Media apps making headlines
Updated: 2015-08-24 07:58
By Meng Jing and Shi Jing(China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
"The number of those who access news via smartphones has grown 10.6 percent in the first half of this year, compared with the 6.4 percent of instant messaging users," the report highlighted.
But despite breakneck growth in the sector, industry insiders have warned that many of the new news kids on the block might struggle to stay afloat.
Already major social networking apps, such as WeChat and Weibo, are beefing up their news coverage and attracting online readers from media startups.
"Unlike the personal computer-based Internet era, in which news was gathered by major portals, such as sohu.com and sina.com, the mobile online industry has produced a wide range of apps in an extremely competitive market," Tao Jingqi, director of research at Talking Data, an Internet data service provider, said.
Last month, a survey released by Talking Data reported that the penetration rate of news apps among mobile Internet users was about 60 percent, lower than CNNIC's 77 percent.
"This is a mature market and will continue to grow steadily," Tao said. "But I don't think we will see a dramatic increase in the sector."
Her views were echoed by Li Senhe, chief executive officer of Zaker, a mobile news app, which collects content from other websites through copyright deals and employs nearly 200 staff.
This allows users to build their own magazine based on individual interests. "The days when you just launched a news app and users rushed to download it are gone," Li said.
Indeed, the marketplace has become as crowded as a subway train during rush hour.
Dozens of news apps have sprung up in China. They range from those rolled out by established newspaper and magazine companies to online portals and media providers, such as Toutiao and Zaker.
In this melting pot, apps run by traditional online sites are dominating the Internet media scene, but that could be changing. "Apps designed to provide news to individual tastes are now showing great potential," Tao, of Talking Data, said.
Tencent, which has the largest market share in the news app industry through its own dedicated portal, Tencent News, has already made significant moves to tap into this trend.
With 250 million active daily users, the company plans to radically update its service. "Personalizing our content will be an important part of the apps development," Wang Yongzhi, editor-in-chief at Tencent.com, said.
Related Stories
Reading app under probe over piracy 2014-06-23 17:56
Harness social media to aid market stability 2015-08-03 09:21
China at center of regional growth with digital Silk Road 2015-07-21 10:18
Promo of 15th Forum on Internet Media of China 2015-07-17 13:58
Read readers, feed news 2015-03-24 17:46
Today's Top News
Greek opposition tries to form government
12,000 troops, new armament to feature in Beijing parade
Preparations shutter Forbidden City
Changing face of illegal immigration
President Xi Jinping calls for crews not to ease up
Jon Bon Jovi sings in Mandarin for Chinese Valentine's Day
DPRK deploys more fire units to frontlines with ROK
No cyanide detected from Tianjin river section with fish deaths
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Tianjin blasts: Death, damage and bravery |
NE China: From powerhouse to poor relation |
Worlds apart in a different class |
Road map points way for new industrial cluster |
Plan to teach pupils practical skills welcome |
Civility strikes back |