An event for the release of the new media blue book Annual Report on the Development of New Media in China No. 11 (2020) and the seminar on the Development of New Media was recently held through online and offline interaction.

The report, compiled by the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies at CASS, indicates that the development of China’s new media shows ten trends. For example, livestreaming and short videos are on a golden development track, and 5G Plus is accelerating the transformation of the industrial internet.

Gao Peiyong, vice president of CASS, said that the blue book reflects China’s experience in combating the COVID-19 pandemic via new media, providing the “Chinese plan” for responding to global public crises through new media. It also analyses the new trend of the application and development of 5G Plus, summarizing the “Chinese path” for the development of new media. In addition, the book develops new disciplinary concepts, providing the “Chinese discourse” for the academic research of new media. During the pandemic, new media have played a vital role in people’s daily life and learning. They are substantially changing global dissemination patterns and development opportunities.

Tang Xujun, director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies, said that with the continuous improvement of China’s internet infrastructure, the number of internet users is rapidly increasing while internet products and services are becoming abundant. The development of new media has been the leading force of the media industry. The new media industry empowers other industries via such new technologies as big data and AI. Internet giants have been vigorously deploying the industrial internet. This has brought about new opportunities for new media.

According to the report, new information technology and new media platforms have played a prominent role in the pandemic prevention and control as well as the resumption of work and production. E-commerce livestreaming has become a channel of internet sales. Short video content shows high-quality transformation. New media going abroad has become an important means for telling Chinese stories.