Internet reporter’s way to press card
- By Chen Hua
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 22, 2016
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Two journalists are busy with their reporting work on the sidelines of the annual two sessions. [Dong De/China.org.cn] |
"For internet media in China, this is a historical moment. For internet reporters, it is really very lucky and a happy time." This was Wei Jing’s feeling when she got her press card on Dec.16, 2015. It was indeed a historical moment, occurring 16 years after the first designation of an internet reporter, 18 years after commercial websites started providing news services, and 21 years from when China was first connected with the international internet.
Is an "internet reporter" a real reporter? This question has been asked for many years. And to this day, there still isn’t a complete answer.
'Borrowed’ status and difficult exploration
According to the definition provided by the "Press Card Management Method" (coming into effect on Oct.15, 2009), internet news and information providers not sponsored by news agencies are not considered in this category and cannot have "news reporters."
In March 1999, China.org.cn, with permission of the State Council Information Office sent staff for the first time to cover the National People’s Congress and the People’s Political Consultative Conference, providing news reports and pictorials in both Chinese and English. More than 70 pictures were published. The same year, Luo Hua and Wang Shujin, staff reporters of the internet edition of the People’s Daily, participated in reporting the return of Macao to China.
It was the first time that internet reporters directly participated in reporting significant national events, a milestone in China’s internet media history. Unfortunately, Luo and Wang were not holding a press card identifying them as internet media. Instead, they worked under the name of the People’s Daily.
On Feb.25, 2009, the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) began to issue a new edition of press card throughout China. The head of the GAPP Newspaper and Magazine Department said news websites sponsored by State key media organizations were encouraged to apply for press card for their news services, thus enhancing the State’s news broadcasting capacity. Five years later, on Oct.21, 2014, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television and the National Internet Information Office (NIIO) issued the "Notice of Issuing Press Card to News Websites." Jiang Jun, spokesperson of the NIIO said, "The press card issued to news websites is the same as that issued to traditional media. This is to guarantee the same standard is applied to traditional and internet media and thus exercise unified administration."
On Nov.6, 2015, a total of 594 reporters from 14 news websites, including people.com.cn, xinhuanet, China.org.cn, chinadaily.com.cn, cri.cn and chinanews.com had obtained press cards.
'Incomplete' interpretation and 'unfinished' stage
That was really a historical moment for the reporters of news websites in gaining legal status. However, for internet news service, it is still in an "unfinished" stage. When the "Notice of Issuing Press Card to News Websites" was issued in 2014, some people believed that the time when internet news reporters from such websites as Sina, Sohu and Netease were discriminated against, or even rejected, was finally gone. However, this proved to be reckless thinking, and was an incomplete interpretation.
Actually, in 2009 when answering the question whether internet media staff have the right to apply for and obtain press card, Zhu Weifeng, deputy director of the GAPP Newspaper and Magazine Department, said applications from commercial websites were not acceptable because they did not have the right qualification, and that the next step would have to depend on the new policies in the future.
"Commercial website," which is not a legal term, refers to Internet companies based on the market mechanism. An indisputable fact is that it was commercial websites who brought "news," a monopolized industry by State-owned news organizations under the planned economy, into the open market. If you ask an ordinary web user whether he or she browses Sina, Sohu and Neteaseare news websites, the answer would surely be "yes". However, is that really true?
Really, they are not. They are still "commercial websites." According to the "Regulations on Internet News and Information Services," internet news and information providers are divided into two categories based on their nature – news and non-news organizations, which can also be called news and non-news websites.
Around 1997, major commercial websites began to enter the news sector. On Dec.27, 2000, when the Administrative Regulations on Internet News Services (Administrative Regulations) was issued, sina.com became one of the first commercial websites getting the qualification, which was conferred on sohu.com as well. Yang Zhengquan, then deputy director of the State Council Information Office recalled that the Administrative Regulations gained support from all kinds of websites and web users. Central and local news websites were protected while non-news websites were able to function as well. In 2005, the "Regulations on Internet News and Information Services" required that non-news websites should have more than 10 dedicated news editing staff, of whom there should be at least five who had previously served in news agencies for three years or more. However, the Regulations did not define the source of the editing staff. So, in reality, the aforementioned editing staff were still holding the press cards from their former employers, even though these press cards should have been returned when they left their previous job.
Multi-channel trial and 'unexpected' breakthrough
On Mar.24, 2005, the former Ministry of Labor and Social Security placed "internet editor" on the State profession list. At the same time, it offered an internet editor qualification test. Those who passed were given certificates. In Nov. 2006, a unified test for Internet Editors of State Professional Standard was officially launched. The standard divided internet editors into four levels – internet editing staff, assistant internet editor, internet editor and senior internet editor. Yet, these were for qualifications only, and still had nothing to do with issuing a press card.
Local internet news and information management departments in the government did some trial work on their own. On Nov.25, 2006, the "Shanghai Internet News and Internet Service Training Class" started in the School of Journalism of Fudan University. Sixty editors from 30 websites enrolled. The Information Office of the Shanghai municipal government, together with the Shanghai Professional Testing Authority, started professional attestation for internet news and information editors. It was reported that Shanghai would be the first city attesting to the qualifications of an internet news and information editor in China, and would train more than 1,000 people in the area. In Apr.-Aug., 2010, the School of Journalism of the People’s University, entrusted by the Beijing Municipal Internet Publication Management Office, held eight training sessions on internet news editing, with 10 classes in each session. More than 350 news editing staff from 14 websites including Sina and Sohu in Beijing participated. The practices in Shanghai and Beijing meant local attempts in the sector, but still had nothing to do with the professional qualification under law.
On Oct.21 2014, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television and the NIIO issued the "Notice of Issuing Press Card to News Websites," establishing the relationship between "training course" and "press card." It stipulated that staff of news websites applying for press cards had to obtain the Certificate of Internet News Reporting and Editing Training issued by the NIIO or the professional qualification certificate issued by the press and publication administrative departments.
At the end of 2015, news from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security (BHRSS) brought about a breakthrough in regard to the qualification problem that had been bothering the internet industry for years. On Dec.17, the BGRSS and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Press Publication Radio and Television jointly issued the Notice of Trial Method of Attesting News (Data Editor) Professional Qualification. It applied to all professional staff in any companies approved by related State administrative departments in providing content by means of date technologies such as computer, telecommunications, internet, storage and display. It divided data editing staff into three categories: data news content editor, date publication editor and data audio and video editor, and four levels: senior editor, head editor, editor and assistant editor. It was indicated that Beijing would work together with Tianjin and Hebei to explore the qualification sharing system to enhance the development in the three places.
Is "internet reporter" a reporter? The "news reporter" is defined in the Press Card Management Method, "data editor" defined in the Notice of Trial Method of Attesting News (Data Editor) Professional Qualification, "news editor" defined in the Administrative Regulations on Internet News and Information Services and "Internet editor" defined in the State Professional Standard for Internet Editing Staff are not the same. Their definitions seem clear, but they are blurred in terms of range.
Facing the problem, we need courage and new methods to work out a solution. CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out on Apr.19, 2016, "The competition in cyberspace is actually a competition of talents." He said there should be special policies for special talents. A flexible encouragement system should be set up to allow people who have made contributions to feel fulfilled. He also said that talents, no matter which countries or regions they are from, can be used in China.
Only by freeing the mind can the mind be unified. And only by respecting practices can consensus be reached.
The problem is solvable, but it is still "ongoing."
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