By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
GNA’s Special Correspondent in Beijing, China
Beijing (China) Sept. 21, GNA – Lin Qingzhen, Associate Professor at the Beijing Sports University, has noted the need for countries to enact policies and regulations to sanitise the new media space.
He said in the era of fake news, slander and rumours, if the new media space is not properly guided, it could be a tool to disrupt social and political course of society
According to Associate Professor Qingzhen, regulations were therefore very critical to safeguard the space from abuse…”In China, one could be in custody for offenses on the Internet.”
The Professor in charge of New Media, was addressing some 30 African and Caribbean journalists on Content Creation and Marketing in the new media environment.
He noted that there was now no clear boundaries between new media and traditional media but one that required massive restructuring to compete in the space.
The Professor said to maintain a striking audience, market and values, traditional media must look into new growth points, and make the necessary reforms to survive and thrive in this new age.
China, in 2018 began initiating reforms to help it position three media establishments: China Radio, China International Radio and China Central Television (CCTV) to fit in the new normal.
The convergence helped in producing content that satisfied the need of the younger generation who are inclined to the new media with appropriate policies and regulatory controls.
The Chinese government also introduced a series of new media regulations aimed at reinforcing centralized control and promoting “positive” content aligned with national interests.
Key policies included real-name registration requirements for all online users and content creators, stricter licensing for news platforms, and expanded powers for regulatory bodies to monitor and remove content deemed harmful or destabilizing.
Professor Qingzhen therefore encouraged traditional media in Africa to embrace the new normal in the digital content production and take imperative steps of organisational restructuring to meet the current new media demands for a competitive advantage.
GNA
Edited by Justina Paaga/Lydia Kukua Asamoah