Preamble

Exploring Work Reform in News Gathering and Editing in the New Media News Era
Tangshan Labor Daily, Tangshan, Hebei 063000

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to adapt to the rapidly evolving information dissemination environment, address the disconnect between traditional gathering and editing models and audience needs, and promote innovation in news production mechanisms. Methodology: The analysis focuses on three dimensions—news gathering and editing methods, news dissemination patterns, and journalistic values—to examine how technological iterations influence the direction of work reform in news gathering and editing. Corresponding strategies are proposed that center on original in-depth reporting, integration of diverse media, coordination of media resources, and strengthening talent cultivation. Results/Conclusions: The study establishes dynamic content screening standards and a modular production system, forming an operational framework for the coordinated development of timeliness, interactivity, and precision. This facilitates deep dissemination and value extension of news products in fragmented scenarios.

Keywords: new media; news; news gathering and editing; work reform; dissemination
Classification Number: G203
Document Code: A
Article ID: 1671-0134(2025)05-48-04
DOI: 10.19483/j.cnki.11-4653/n.2025.05.009
Citation Format: Jing Lihua. Exploring Work Reform in News Gathering and Editing in the New Media News Era [J]. China Media Technology, 2025, 32(5):

1. The Impact of the New Media News Era on News Gathering and Editing

1.1 Transformation of News Gathering and Editing Methods

The innovation of information access in the new media environment has created urgent demand for reform in news gathering and editing. Traditional models face significant adaptive challenges and can no longer effectively respond to the rapidly iterating information ecosystem. In this new era, news sources have become highly diversified. Press conferences and on-site interviews are no longer the sole channels for obtaining news; the proliferation of social media, online forums, blogs, and other platforms has made news access more abundant and convenient \cite{2}. The instantaneous nature of new media demands that journalists possess rapid information collection, editing, and publishing capabilities, which are critical for meeting audience expectations for both timeliness and reliability \cite{3}. A journalist's news sensitivity directly influences content selection and reporting direction, determining the accuracy and impact of news coverage. As multimedia content becomes widely adopted, news professionals must also master multimedia editing skills to flexibly integrate text, images, video, audio, and other formats. Throughout this convergence of information forms, enhancing the appeal of news reporting is paramount.

1.2 Evolution of News Dissemination Patterns

The advent of the new media era has triggered profound transformation in dissemination patterns, gradually dismantling the monopoly of traditional media and decentralizing communication structures. The linear model of one-way communication has been replaced by a networked structure, where user-generated content and professionally produced content form an interactive dissemination chain. Social media platforms' forwarding and commenting functions enable news information to spread virally, extending the dissemination levels of a single report from three tiers to more than seven. Editorial teams must establish dynamic dissemination effect evaluation models to track content flow trajectories and influence attenuation nodes across multiple channels in real time \cite{4}. Simultaneously, interactive demands are forcing communication mechanisms to upgrade. Audiences have shifted from passive recipients to active content co-creators, making openness and interactivity fundamental attributes of news products. The editorial workflow must incorporate user feedback analysis modules, integrating comment section data and secondary creation content into the dissemination effect evaluation system. Public discussion data on hot topics can then guide topic selection and planning direction in reverse, forming a closed-loop content optimization mechanism. This transformation also requires news organizations to continuously adapt to the rapidly changing information environment, paying close attention to emerging platforms and technological developments to maintain competitiveness \cite{5}. Throughout this process, editorial staff must fully leverage creativity and flexibility to explore optimal content presentation and dissemination methods.

1.3 Shift in News Values

The interactive nature of the new media era has substantially increased user participation. News professionals can engage in deep interaction with users through surveys, polls, comments, and other channels to extensively collect feedback, which becomes crucial evidence for improving news reporting and helps editorial staff more accurately reflect audience needs and expectations, thereby enhancing content relevance and appeal. On one hand, deep user participation reconstructs news production logic. The real-time interactive mechanisms of new media platforms transform audiences from information receivers to content co-creators, with UGC content such as comments, bullet chats, and topic discussions becoming organic components of news reports. Editorial teams should establish normalized opinion collection channels to analyze user focus points and emotional tendencies in real time, forming data support for topic planning and content optimization. The traditional one-way communication model is evolving into a two-way dialogue mechanism, with public demands directly permeating the entire news production process. On the other hand, content evaluation dimensions have undergone structural expansion. Beyond foundational values of factual accuracy and objective fairness, dissemination efficiency, emotional resonance, and topic participation constitute a new quality assessment triangle. Quantitative indicators such as secondary dissemination rates of hot topics, user dwell time, and cross-platform reprint volume are incorporated into the content evaluation system, together with journalistic ethics forming a composite value judgment standard.

