President Xi reaches out with new media

President Xi Jinping visits the newsroom of People’s Daily in Beijing on Friday. LAN HONGGUANG / XINHUA

President Xi Jinping showed interest in new media on Friday, sending greetings for the upcoming Lantern Festival and other messages via social media during visits to three major news organizations.

He visited People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television.

"I wish all of you good health, progress in work and family happiness," Xi said as he visited the People's Daily newsroom in the morning.

Xi inspected the operation of the newspaper's new media center, and his voice message was delivered through its micro blog, WeChat accounts and app for portable devices.

Xi also spoke with reporters and editors there, many in their 20s and 30s, who waved and applauded his visit.

At CCTV's prime time news program studio, Xi sat at the desk as anchors briefed him on how to use a teleprompter for reading aloud bulletins.

The visit to the country's leading news outlets was part of Xi's efforts to enhance the media's role in informing people.

After the visit, Xi chaired a seminar in the afternoon, saying that "China should enhance its international communication capacity, strengthen its voice in the world arena and tell China's story well".

Liu Chang, dean of the School of Journalism at Communication University of China, said Xi's visit and remarks are part of China's top-level plan for media buildup, including increased priority on emerging media outlets and media integration.

"The president has observed the latest changes in the country's media industry. … He aims to expound on the importance of respecting the natural laws of news communication. Without such respect, China's communication with the world won't succeed," Liu said.

During his visit to Xinhua's news center, Xi clicked on a thumb-up icon on an app run by the news organization to praise the work of journalists nationwide. He also tried video calls, an increasingly popular media platform, to offer ideas on how to improve people's livelihoods and boost the economy.

During a videoconference with villagers in Ningde, Fujian province, at the People's Daily website studio, Xi endorsed the progress in eliminating poverty there and expressed best wishes for the villagers.

Ningde has a special meaning for Xi, since he once worked there.

Also at Xinhua, Xi used a video call to talk with a reporter in Lankao, Henan province, encouraging him to try his best to get firsthand information about the work style of local officials.

Zhang Yue contributed to this story.