Though relatively new to China, Internet news and information media have become an important part of life for an increasing number of its citizens, playing a role in their social life. Yang Zhengquan, former vice minister of the State Council Information Office and former president of the China International Publishing Group tells China.org.cn about China's Internet media: past, present and future.

"China's Internet news and information media have made giant progress over the past a few years. In 2001, they made their debut in covering major political and economic activities in China. In that year, Internet media were, for the first time, found in the list of major mass media (traditional media) to cover the annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Internet media further demonstrated their might in the coverage of the landmark 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November 2002 as they did real-time online news reporting of the meeting," said he.

Yang is a veteran pressperson who was once director of China National Radio. He has also been vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies and a member of the 10th CPPCC National Committee.

"Compared with radio and television, Internet media can produce news coverage with greater information in a faster time. They are indispensable to foreign target users as they are not limited by borders or geography. The foreign reader has easy and direct access and takes delight in viewing Chinese Internet media as long as those media cater to their tastes in content and language.

"Some key Chinese news and information portal sites have established a loyal following with their users and have brand identity in the market. For instance, Xinhuanet.com is an outstanding information gatherer and producer the most comprehensive up-to-date news coverage in China; Peopledaily.com.cn's strength is its informed opinion, partly represented in their forums; Chinadaily.com.cn has good English language coverage and CRI.com.cn's audio reporting is unique.

"The multiple-language portal site at China.org.cn is a major international communication portal site which delivers up-to-date Chinese news reports to its users abroad and provides essential introductory information about China. For instance, it offers background information on the political, judicial and legislative systems of China along with coverage of the annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC to get an informed understanding of Chinese politics," Yang added.

The progressive development of China's Internet media over the past number of years indicates a bright future, he said. Yang also argues that China's Internet media should improve their technology and infrastructure as well as produce better information grouping and higher-quality coverage as well as increasing the proportion of their in-depth reporting.

China's mass media underwent significant transformations over the past 20 or so years as they have made progress in quality, quantity and transparency of news coverage, he said.

"As a new and developing sector, China's Internet media are likely to play a constructive role in future reforms of other media. Such signs of its influence have already appeared in the idiomatic language and style, once exclusively found in Internet media, being accepted and influential in a wider audience than its devoted netizens, as well as influencing non-Internet or traditional media," Yang said.

(China.org.cn by Staff Reporter Chen Chao, March 26, 2003)