2. Directions for Work Reform in News Gathering and Editing in the New Media Era

2.1 Conceptual Innovation: Shifting from "Transmitter-Centered" to "Audience-Centered"

In the new media era, news gathering and editing must shift to an "audience-centered" approach to adapt to the fundamental change in audience status \cite{6}. As audiences become more proactive and participatory, news organizations should re-evaluate their work philosophy to better meet these challenges and opportunities. First, the structural transfer of communication power is reshaping editorial logic. The linear dissemination model of one-way output has been replaced by a multi-directional interactive network structure, making audience reading preferences, information consumption habits, and emotional resonance points the core orientation of content production \cite{7}. Editorial teams should establish user persona analysis systems to segment groups based on age, geographic distribution, interest tags, and other dimensions, designing differentiated narrative strategies for different groups' cognitive characteristics. Government affairs reporting should emphasize visual presentation of policy interpretation, social news should strengthen storytelling and emotional connection, and financial information should focus on data visualization and trend forecasting, thereby precisely matching content supply with the diverse needs map of audiences. Second, interactive mechanism construction reconstructs the editorial workflow ecosystem. The traditional pre-editorial meeting system should incorporate user demand analysis, with social media comment data, trending topic indices, and emotional tendencies of UGC content becoming important bases for topic selection and planning. The editorial workflow should add real-time feedback channels, with users' questions about reporting angles, supplements to factual details, and discussions on value orientation immediately feeding back into content optimization. Third, the value transmission model is shifting from indoctrination to immersion. Hard news should incorporate scenario-based expression while maintaining authority, transforming policy impacts into livelihood cases; soft news should embed value orientation under an entertaining shell, achieving concept penetration through emotional resonance. In-depth reporting should build a multi-source cross-verification system, constructing a stepped cognitive path in complex events to guide audiences from information reception to independent thinking.

2.2 Skill Enhancement: Mastering New Media Technologies and Improving Information Processing

The iteration of new media technologies poses new challenges to the competency structure of journalism professionals, requiring editorial staff to urgently build a core skill system for the digital age. First, in information collection, journalists need to improve collection efficiency by mastering advanced search engine commands and social media monitoring technologies to accurately locate hot events through semantic analysis. Facing the information overload communication ecology, they must establish multi-source verification mechanisms and source credibility evaluation models to ensure the authenticity and timeliness of news materials. Second, at the content production level, strengthening data processing capabilities is essential. Using technologies such as data cleaning and visual analysis, heterogeneous data sources can be transformed into news products with rigorous narrative logic \cite{8}. Particularly important is cultivating data sensitivity to gain insights into dissemination patterns from user behavior data, using interactive charts, dynamic infographics, and other carriers to enhance content expressiveness. Technology application extends to dissemination effect optimization, using dissemination path tracking technology to monitor content diffusion trajectories in real time and dynamically adjust reporting strategies based on audience feedback to achieve dual improvement of news value and dissemination effectiveness. Third, at the information presentation level, mastering publishing techniques and dissemination patterns of various new media platforms is crucial. News professionals must flexibly use text, images, video, and other forms to enhance the vividness and readability of news content \cite{9}. Since platform operation mechanisms and user preferences differ, editorial staff need strong adaptability and professional competence to publish appropriate content on different platforms.

2.3 Workflow Reshaping: Adapting to New Media Characteristics and Optimizing News Production

First, in the news gathering stage, editorial staff should fully utilize new media tools to obtain news clues and on-site conditions in real time, ensuring they grasp the latest information firsthand and improving reporting timeliness. By leveraging social media and instant messaging tools, journalists can quickly capture information on various emergencies while rapidly establishing contact with on-site reporters to obtain authentic, first-hand materials. Second, the news editing stage requires adopting rapid editing and review processes to shorten the news production cycle. This workflow reshaping demands that editorial staff possess efficient decision-making and rapid response capabilities. Under information pressure, coordination and communication among personnel are extremely important. By streamlining review processes and clarifying division of responsibilities, news production efficiency can be effectively improved. In this process, fully utilizing automated and intelligent tools to reduce manual operations and improve work efficiency is key to optimizing the editing stage. Third, using the instant publishing functions of new media platforms enables real-time updates and rolling broadcasts of news reports. Given the characteristics of information flow in the new media environment, news content needs continuous updates based on real-time feedback, and editorial staff must be prepared to revise and supplement materials at any time. This ensures that audiences not only receive the latest information promptly but also gain access to reports from different perspectives, enriching their reading experience. Additionally, to better align with new media dissemination characteristics, news gathering and editing work must strengthen team collaboration and resource integration by building cross-departmental and cross-platform collaboration mechanisms to achieve information sharing and resource exchange, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and quality of news production.

