig (1988), in “Ideological Dilemma”, says: “[…] is a major contribution to the social science understanding of how people understand their lives. It provides an enlightening new method for the study of daily thinking. Ideology and common sense are full of contradictions” (Žižek, 2008, p. 660). Terry Eagleton believed that dividing popular political ideologies into two dimensions is useful. Although economic and cultural ideologies will not be reduced to a single left and right dimension, they are usually moderately-sometimes strongly-related (Terry, 2014). Antonio (1978, p. 441) believes that young people always and everywhere express extreme opinions and violent protests on paper. Joost A. M. Merloo is committed to various technologies to make people a docile conformist. In addition to actual political events, it is also necessary to draw attention to some ideas, born in the laboratory, and promote brainwashing drug technology (Meerloo, 1961). Le Bon’s (2002) work is one of the greatest and most influential social psychology books of all time. It has excellent educational significance in the population’s general characteristics and psychological unity, emotions and morals, thoughts, reasoning skills, imagination, opinions, etc.

1.3 Degree of convergence realizing the transition from shallow to deep convergence

Most scholars agree that convergence is a systematic and comprehensive process. As such, this process is expected to have a degree of development or convergence. Currently, the advent of convergence has deepened the degree of it, progressively evolving towards a profound convergence of the way of thinking, organizational structure, communication channels and media ecology. Empowered by Internet thinking and technology, several media houses have transformed their news-production organizations, breaking down the traditional division of functions and revolutionizing the news production and dissemination processes. In this way, they strive to improve communication by enhancing the timeliness and innovation of news.

2 Persistence, transmutation and news production in the convergent era

In the context of convergent development, news production is undergoing a transformative and far-reaching shift in terms of information sources, production units, production organizations and production methods, encompassing “[...] changes in organizational structure and workflow, news carriers’ performance, and news dissemination methods” (Cai, 2007, p. 12). Some scholars have identified full-time, openness and interactivity, as the three essential characteristics of news production, in the context of convergence (Gong; Zhang, 2011, p. 22; Saramifar, 2018, p. 67). It is now more crucial than ever for news producers to grasp and respond to this seismic change.

2.1 Professional ideal or market-driven? - the choice of news values

The most prominent characteristic of convergent media is that the direction, channels and quantity of information flow have undergone a significant transformation, compared to the past. This is manifested, in the shift from traditional media dissemination and passive audience acceptance, to proactive user selection and media offerings. Consequently, the supply and demand of news information have shifted from production to consumption. Analyzing the professionalism of journalism, within the context of convergence, requires a focus on the concepts of objectivity, the idea of freedom and responsibility, the awareness of serving the public, and the self-discipline and heteronomy of journalism.

The ideal of the journalism profession, which encompasses the creativity and aspirations of the profession, as well as its desire and pursuit of career accomplishments, can be comprehended as the professional ideal of the news media. The professional ideal of the news media specifically consists of the following elements: 1. Uphold the professionalism of journalism: journalists should maintain an impartial, fact-based and objective attitude. They should report news without bias. They should provide the public with accurate, truthful and fair information. 2. The pursuit of truth and facts: journalists should never stop looking for the truth and facts. They should conduct in-depth research. They can talk to people, explore try to bring events back to reality, and provide reliable news and information to the public. To put it succinctly, the ideal employee of news media should uphold the standards of professionalism in journalism, seek for the facts and truth, respect professional ethics, give back to the community, and never stop learning and growing. We can only gain the public’s confidence and support by doing this, as well as recognizing the importance and worth of the media profession.

Numerous significant changes, occurring in the news production environment, have instigated frequent debates amongst media, the public and researchers, regarding the core principles of news production. Professor Wu previously opined that

[...] contemporary media has been significantly impacted by commercialization, leading to a collapse in the ethical foundation of the media. The situation in China is even more complex due to the ongoing process of social transformation. In the words of Marx, ‘all the traditional systems that have been built have collapsed, and the new system has not yet been established (Wu, 2014, p. 21).

