The current and future of the social value of online media

On April 13, 2020, the State Information Center released the ‘2019 White Paper on the Social Value of Chinas Online Media’. At present, Internet media in China occupies 80% of the media industry market, which has profoundly affected the way people obtain information, their thinking and lifestyle. At the same time, the significance of online media in undertaking social responsibilities and reflecting social values has become increasingly prominent. Evaluation and research on the social value of online media is of positive significance for improving the online ecology and promoting the development of online media.

This report starts from the development context and general trend of online media, based on the actual development of online media, combined with industry characteristics and expert opinions, to construct an index system for evaluating the social value of online media. Comprehensively using big data analysis, questionnaire surveys, case studies and other analytical methods, the report outlines a panoramic picture of network media pursuing social value and embodying social responsibility with the characteristics of the times. It looks forward to the iterative development trend of network media driven by technology. 

Combination of leaders and new perspectives

The report covers both central media and commercial media, media platforms and platform-based media. A total of 24 online media were selected, and the report established 28 evaluation indicators to evaluate their social value. As a result, TOP10 most socially valuable online media were selected. The results of the assessment generally show that national online media is developing vigorously and its social value is increasing. The central media has become the leader and promoter of the social value of online media. The new perspectives that commercial media give to the social value of network media have become an indispensable force in the Internet era.

Unique influences in 5 dimensions

Based on the overall evaluation of the social value of online media, the report further established 5 sub-lists based on the 5W model of communication studies to examine the unique social value of online media in different aspects.  

In the dimension of "the most social guiding force", online media provide the public with clear-cut, authoritative, and efficient and convenient news reports. Online media play a social guiding role at the same time from the perspectives of "quality" and "quantity". Among them, the central media has shown stronger social guidance, focusing on providing high-quality, original articles and comments, and exerting a great influence from a "quality" perspective. Commercial portals focus on providing social guidance from the perspective of "quantity" by providing timely and rapid reports.

In the dimension of "most social public welfare", online media mainly spread the concept of public welfare to the public through diversified ways such as opening public welfare channels and setting up public welfare foundations, which greatly increased the social participation in public service activities. Among them, commercial media has been more proactive in social welfare, and actively displayed its own social value by participating in social charity and public welfare.  

In the dimension of "the most diverse business patterns", online media focuses on innovations in business patterns by promoting platform diversification, enhancing column diversity, and convenient operation, providing the public with richer and more convenient website services so as to satisfy users’ ddiversified needs. Among them, the performance of commercial media is more prominent.  

In the "most socially attractive" dimension, different types of media combine their own characteristics to provide users with high-quality content, interactive participation and other diversified methods to allow users to understand society and the nature more accurately and objectively. This satisfies the various demands of various users and improves the sense of user acquisition. On the whole, the central media is more popular with users, mainly by providing authoritative reports, allowing users to more accurately and objectively understand the general situation of news events, and enhance its appeal to society. Commercial media has many high-quality contents with large platform volume and wide coverage. These characteristics have strengthened its strong social attributes, and it is easier to trigger interaction and participation of netizens.  

In the dimension of "most media communication power", information and media are the two key factors for effective communication. Online media continue to improve their communication power by providing high-quality communication content and building an influential communication platform. Commercial media platforms give play to their advantages by aggregating various types of information to increase website traffic, while central media wins with content and enhances the value of information dissemination by delivering high-quality content.  

New ecology expected under new technology

Finally, the report pointed out that the vigorous development of new technologies such as "5G" and "blockchain" has given birth to a new trend in the development of online media. Facing the future, online media will be further closely related to economic and social life. It will also create a "global village" ecosystem with in-depth international exchanges and greater social value.  

Attachment:http://www.sic.gov.cn/archiver/SIC/UpFile/Files/Default/20200413085537381023.pdf