Feature Report: The First Stop of the “Good Journalists Tell Good Stories” Tour: From an Altitude of 6,530 Meters to Everyday Matters of the People

In the past three months, nearly a hundred reporters from the Liberation Daily have traveled to 16 provinces and regions across the country, visiting nearly 60 counties and cities along national highways to complete a large-scale media interview project titled “The Path of a Great Nation.”

Starting from the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2024, senior reporter Yan Qiuxiu from the Xinmin Evening News will conduct 100 minutes of public welfare live broadcasts every night, “using language that ordinary people can understand to discuss matters that concern them.”

Over the past three years, Wang Qiong, a reporter from Shanghai Radio and Television Station, has visited 69 out of 106 counties involved in Shanghai’s east-west cooperation and counterpart support.

In April last year, a team of reporters from The Paper braved extreme cold and altitude sickness to document the scientific research team’s work on the glaciers of Mount Everest at an altitude of 6,530 meters.

On the afternoon of December 9, the first stop of the “Striving to Climb Higher – Shanghai’s ‘Good Journalists Tell Good Stories’ Promotion Activity,” organized by the Shanghai Municipal Propaganda Department and the Shanghai Journalists Association, took place at the Shanghai United Media Group.

At the event, eight speakers from various media outlets, including Liberation Daily, Shangguan News, Wen Hui Bao, Xinmin Evening News, Shanghai Radio and Television Station, and The Paper, took turns sharing their experiences and unforgettable stories from frontline interviews, as well as their reflections and understanding of journalism. These vivid and authentic experiences sparked resonance and discussion among fellow journalists in the audience.

Group leaders, members of the municipal journalists association, and relevant department heads posed for photos with the speakers.

After the first promotion event, the promotion team members will visit Shanghai Radio and Television Station, Huayi Group, and the Putuo District Media Center for further presentations over the next two weeks.

Having flown nearly 130,000 kilometers to witness Shanghai’s assistance efforts, Wang Qiong emotionally recounted her experiences over the past three years in front of more than 140 media colleagues on December 9.

“I am a recorder. Rather than saying I am documenting how Shanghai’s counterpart support improves the lives of local people, I would say that the breathtaking scenery and the kind-hearted locals have healed me, adding different colors to my life,” she shared.

During the presentation, Wang Qiong displayed a map of China: 5,081 kilometers is the distance from Shanghai to Kashgar in Xinjiang; 4,363.5 kilometers is from Shanghai to Shigatse in Tibet; 2,749 kilometers is from Shanghai to Guoluo in Qinghai; and 2,316 kilometers is from Shanghai to Kunming in Yunnan…

“These distant places share a common name – the regions of Shanghai’s east-west cooperation and counterpart support,” Wang Qiong stated.

In the past year, Wang Qiong has accumulated a flight mileage of 129,637 kilometers, with Yunnan Province being the primary destination.

She recounted her first visit to the remote village of Kelaolo in the Nujiang River Valley three years ago, where an elderly woman unexpectedly embraced her. This woman is one of the few remaining members of the “living fossil” of the Dulong ethnic group, with fewer than ten still alive today.

Once considered “the last hidden gem on the southwestern border of China,” this area has long been isolated due to its high mountains and deep valleys. Now, visitors can experience the Dulong people’s lifestyle, ethnic customs, and cultural charm by living and dining with locals in traditional homes. This has been made possible by the continuous efforts of Shanghai’s foreign aid officials, creating a “nostalgia territory.”

“The more mud I tread on, the more genuine feelings I accumulate in my heart,” Wang Qiong expressed passionately, stating that next year she will continue her journey to visit all 106 counties and share more beautiful moments.

Wang Xuanhui, chief reporter of The Paper’s investigative news department, shared a story titled “Documenting China’s Contributions at the Summit of the World,” recounting a 26-day field recording of glacier scientific research alongside colleagues Zou Qiao and Liao Yan in mid-April last year.

In the harsh, high-altitude environment, the reporting team endured blizzards and minor avalanches, overcoming severe altitude sickness and physical exhaustion to accompany the scientific research team to an altitude of 6,530 meters, documenting the process of drilling over a hundred meters of ice core.

During the presentation, Wang Xuanhui shared the story of a photo that “crossed a century.” The earliest existing photo of the Everest glacier was taken by British explorer George Mallory in 1921. After several failed attempts, the reporters and the scientific research team found the location of Mallory’s photo during their fourth search and took a new picture.