Another vital factor to consider is the role of capital in media convergence and its implications for news production. News dissemination is intrinsically linked to the support of capital, and capital operation is an important pathway for media convergence. The term “media convergence” describes how different media types are integrated, particularly how old and new media are integrated. Media firms can get a lot of funding through capital operations to help advance the growth of media integration. However, capital operations can also have other benefits, such increasing market channels and enhancing the brand influence of media businesses. However, the underlying nature of capital is to seek profits, which raises concerns. News production, being a specific product supply, has a normative nature of contents, value orientation, social influence, communicative power and educational significance that must not be overshadowed by market competitiveness. As convergence progresses, effectively maximizing capital efficiency and minimizing its adverse effects become a critical challenge to address.

2.2 Persistence or innovation?-convergent process reengineering of news production

Traditional news production has been characterized by single media production and one-way communication. With the rapid progress of communication technology, information dissemination and acquisition channels, distribution of media resources, audience requirements and media are in urgent need of reform. Moreover, as the public continues to play an increasingly active role in news production, new formats, such as joint news, digital news, public news, and evidence-based news, have emerged, reflecting the substantial convergence of old and new media. These formats capitalize on their respective advantages in disseminating news information, such as the integration of editing and editing resources, division of labor and collaboration, and varied dissemination channels, to achieve full-media coverage of news information dissemination and permit timely and effective dissemination.

Technological advancements have posed significant challenges to traditional news production. First of all, in the network environment, the competition speed of traditional media lags behind that of new media. While traditional media can broadcast live for foreseeable events, reporting on unforeseeable emergencies can be difficult due to the lack of effective interconnectivity among traditional media. Secondly, new media has breached communication limitations of time and space. The openness and sharing of Internet allow information with similar content to be included in the dissemination process. However, in unidirectional dissemination, information selectivity is crucial. Thus, the primary right to speak on the news inevitably lies with the media. The audience is the information recipient in a one-way connection, and the media is the information distributor. The media can convey certain information selectively while ignoring or hiding others because they have a great deal of autonomy in the material they choose to present. The audience’s comprehension and perception of events or issues may be impacted by this selective transmission of information, which could result in biased or one-sided information.

2.3 Boycott or hug? - News production under the torrent of technological innovation

As stated by Marshall McLuhan, “Gutenberg made us all readers; radio and television made us all observers in the field; copiers made us all publishers; the Internet made us all journalists, broadcasters, columnists, commentators, and critics” (Grossman, 1999, p. 56). Technology serves as the primary driving force behind media convergence and represents the current “pain point” of convergent development, prompting the convergence of media forms and news production. The following are the primary issues preventing media convergence from progressing: 1. The swift advancement of technology; 2. The detachment between the creation of content and its utilization, as well as the absence of support for superior material. 3. Concerns about data security and privacy. 4. Talent shortage: multidisciplinary and compound talents are needed, as a result of media convergence. Currently, this is a problem that is impeding the advancement of media convergence. Firstly, the expansion of information-dissemination platforms provides news producers with a powerful stage and space. Similarly, the diversification of information sources and the expansion of information content encourage producers to actively and passively adjust their attitudes towards information. News producers must leave the traditional information selection and filtering approach behind, and choose, produce and disseminate information based on the audiences’ needs amidst the endless sea of data. The news producers’ identity is becoming increasingly ambiguous and extended, and the production process is becoming more attentive to public opinions and preferences, especially the audiences’ ones.

In the process of news production, it is essential to include and reflect public opinions while finding reasonable technical allies amidst the technological advancement. This approach has translated into a dual tendency towards full participation and competitive technical cooperation in news production. The success of a news production process has shifted from a one-way, isolated and closed process to an open, full-staff and interactive technical process.

News production organizations should adopt a proactive approach towards technological convergence by mitigating technical insufficiencies and augmenting technical capabilities. Concentrating superior resources is crucial to bolstering the construction of acquisition and editing systems, information resource databases, cloud platforms and information release systems. With an open and favorable attitude, a constant influx of advanced technologies must be used to effectuate the transformation and promotion of technology to production organizations.

