★Case Two: Xinhua News Agency Explores How to Reshape the Work Flow

The Xinhua News Agency has embraced the internet spirit of "openness, innovation and cooperation," making information transmission mobile, intelligent, personalized and data-driven to strengthen top-level and strategic design in new media development and commit itself to intensive, large-scale and standardized development of new media. It takes new media information transmission capability as an important booster in building an "online news agency."

It is building more powerful communication platforms, and updating the Xinhua News Agency apps and websites. On June 8, 2015, the updated version of Xinhua News Agency app was put online, sending its news to millions of netizens. On the launch day, the highest number of hits on one single piece of news exceeded 7 million, with over 70 million page views. By the end of 2015, the total downloads of the Xinhua app had surpassed 100 million, ranking top among all mainstream media apps. On June 15, 2015, the new version of Xinhuanet.com was launched as the first news website to become omni-media and mobile, with daily page views on desktop exceeding 120 million and mobile terminal coverage of subscribers surpassing 130 million.

The Xinhua News Agency focuses on upgrading contents on new media, offering subscribers specific services with big-data, visual, graphic and mobile news products. It values cutting-edge technology such as big data, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality to promote their full integration with news production. On November 7, it launched its robot writing system with express robot writer Xiao Xin, responsible for writing flashes and briefings on sports, the economy, and information on securities, producing more than 100 items per day. Xinhuanet.com is the first outlet to introduce unmanned aerial vehicles for news reporting, which helps offer a unique birds-eye perspective in coverage of emergencies and other such events.

Its omni-media platform is designed to reshape the work flow. The platform was set up on December 31, 2014, and became operational on July 7, 2015. It is led by the Editorial Office of the Xinhua News Agency, and supported by the Domestic News Department, the International News Department, the Department of Home News for Overseas Service, News Photo Department, the Department of Audio-Visual News, Xinhuanet.com, the New Media Center and the Technology Department. The omni-media platform integrates resources and optimizes work flow to increase the Xinhua News Agency's communication capacity, influence and credibility.

(1) Rolling Out a Series of Influential Reports on Both Traditional and New Media through Xinhua All-media

The omni-media platform integrates resources of Xinhua News Agency to produce Xinhua-style all-media headlines, making it both front page story on traditional media and adapted eye-catching news on new media.

Each omni-media headline report is composed of a leading manuscript and news products combining texts, pictures, video and other new media formats. They are further categorized and released on corresponding platforms. News reports can be texts, pictures, charts, videos, games, surveys, light apps and dynamic effect products. They are released on wire copy, new media, apps, WeChat and Weibo accounts, and highlighted on Xinhua Daily Telegraph and Xinhuanet.com. In this way, the key reports cover both traditional media and new media outlets, with quicker access ensured by QR codes.

Based on the omni-media platform, a so-called incubator, or testfield, produces over 300 pieces of Xinhua All-Media headlines all year round thanks to improved integration of resources. As a result, its news reports cover both traditional and new media outlets and carry wide influence. For example:

In terms of important political news, the exclusive report of Xinhua all-media platform on February 13 — "Back to Home: Xi's Visit to County Fellows in Liangjiahe Village" represented a breakthrough in reporting a leadership inspection. The exclusive coverage and more than 20 on-site pictures became the sole source for all media reports. Within one day, its click rate surpassed 35 million on Tencent news platform alone.

In terms of emergencies, when an 8.1-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, its omni-media platform immediately organized and sent reporters to the frontline. Its exclusive and original reports "Transfer in Zhangmu Town" and "Li Dong: Calm Commander in Earthquake" produced jointly with its Tibet branch and related departments through omni-media, were widely reprinted by traditional media and frequently posted by social media, effectively guiding public opinion at home and abroad.

On June 1, when the Eastern Star passenger ship capsized in the Yangtze River, Xinhua All-Media released a series of reports such as "Yangtze Rescue — A National Endeavor," "Never Give Up — Report of the Yangtze Rescue," special picture news and exclusive video clips of "Before the Shipwreck." The press releases of these reports were reprinted by some 75 media, their click rates surpassed one million, and page views of one report alone were more than 10,000.

In terms of reports-based onoriginal research, from June 22 to 24, Xinhua All-Media platform released three sets of research reports on poverty relief. It sent nine groups to the poorest areas in nine provinces in the central and western regions. After release, one report alone was published by 106 media. All major news apps put these reports in headlines or on front pages, triggering hot public debate, and attracting generous public support for poverty relief work in the following 13th Five-Year Plan.

In terms of major reports on hot topics, after "Unified Standard for Pension: Postponed Retirement under Scrutiny" and other reports were released on January 26, the single report was the most published manuscript, reprinted by 355 media. Related news reports such as "Illustration of Impact of Postponed Retirement," and "Foreign Experiences in Using Pension," were acclaimed for their content-rich and interesting information.

In addition, cutting-edge technology is applied in news reports. For example, in reporting a landslide in Shenzhen on December 20, omni-media platform released a report by applying virtual reality technology — "Virtual Reality: On-spot Experience of Rescue at Night," as the first domestic media to use this technology in reporting emergencies. This report gave the audience an immersive experience disticnt from traditional reports with text, pictures, or videos. It was also very well received on new media platforms.

At present, Xinhua All-Media is expanding its influence through its popularity with users and audience. In the eyes of experts and peers, it is providing diversified news information by maximizing all kinds of media outlets in an innovative move, which will surely improve Xinhua News Agency's communication capacity, influence and credibility, in a comprehensive and effective way.

(2) Reshaping the Work Flow Compatible with a Modern News Agency to Promote Full Integration of All Elements, Resource Sharing and Media Connectivity

The omni-media platform has basically functioned as the test field or incubator for integrated development. It has launched the reporting model of "one plus N": on the one hand, it uses the "central-kitchen style" platform to command coordination and cooperation from different departments. On the other, it constantly innovates concepts and means of omni-media report, to ensure news spreads on both traditional and new media outlets. The omni-media platform actively explores and practices this new approach to news reporting and has acquired some experience in innovation.

First, it transforms the work flow, trimming it into a process in which information is first gathered by multiple media, then processed by editors, and finally released on various platforms and apps. This platform now produces reports in the project work system and is organized according to the work flow. Once a theme is determined, this platform will further improves its contents and criteria and promptly forms project teams in line with the "menu," such as those for the contents and for promotion. The news gathering, editing and release are done jointly by various departments under unified planning.

Second, it integrates editorial resources to explore cross-department and cross-branch cooperation. With the omni-media platform working by centering around the established proximal goal, i.e., with the omni-media platform as the "one" focus and the departments and branch offices concerned as "N" units, a cross-department, cross-field and cross-terminal business platform is built to integrate reporting resources more effectively and smoothly.

Third, it solidifies technology support, to guide and facilitate omni-media report and explore the work pattern applying technology well into editorial process.