Comparing the ice towers of the Zhongzhongbu Glacier in both photos reveals that the glacier’s terminus has retreated several kilometers over the past century. “This inevitably prompts reflection on humanity’s impact on the Earth,” Wang Xuanhui remarked.

In conclusion, Wang Xuanhui expressed his deepest feelings: “As a major participant in global climate governance, China is demonstrating a responsible attitude towards the future of the Earth through concrete actions. As a Chinese journalist, I have the responsibility and obligation to ensure that more of China’s contributions are seen by the world.”

“The Path of a Great Nation” showcases significant changes and innovations in media reporting on people’s livelihoods.

Wang Xiao, editor-in-chief of the Original Point column at Liberation Daily, shared her profound experiences participating in large-scale integrated media reporting.

This year, nearly a hundred reporters from Liberation Daily, including herself, traveled across 16 provinces and regions, visiting nearly 60 counties and cities along national highways over three months to complete a large-scale media interview project titled “The Path of a Great Nation.”

Focusing on a bag of millet, a flag, and an oxygen tank, Wang Xiao recounted three small stories from her interviews. She mentioned the birthplace of writer Jia Pingwa – Dihua Town in Danfeng County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province, located along National Highway 312. Jia Pingwa lived and wrote there, frequently traveling along the highway.

During an interview, Jia Pingwa noted that a journey that once took a day now only takes an hour and a half. However, he still occasionally retraces the old national highway, passing through villages and towns to enjoy the scenery. He remarked, “The changes in the national highway reflect the changes in China.”

“The evolution of the national highway represents the governance path of a great nation that has reached today and continues to create the future,” Wang Xiao stated. She emphasized that these narratives remain abstract and require media professionals to travel along the national highway to find the people and stories along the way for a more genuine understanding of the profound changes behind them.

Senior reporter Yan Qiuxiu from Xinmin Evening News shared her transformation experience under the title “Daily Engagement with the Public.”

Starting from the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2024, Yan Qiuxiu will conduct 100 minutes of public welfare live broadcasts every night on her account, “not doing advertisements, not accepting soft articles, and not selling products live. Just one person, one phone, broadcasting on time.” To date, she has conducted over 200 live broadcasts, garnering over 4 billion likes across the internet.

Every evening, Yan Qiuxiu spends considerable time interpreting livelihood policies. She believes there is a significant gap between the professional terminology of policies and the understanding of ordinary people, and often, someone needs to communicate these matters in a way that the public can comprehend.

Additionally, Yan Qiuxiu allocates specific time slots during her live broadcasts to address public concerns. She mentioned that she has answered the question about “senior citizen taxi vouchers” over 1,000 times in her broadcasts. Topics such as pensions have been discussed over 600 times, and “comprehensive subsidies for the elderly” over 500 times, along with community canteens, community hospitals, public accompanying services, and free attractions, each addressed over 100 times.

Her nightly broadcasts have also provided Yan Qiuxiu with a wealth of livelihood topics. If fans ask a question more than ten times in the live chat, she will conduct offline interviews and create videos based on those inquiries.

In her view, traditional media professionals can indeed explore a transformation path that benefits the public, organizations, and individuals alike, “insisting on using the language of ordinary people to discuss their matters. Persisting in closely engaging with the public. Committing to daily engagement with the public.”

Gu Yiqiong, director of the political and legal department at Wen Hui Bao and head of the integrated media studio “Chong Ya Hua Hua Interview Team,” shared her thoughts on the deep integration and transformation of media.

In early November this year, when the President of Finland arrived in Shanghai by high-speed train, a scene unfolded where he briefly interacted with children on the platform. The “Chong Ya Hua Hua Interview Team” studio produced a short video of just 33 seconds, the shortest among all their videos, which garnered over 6 million views within two days.

Gu Yiqiong noted that traditional media professionals often fall into the “routine” of news writing, aiming for a complete scene, narrative, and explanation to form a meaningful closed loop. However, short videos require delivering meaning directly in a short time, providing audiences with “immediate emotional value satisfaction.”

“This emotional value, in my understanding, is closely related to national sentiment and personal growth. It is warm and touches the heart,” Gu Yiqiong explained.

She believes that the production practices of integrated media also feed back into print media, resulting in high-quality and impactful articles. In the political and legal department of Wen Hui Bao, some political content has taken on a humanistic quality, allowing more hard-hitting news to achieve “soft outreach.”

This year marks the 19th year of Zhang Yiye’s work at Shanghai Radio and Television Station