In recent years, the rapid growth of new media has had a great impact on traditional media. It is well known that new media has obvious advantages in information dissemination and is increasingly popular with the public. However, all sorts of mainstream newspapers, radio and TV stations are still important strategic media resources at present, and they will still be powerful for many years to come.

Traditional media outlets have high credibility. Surveys indicate that around 70 percent of the public regard new media as their primary information source, but about 70 percent of the public view traditional media as the most reliable. It shows that people have not lost their faith in traditional media even as they increasingly rely on new media. Traditional media are still very influential in social discourse and dominant in public opinion. This is determined by the respective characteristics of new and traditional media.

New media have a large amount of information and can spread it quickly. Paying more attention to the truth, comprehensiveness, objectiveness and justice of content, traditional media agencies are home to a large number of well-trained and experienced reporters and editors who provide high-quality news and information services. As skilled professionals, they are able to prudently report, analyze events and authoritatively publicize major measures of the Party and government. Thus, traditional media still play an important role in key issues and at crucial moments.
 

Traditional media promote social consensus. Currently, the Internet has intensified the trend toward diversification of ideology and culture. Despite geographical barriers and identity restrictions, people from all around the world connect with each other via the Internet, forming different discourse circles. Wide attention is drawn to ideas and expressions online. The Internet satisfies people’s demand for information and sparks their creativity. But at the same time, it can also lead to the fragmentation of information, distorted social values and obscure judgment criteria.
 

Compared with new media, traditional media can help construct the social bottom line based on essential values, enhance social consensus based on essential judgment criteria and allow people to express their opinions on specific social affairs. This is beneficial to forging an atmosphere with condensed values and relatively free expression.
 

Traditional media facilitate reading. In the era of the Internet, people are able to quickly absorb information on their cellphone in almost any setting. However, there is a tendency to skim and engage in what can be called shallow reading. Also, information online sometimes lacks deep thinking and analysis, and is even false, which can easily cause shallow thoughts and declined judgment. In contrast, reading books and newspapers is conducive to improving people’s thinking and analytical capabilities, and solidly accumulating and deepening their knowledge. 

Traditional media by no means reject new media. The two types of media should not be considered diametric opposites. On the contrary, the strong vitality of traditional media can be seen not only in influence but also in integration with new media. At present, many traditional media are attempting to develop media integration. They have opened their official weibo, WeChat public account and clients, attracting a growing number of users. In the Internet era, traditional media are still powerful and can remain vital through the integration with new media.

 

The article was translated from People’s Daily. Li Liangrong is a professor from the School of Journalism at Fudan University.