Li Congjun (right), president of Xinhua News Agency, accompanies village chief Zhang Fugen during a visit to Baiquan village in Linzhou, Henan province. Li was there on Sept 21 as a reporter to write about the residents' lives. [Provided to China Daily]

Higher expectations

"Grassroots units flow with the most fresh and abundant news resources," said Liu Yunshan, who directs the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. "Only when journalists base themselves at the grassroots levels can the stories pass on the real temperature on the spot, packaged in simple and clean writing styles, and bear soul-stirring power."

He made the comments during a mobilization videoconference in early August. Also leading the campaign are the General Administration of Press and Publication, the State Council Information Office, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, and the All-China Journalists Association.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Party's Central Committee, said news organizations should make it a long-term goal for reporters to go to local communities and cover stories that reflect people's true voices, show their genuine concerns and have the greatest relevance to their lives.

Li also asked reporters to work on their storytelling skills to draw greater interest.

Closer to readers

Reporters from State media, including People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency, are being sent to dig out more vivid stories of grassroots life. Among them recently were both novices and minister-level journalists, such as the editors-in-chiefs or presidents who might not have been in the frontline of news reporting for a long time.

Li Congjun, president of Xinhua, went to Linzhou, Henan province, simply as a reporter to write about the lives and the unyielding, hard-working spirit of the people who dwell in the Taihang Mountains.

Zhang Yannong, 63, president of People's Daily, insisted on going down into a coal mine in Datong, Shanxi province, to gain a taste of the local miners' life.

"Going grassroots is a tradition of the Chinese media," said Liu Siyang, director of the chief editor's office at Xinhua. The current campaign reiterates this approach in the hope of solving an increasingly prominent problem of the media in recent years, he said.

"Many reporters are now relying heavily on the Internet for quick access to news and are turning their focus away from the grassroots. Celebrities have replaced grassroots people as the main subject of news.

"Although we always say that the people are a principal part of the society, our media coverage is growing distant from the readers," Liu said. "By going grassroots, we'll build a faith in putting the people first.

"At the grassroots level, we'll find the freshest substance for our stories, which truly reflects the nature of history and trends of society. The quality of our stories will be significantly improved, and the readers will love them."