"(Media) can make a difference. (Gives) job satisfaction. Immaterial yet invaluable reward is the reason for us to join the press." said Mr. Zhang Jianbo, Chief Editor of Ming Pao News, at a lecture he gave at UIC in the afternoon of March 28, 2008.
During the lecture entitled "The Ideal and Reality of Journalism", Mr. Zhang elaborated on three major aspects of journalism: theory and practice, challenges and opportunities, ideal and reality. Quoting real cases, he showed the audience how journal articles make impact to society, how traditional newspapers meet the challenge from the internet, and how journalists are confronted with the conflicts between the ideal and reality. He emphasized that it was important for journalists to be fearless and be objective in their pursuit of the truth. He encouraged students not only to gather information on the surface but also to penetrate the inside stories. "Journalists are watchdogs. They urge the society to move on," said Mr. Zhang.
At a time when paid newspapers, free newspapers and the internet have carved up the market, Mr. Zhang admitted that they were facing fierce competition. Even the Ming Pao is having difficulties in operation. He said Ming Pao would take quality as their top priority, though a wide coverage was still important to attract different readers. To survive the competition, he said, Ming Pao was seeking to open new markets by various means: to provide investment information for readers with high income, to build a website to connect the newspaper with the internet, and try to provide reports that are appealing to the public yet are not in tabloid style.
Referring to the qualifications of a journalist, Mr. Zhang summarized in two aspects: keep writing (not necessarily to write well); pay attention to news events (to keep pace with our time). Mr. Zhang reminded the students that there is always a gap between the ideal and reality, so before making the decision to become a journalist, make sure of the reason why the decision is made. Journalism requires not only passion but also personal ethics and a sense of social responsibility.
Mr. Zhang's lecture attracted many students to join in the discussion and share their thoughts. He hoped he would have more opportunities to come to UIC and exchange ideas with the students in future.
Journalist: Cai Dian, Sun Fang
Photo Journalist: Chen Mengxing
Media and Communications Center
