Closure of Post does not toll the bell for press

Source:Global Times Published: 2013-12-25 23:18:01

The 14-year-old Shanghai Evening Post will cease publication from January 1, 2014. This is another strong blow to print journalists in China, where journalists have witnessed a severe downturn in the press industry this year.

Will newspapers die? This is not the first time we have asked the question. Newspapers have survived despite the emergence of radio and TV broadcasting but it is a fact that the press industry has shrunk in the past century.

The press industry faces unprecedented pressure. Nonetheless, the Internet is changing people's overall lifestyles. Other industries such as retail, communications and banking are exposed to the same level of uncertainty.

The sense of crisis and self-reflection among print journalists can be viewed positively. The closure of the Shanghai Evening Post is a strategic move by the newly founded Shanghai United Media Group to bolster other, more vigorous newspapers.

In recent years, Chinese cities have experienced blind competition among newspapers with homogenous content. Aside from the powerful influence exerted by the Internet, the press industry itself needs rationalization.

A newspaper is not just paper - it is a complete set of information gathering, production and transmission. This production process is not going to be completely eliminated. Instead, embracing information technology, the press industry will see new internal vigor in the future.

Certainly, this is not an easy task. But in an era of technological revolution, no one can rest peacefully upon a temporary achievement. A strong sense of crisis permeates in various businesses. The press industry is no exception. The Internet brings both risks and opportunities. Such opportunities belong to all industries, including newspapers.

Until now, the press industry's capability for content production remains unparalleled. We should neither sell it cheaply, nor should we watch the capability collapse from the inside.

The Internet means rapid and constant technological renewal. Some players have been buried in this process, while new brave and wise players keep emerging to meet the challenges.

The press industry will not be at a dead end if it dares to innovate and enter with its content advantage at key moments of technological renewal.

No one can predict the specific ecology of information transmission a decade from now. No one can assert that the press industry will be the biggest loser, since we are not even sure what "press industry" will exactly refer to at that time.

Given the universal uncertainties, the future of the press industry is not walking toward death, but marching ahead along with all the uncertainties.



Posted in: Observer

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