The impact of convergent development on news production is significant, encompassing several critical issues, such as the value function and social function of news production, news producers’ function conversion and identity definition, and the supervision and guidance of news production.

3 Transformation and transcendence - the choice of news production in the convergent era

It is both the best and the worst of times for media convergence, as the choice and attitude of media determine their development prospects and space. The good news is that the current media attitude towards convergent development is becoming increasingly active, and the exploration of convergence practices has made continuous progress and innovation. Under the dual pressures of market competition and content being king, many media outlets have excelled in convergence, news production and competitive abilities. Considerable progress has been made in news production capacity and quality, and the development of dissemination and discourse powers has achieved unprecedented growth. On this basis, new media entities, with flexible convergence mechanisms, extensive industrial development, flexible systems and mechanisms, have emerged, further accelerating overall convergence. The relationship between the two media is worth re-examination and repositioning. They are no longer in a relationship of exclusion and competition in nature, but of coexistence, symbiosis, convergence, and coordination in the same ecology and space. Current and future development must not only highly converge, but also eliminate boundaries between media, for better innovation, and products in the final analysis.

The following factors can be used to start the development and breakthrough of news production in the era of integration: 1. By more effectively applying media integration technology and integrating new innovative technologies into the entire process of news and information creation, distribution and service, the Internet thinking process can be strengthened. This can encourage the integrated development of media and hasten the modernization and transformation of conventional mainstream media. Refactoring operation mode: it can strengthen team cooperation and cross media cooperation to improve the efficiency of content generation and coverage. New applications and technologies: news production can leverage the quality and efficiency benefits brought by the development of big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies.

The general laws of news generation, in the context of integrated development, are as follows: 1. Timeliness: reporters must be able to react rapidly in the age of integration since news travels more swiftly in this context. 2. Authenticity: in the age of integration, it is more challenging to ensure the authenticity of the news because of the variety of information sources available. Due to the increased freedom of information distribution in the integration age, the media must uphold the ideal of impartiality and refrain from bias and discrimination.

3.1 Contents being the core competitiveness of news production, required to grasp the direction in time

From the perspective of value attribute, news production belongs to the ideology category, and its orientation and content are its soul and foundation. News production, in the era of convergent media, still needs to adhere to correct political orientation. The fundamental purpose that news media must adhere to is the correct political direction, including adhering to the principles of party spirit, Marxist journalism, serving the people and serving socialism. This is the fundamental rule that the news media have to follow. It also serves as the guide and objective for the growth of news media. Exploring and promoting in-depth integration, it should actively address the complex situation arising from the diversification of social thoughts. Adhering to the guidance of core values, it should be brave and adept at championing the main theme, directing public opinion and guiding ideological direction amidst confusion regarding public opinion.

“Content is king” is the fundamental principle of news production. In many ways, this principle is highly compatible with the “journalism considerations” proposed by Gans (2004). The advent of convergent development has added new meaning to content and extended the principle. Contents are no longer limited to value-oriented products produced by professional journalists, but also include audience-generated content. The dissemination of content does not only involve “one-off” reports anymore. The ability to cater to the audience’s individualized content needs has become crucial to product dissemination and audience interaction. News production “[...] no longer revolves around one-off content production and dissemination but also requires the ability to adjust and redirect contents based on feedback” (Shi, 2014, p. 31).

News production, in the era of convergence, should focus on content innovation, and convergence is not a simple “copy” or “move” of a platform. Contents determines values, and news production innovation is about creating news products with ideas, warmth and quality. It is necessary to carry out reforms and innovations in the direction of news production, language, humanistic spirit, and value pursuit to provide clear and valuable products to the public while enhancing their authority and credibility. Firstly, it is necessary to stick to the path of characteristics and personalization to improve the quality of content, bringing together information collection and verification, analysis and interpretation, and in-depth reporting capabilities of dominant media. The aim is to provide high-quality products and content that can attract and gather audiences. Secondly, it is necessary to enhance the audience’s subject consciousness by changing the concept of news supply, expanding the ability of information service and interaction. Lastly, interactive characteristics of integrated news productions should be utilized to construct a discourse system suitable for network self-media dissemination. This approach can genuinely open the last mile of content dissemination.

