A book on the latest development and transformation of U.S. print media was released at the 28th National Book Expo, which concluded at Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center yesterday.
The 500,000-character book records the interviews, observations and reflections of Gu Xiaojin, a professor with the College of Communication of Shenzhen University, from his research visits to nine U.S. cities between March and May of 2016.
The book, entitled “Talks on the Transformation with Top Leaders of U.S. Newspaper Industry,” is the brain child of Gu’s painstaking two-year effort.
During his visit, Gu interviewed 30 newspaper executives and experts from five press groups and 10 newspaper institutions.
The interviews covered different levels of U.S. newspapers, including national papers, such as The New York Times, USA Today and the Washington Post, as well as regional and local ones.
“This book, focusing on transformation, talks about the development of newspapers from top designs down to practical operations. It presents readers with a full spectrum of U.S. newspapers in implementing innovative ideas and practices in a battle-for-survival crisis,” Gu said at the book launch ceremony Friday.
Unlike its sister publication, “Meeting U.S. Newspapers,” which was written in a plain narrative format and published in 2002, the brick-thick book provides vivid descriptions for readers by using direct quotes and the stories of interviewees.
At the book release ceremony, a 90-minute briefing given by the author was more like a training session for journalists who are interested in print media development and knowledge popularization for the general public.
With profound academic knowledge and rich experience in the industry, Gu elaborated on the origins, development and prime of the newspaper industry. He cited examples of prosperous periods for U.S. newspapers, gave the reasons behind their decline and offered insights for the reengineering and rebranding of traditional newspapers in the digital era.
“I hope the research on differentiated development paths and logic in transformation practices can provide references and contribute a bit to both academia and the Chinese newspaper industry,” said Gu, who himself has transferred from the print media industry to academic circles.
In 2002, Gu, then editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Daily, published “Meeting U.S. Newspapers” after studying for one year in the United States.
The book became a bestseller and was sought after in the industry and in academia on the mainland and in Taiwan when it was reprinted.
In 2010, Gu became a specially invited professor of Shenzhen University, and in recent years, he focused his researches on media transformation as it plunged into a plight in the era of digitization.
“Transformation is a sore point for print media, which all newspaper agencies in the world are working on. The developed U.S media industry first suffered a setback during the crisis, and the recession accelerated with the popularity of new media. However, its practices in digital and technology-driven transformation has also caught the attention of world media, “ said Gu.
Yu Guoming, acting dean of the College of Communication at Beijing Normal University, and head of Media Economy and Management Committee of The Chinese Association for History of Journalism and Communication, said it is the responsibility of journalists to have the courage to change what can be changed, and to be broad-minded enough to accept it when something can’t be changed. That is where the value of the book lies.
In the preface, Wang Jianzhuang, professor at Shih Hsin University and chairman of Up Media Digital Group, appreciates Gu’s effort in promoting media exchanges. “It witnesses the downturn of traditional newspapers, but also traces the clues for the rebirth of newspapers through innovation,” he said in the preface.
“Newspapers play dual roles in the quest for media transformation. They are the pioneers and pathfinders for new media, and protectors of journalistic values. Media can be differentiated by form, while the values persist and remain unchanged. The combination of new media with traditional values is feasible and unavoidable, not a paradox,” Wang writes in the preface.