What can new technologies bring us? What exactly is media production in the new technological ecosystem? On the evening of June 7th, the first Pan Himalayan Regional Communication Forum series of lectures began at the Hundred Schools of the Qingshuihe Campus Library of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. Professor Chen Changfeng, from the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University and Executive Vice Dean, delivered a themed lecture titled “Media Production in the New Science and Technology Ecology”.
Professor Chen introduced hot topics such as the frequency of popular keywords in the TV drama “People’s Justice” and the media reporting framework of “Sichuan Airlines Hero Captain” tonight. He introduced media production in the new technological ecosystem from four aspects: media production (producers and information sources, new technology production tools, production standards and products and users), media production in the Internet era, media production from the perspective of media sociology, and media organization’s reproduction of the social system.
The production of media cannot be separated from the control of producers and the acquisition of information sources. Professor Chen believes that “the news management environment has spawned a group of ‘citizen journalists’ who consciously and actively release information to the outside world. They use the Internet to expose social ills, dig out the truth behind the scenes, and provide journalists with a large number of news clues, which has become an important news source. In recent years, it is more and more common for mainstream media to publish the news released by these netizens in newspapers under the title of” netizen exposure “without verification.”
In a series of media production, tools are becoming increasingly important in the production process, from big data to blockchain, as well as human-machine collaborative production, intelligent distributed production, and customized production methods, all of which will affect it. Professor Chen said, “In this production and distribution process, professional media institutions engaged in news content production no longer dominate.” Subsequently, the lecture explored who is influencing production from robot writing, algorithm application, intelligent translation, sensor news, interaction.
In the production standards, Professor Chen used the example of “Professor Fang Hanqi’s donation of a million yuan bonus and suspected fraud in bank transfer” to explain the socialization of information dissemination and various questions raised about self media production standards. She believes that “the judgment of news value remains, but the abnormality of news value will attract the attention of the audience.”
Referring to products and audiences, Professor Chen used the factual framework, political framework and conflict framework in the “Nobel Literature Prize announcement” and “Mo Yan’s award-winning foreign reports” to illustrate that “the Internet brings the possibility of real-time revision of manuscripts, which can constantly revise news.”
Next, take today’s headlines as an example to explain the role of intelligent engines. She believes that “algorithm recommendation is not only involved in information distribution, but also in creation, review and interaction. In the era of traditional media, creation, review and distribution all need to be completed manually. Today, in the era of mobile Internet, new media are more carried out through intelligent algorithms. Intelligent algorithms have greatly improved work efficiency, and can personalize information, accurately calculate every user and form personal information flow.”
Professor Chen used the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting won by the Arizona Republic and Today USA as examples to demonstrate the shocking effects of interactive news. He then rethought on news ethics from the perspective of algorithmic mechanisms in news distribution and explained the changes in production methods brought about by media visualization effects on media production. In the perspective of media sociology, Professor Chen believes that “multiple factors often interact with each other, forming a collective force to shape the final form of media products.”
Professor Chen Changfeng’s introduction:
Professor and Executive Vice Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, Doctoral Supervisor, President of the Chinese Society of Journalism History, Vice Chairman of the Teaching Guidance Committee for Journalism and Communication under the Ministry of Education, Member of the Evaluation Group for Journalism and Communication under the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and Executive Director of the China Journalism Association. Main research areas: History of Journalism and Communication, Media Ethics, Mass Media and Social Change, Journalism and Communication Education.
