Words, sounds and images, which way will you choose to know about the story when some news happens in the world? A combination of the different senses will make the news more striking.

People in the future will enjoy multimedia news service thanks to the development of a technical language designed for computers, NewsML.

About 150 world experts in the field of news delivery technology gathered in Hong Kong on Monday to attend the Second Chinese NewsML International Symposium jointly sponsored by the Chinese NewsML Association of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the China Association of Press Technicians.

NewsML, designed by the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC), is a news exchange format for one to many news items, and it could be of different media types. It provides a rich set of metadata and extended news management features, said Michael Steidl, managing director of the IPTC.

The technology will enable news delivery from news providers to websites, mobile phones, computers, interactive TV and 3G mobile communication systems more efficient.

Kam-Fai Wong, chairman of the Chinese NewsML Community of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that more than one quarter of the world population use Chinese. The development of Chinese NewsML standard will help Chinese speakers get news information faster and more convenient.

Xue Yongxing, director and editor-in-chief of the Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau of Xinhua News Agency, said that "I am sure Chinese NewsML, once it is introduced and widely accepted, will act as a technical bridge which will greatly enhance exchanges and understanding between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao, as well as Chinese press in other parts of the world."

Experts from AFP, Kyodo News, Xinhua News Agency, Tsinghua University, and several Taiwan universities will exchange their views on the research and application of Chinese NewsML during the two day meeting. 

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2004)