3. Work Reform Strategies for News Gathering and Editing in the New Media Era

3.1 Focusing on Original In-Depth Reporting, Excavating Deep Information, and Shaping Distinctive News Identities

Original content production is crucial for attracting and retaining audiences \cite{10}. News organizations should intensify efforts in news event collection and investigation to obtain exclusive and authoritative first-hand materials through deep understanding of event backgrounds and developments. First, excavating in-depth reporting. In an era of information overload, audiences are more inclined to understand the underlying causes, impacts, and future trends of news events \cite{11}. To meet this demand, editorial staff should strengthen in-depth analysis of news events, using professional knowledge for interpretation and commentary. Such reporting can provide audiences with deeper understanding, independent perspectives, and professional insights, thereby satisfying their intellectual and comprehension needs. Second, implementing a field-focused strategy for distinctive news brand building. Selecting niche tracks such as healthcare or digital technology to establish feature studios, equipped with domain expert advisory groups and data analysis teams, to develop serial content product lines like "Policy Decoding" and "Technology Deep Dive." Establishing a brand visual identity system to unify layout design, data visualization style, and narrative rhythm of investigative reports creates differentiated content imprints. Developing a brand content matrix distribution protocol allows core reports to be disassembled into multi-form products such as short videos, infographics, and podcast albums for targeted penetration on specific vertical platforms. Third, adopting a layered processing strategy for deep information development. In the initial stage of a news event, core facts are extracted to generate quick news templates; in the mid-term, multi-party sources are integrated to establish multi-dimensional analysis frameworks; in the later stage, industry expert databases and historical case databases are introduced for trend extrapolation. Establishing a dynamic knowledge graph system to associate implicit information such as event backgrounds, policies and regulations, and stakeholders can automatically generate visual logic chains \cite{12}. Setting up a user deep-reading laboratory to collect audience cognitive blind spots and information needs can reverse-customize interpretation perspectives and narrative structures, with UGC content transformed into supplementary analysis after professional review. Fourth, exploring IP-based operation paths for brand value extension. Packaging high-reputation columns and senior journalists through personification to develop customized content products and derivative peripherals. Establishing user co-creation plans to open certain topic solicitation and background research links, with selected user contributions included in the formal reporting attribution system. Launching brand co-naming plans with academic institutions and industry organizations to release annual observation reports and incubate sub-brand projects with industry influence.

3.2 Integrating Diverse Media, Enriching Presentation Forms, and Upgrading Audience Reading Experience

First, leveraging advanced technologies to enhance reporting visual effects \cite{13}. Drone filming, VR/AR technologies, and other innovative methods open new perspectives for traditional news reporting. Drones can capture aerial footage normally inaccessible, helping audiences grasp event backgrounds more intuitively. VR/AR technologies can create immersive experiences, making audiences feel as if they are at the news scene, thereby deepening perception and understanding of news events. Second, enriching audio and video content. Audio and video news are key forms for enhancing news appeal. Audio reports can make information delivery more vivid and emotional through background music, tone variation, and sound effects \cite{14}. Video news can more directly display news information through dynamic images and moving shots, enhancing information intuitiveness and impact. When selecting audio and video content, editorial staff should focus on relevance and expressiveness to news events to ensure audience appeal and influence. Third, experimenting with new reporting forms such as data journalism and visual news. Data journalism helps audiences more clearly comprehend news core content through data and charts. In today's information age, data is often key to understanding events. Transforming data into easily understandable chart forms allows audiences to quickly grasp key points and improves information transparency and readability. Meanwhile, visual news uses simple and intuitive visualization methods to present complex news events, effectively reducing audience cognitive burden and achieving timely information delivery. Fourth, strengthening interactivity and participation. New media technologies provide audiences with more participation opportunities. Editorial staff can set up online Q&A sessions, survey polls, and other interactive segments to stimulate audience participation enthusiasm. This interaction not only allows audiences to engage in news discussions but also provides valuable feedback for news producers to continuously adjust reporting strategies. Moreover, increased interactivity enhances audience stickiness to content and strengthens their loyalty.