In the process of “content is king”, it is crucial to be mindful of new trends in news production. The importance of platforms, data and channels has become more and more apparent, and convergent media is reconstructing content production modes and processes. As such, content being king must change direction promptly and accordingly. Media outlets must continue to improve their level and quality of news production through convergence development.

3.2 Process reengineering: the only way for deep convergence

The sociology of news production views news production as the social life’s representation. The convergence of production formats is the basis for convergent news production, with the development and sharing of resources as the core. Therefore, it is essential to transform the news production process. The primary function of the media is news production, and the societal impact and caliber of news are directly impacted by the efficiency and rationality of the process. The traditional news creation method has been unable to keep up with the modern society’s demands due to advancements in science, technology and the emergence of new media. Consequently, it is imperative that the news production process be transformed, since it must be modified gradually. Innovative news production and dissemination methods should be established to reconstruct the information collection, platform, processing and publishing to create a new convergent production process.

(1) The reconstruction of the news-production command center is the core to realizing convergent news production. It requires an efficient, orderly and scientific operation center that coordinates topic selection, collection, production, audiences, publishing, news information collection platform, online and offline editing platforms, information release platforms and user management platforms to operate in a convergent manner. To manage news production orientation, the center implements rolling information management and convergent planning of major news dynamics, based on the characteristics of news content. It is responsible for managing the production and dissemination of news production.

(2) Cultivating all-around journalists is critical to convergent news production. The ability to gather, interpret and report the news is a key requirement for any journalist. In the convergent media landscape, journalists require all-around and cross-border thinking, and abilities that span multiple mediums, including traditional newspapers, radio, television, the Internet and other multimedia platforms.

(3) Hierarchical information processing of convergent media is crucial for efficient news production. Convergent news producers require innovative editorial platforms, editorial teams and working mechanisms to ensure that planning, integration, editing, gatekeeping and new media technologies are comprehensively used in massive information sources for hierarchical processing. Hierarchical processing of editing and production refers to the “[...] classification of content resources according to the requirements of multi-modal and multi-terminal communication, and multimedia hierarchical development of content resources according to the needs of audiences” (Xiao, 2016, p. 15). By carrying out hierarchical information processing, the convergence and innovation of news product content and dissemination are ensured.

Finally, it is essential to diversify disseminators and channels in convergent news production. The terminal of news production and dissemination is a crucial link in the process of media convergence. It is necessary to converge the release management of convergent news production at the unified processing and production interface to achieve convergent and digital management of texts, pictures, audio and video. In addition, it is crucial to choose the appropriate release channel according to the content and audience preferences to meet individual needs and expand the audience.

3.3 Normalization of the news-production mechanism: an inherent requirement of convergent development

Technology is undoubtedly the driving force behind convergent news production, and content reform serves as the core and foundation of this process. However, to achieve the healthy development of integration, it is equally important to establish a scientific and normal mechanism for convergent production. This mechanism should include the establishment of rules and regulations that govern the news production process, such as a news product quality evaluation mechanism, public information collection and screening mechanism, news production process specification mechanism, news release channel construction mechanism and dissemination-efficiency feedback mechanism. There should also be a mechanism in place for the supervision and capital operation of convergent development. A sound mechanism guarantees the orderly progress of convergence development.

First, the political use of governmental authority is referred to as politics. It covers political involvement, political management and decision-making. The political goals include stability and social justice as well as the defense of the people’s fundamental rights and interests. Second, discourse describes the ways in which individuals communicate their ideas, beliefs and feelings. Oral expression is only one aspect of speech. Written expression, online expression, etc., are all included. Discourse has various purposes, such as connecting people, exchanging ideas and transferring information. Ultimately, the moral standards and conduct guidelines that individuals should follow, when expressing and sharing the conversation, are referred to as discourse ethics. These standards and norms include regard for diversity, honesty and justice, and other people’s rights and dignity. In summary, politics and discourse ethics are critical ideas in contemporary society. Together, they form the contemporary society’s fundamental principles and values. They are also interconnected and have an impact on one another.