3.3 Coordinating Media Resources, Building an All-Media Architecture, and Expanding News Dissemination Territory

First, news organizations must fully utilize existing new media platforms. Social media platforms such as Weibo, WeChat, and Douyin have become important channels for the public to obtain information. Therefore, news organizations should establish official accounts on these platforms to provide timely, accurate, and interactive content. Through authentic and real-time reporting, they can enhance their credibility and effectively meet audience information needs. Leveraging the powerful dissemination efficiency of social media enables news organizations to rapidly deliver information to broader audience groups, thereby expanding news coverage and enhancing influence. Second, integrating various new media resources. News organizations should pay close attention to emerging new media forms and technologies, such as virtual reality and augmented reality \cite{15}. Simultaneously, they should incorporate new dissemination methods like short videos and live streaming into planning to enhance reporting appeal and interest through multiple forms. On one hand, this provides audiences with richer visual experiences and information experiences; on the other hand, the integration of multiple forms enhances information interactivity and dissemination effectiveness, helping to expand the depth and breadth of news reporting. Third, building an all-media dissemination matrix. An all-media dissemination matrix is a comprehensive, three-dimensional dissemination system that organically integrates various new media platforms to form a unified dissemination network. In this system, each platform needs to cooperate and support each other to generate synergistic effects \cite{16}. Different types of content should be adapted and recombined on each platform to achieve optimal dissemination effects. For example, social media platforms are suitable for instant news releases, while in-depth analysis content can be disseminated through dedicated news websites or applications. Fourth, developing an automatic transcoding engine for platform content adaptation. Inputting text manuscripts into the system automatically disassembles them into multi-form content elements such as video script frameworks, infographic skeletons, and audio broadcast texts. The visual team presets a stylized template library, where economic reports are automatically matched with data visualization components and social news is prioritized with emotional design elements \cite{17}. Establishing platform forbidden word libraries and sensitive word filtering systems automatically completes multi-platform compliance detection before content release.

3.4 Strengthening Talent Cultivation, Enhancing Professional Skills, and Consolidating Industry Development Foundation

The news editorial talent cultivation system needs to reconstruct competency development paradigms and build a multi-dimensional competency development system covering cognitive upgrading, technology application, and industry dialogue. Anchoring composite capabilities such as editorial curation, data mining, and visual storytelling, a training architecture driven by both theoretical study and practical exercises should be established. First, professional training and workshops can cover the latest news gathering and editing technologies, digital tool applications, and data interpretation and analysis. Through professional skill learning, editorial staff can better adapt to the rapidly changing information environment and grasp the latest industry dynamics and development trends. Second, case analysis and simulation exercises create realistic scenarios, enabling editorial staff to exercise keen insight and judgment when facing complex events. Participating in different types of case analysis allows editorial staff to learn from successful experiences and better attempt to handle emergencies. Such training focuses not only on technical aspects but also on enhancing problem-solving abilities and promoting career development. Third, cultivating editorial staff's teamwork and communication abilities is essential. Editorial staff fully leveraging their advantages and specialties in teams is critical for improving overall work efficiency \cite{18}. Regular team-building activities, collaborative projects, and communication skills training help enhance trust and interaction within teams, enabling members to collaborate more efficiently to complete tasks and achieve win-win outcomes. In practical work, teamwork can accelerate problem-solving when facing various challenges and difficulties. Fourth, building a multi-dimensional sharing network for experience inheritance. Creating an industry-level case database that anonymously documents production process documents and effect evaluation data of typical reports, with intelligent retrieval and comparative analysis functions. Establishing a star journalist studio system where senior editorial staff lead youth teams in mentorship programs with shared intellectual property rights for innovative achievements. Holding quarterly technical exchange meetings for direct dialogue among equipment suppliers, technology developers, and editorial staff to promote tool iteration and precise alignment with actual needs.

The transformation of the news gathering and editing industry points to a systematic reconstruction of communication paradigms, essentially representing an innovative exploration of information production mechanisms and social connection methods. It requires reshaping the value judgment coordinate system by incorporating emerging propositions such as algorithm ethics and data rights into professional norms, while also reconstructing the content production chain to achieve paradigm leaps in information screening, fact-checking, and meaning interpretation. Practitioners must construct technological philosophical thinking, deeply engage in the research and development of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, and simultaneously cultivate capabilities in audience behavior prediction and communication ecosystem governance. They must also balance traffic logic with public value to make news reporting a catalyst for social consensus building.

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Author Biography: Jing Lihua (1966—), male, from Tangshan, Hebei, holds a bachelor's degree and is a senior editor. His research focuses on news gathering and editing work.

(Responsible Editor: Li Yansong)