In the realm of news production, the normalization mechanism aims to implement phased attempts in convergent development. Presently, the primary focus of convergent news production centers on constructing a framework for content production. Utilizing process reengineering, news publishers aim to achieve convergence of resources and diversification of news editing, generation and dissemination. This approach seeks to leverage the potential offered by media convergence. Since the inception of convergence, media outlets have endeavored to engage in convergent news production by featuring major themes and significant events. They have actively explored the collection, editing, production and publishing processes while adhering to the hallmarks of convergent news production. The result has been good communication effects and efficient production, which draws on the unique features of convergence. Through continuous improvement, convergent news production has transitioned from the bleeding edge of innovation to a comprehensive and standard mechanism.

The development of media convergence represents a vital strategic consideration for the media industry, as it presents an opportunity for media to reinvigorate itself through a process of rebirth and transformation. There is great potential for increasing the quantity and quality of news production via convergence, which could enable a new level of transcendence in the contents, products and dissemination of information.

Conclusion

This article explored the impact and changes of mixed media on news production from several aspects. The first is the diversification of news production. Traditional paper media, television broadcasting media and online media have different characteristics and advantages in news production. Paper media usually appears in the form of print, with characteristics of authority, professionalism and seriousness, suitable for reporting deep-seated reporting and academic research news. Television and radio media appear in the form of audio and video, with characteristics of widespread dissemination, vividness and real-timeness, suitable for reporting news and commentary on current affairs. Internet media appears in the form of online platforms, with characteristics of openness, interaction and globality, suitable for reporting social news, news commentary and current affairs commentary. Mixed media integrates various media forms, achieving diversified news production, which can meet the different users’ different needs and improve the authority, professionalism and vividness of news.

The second is change in news production methods. The emergence of mixed media has changed traditional news production methods. Traditional news production methods usually involve journalists collecting news information, editing and processing it, and then publishing it. However, news production methods of mixed media involve multiple channels and means of news collection and publication, such as Twitter, Weibo, apps, and Douyin, etc., through network dissemination and interaction, achieving rapid diffusion and dissemination of information. At the same time, mixed media also use various types of reporting forms, such as short videos, live streaming and virtual reality, to improve the vividness and interactiveness of news information, attracting more users.

The third is change in news service methods. The emergence of mixed media has also changed traditional news service methods. Traditional news service methods usually involve newspapers, television and radio services, which users can only access through specific channels. However, mixed media has expanded news services to a wider user base through the Internet and mobile Internet, enabling users to access news services at any time and any place, more convenient and faster. In addition, mixed media also use intelligent push technology to deliver personalized news services to users, based on their interests and preferences, improving the precision and effectiveness of news services.

At last, the impact and changes of mixed media on news production are evident, providing users with more widely-distributed, timely and diverse news services, greatly satisfying their needs. At the same time, it challenges traditional news institutions, driving them to accelerate reform, improve news editing and service efficiency, and meet the users’ increasing news needs.

Media content and media technology are inseparable, and with the advancement of technology, journalists’ views on how to produce news are constantly changing. The close cooperation of technology and content, on the path of the progress and integration of media technology, helps to continuously produce new news forms and innovate news products. The implementation of many forms of intelligent new content productivity, across several “threads”, will result in increased production capacity as well as a shift in the style and mindset of content production from a variety of linkages and levels.

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  The work is a phased research result of the 59th General Funding Project of the National Postdoctoral Fund, “Research on the Overseas Dissemination Path of Yangmingism from a Cross-Cultural Perspective (Grant n. 2016M591978).

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  03 May 2024
• Date of issue
  2024

History

• Received
  06 Sept 2023
• Accepted
  09 Nov 2023
• Published
  25 Mar 2024