Earlier today, September 21, the National Administration of Press and Publication issued the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Publishing Industry" (referred to as the "Plan"). A key highlight of the Plan is its sixth section, which explicitly calls for advancing a systematic transformation of the newspaper industry.
The Plan sets a target that by 2030, a cohort of new-type mainstream newspaper media outlets will be established, characterized by diverse formats, advanced technological capabilities, and strong competitiveness. It also encourages the construction and deployment of high-quality language corpora, the expansion of functions such as "news plus culture, government affairs, and services," and supports capable newspaper groups in taking controlling or participating stakes in internet and technology companies.
Where the transformation begins
The Plan outlines that the systematic transformation involves strengthening guidance for reform and development, improving management and services, and deepening industry-wide changes. By 2030, the sector will see the emergence of innovative mainstream media entities with varied forms and cutting-edge tools. The push includes advancing full-media digital intelligence transformation, building and optimizing multimodal communication matrices, and forming a comprehensive media communication system that is resource-efficient, structurally sound, differentiated in development, and synergistically efficient.
An internet-oriented mindset and stronger user awareness are emphasized, alongside enriching high-quality content supply, cultivating professional editorial and production teams, and enhancing the ability to guide public opinion and the effectiveness of international communication. The Plan encourages newspaper publishing units to pursue business model innovation and cross-sector collaboration, including the deployment of high-quality language databases and the expansion of news functions into culture, government services, and community services. It also backs strong newspaper groups in acquiring or investing in internet and tech firms, fostering diversified development while maintaining a dual focus on producing quality content and ensuring security.
Why only select projects are highlighted
Beyond the broad strategic goals, the Plan details two specific initiatives under the systematic transformation: the Leading Demonstration Project for Innovation Development in the Newspaper Industry and the Quality Leadership and Influence Enhancement Project. The former involves selecting outstanding cases of innovative development in newspapers annually, hosting industry innovation conferences and case exhibitions, and creating platforms for practical training in full-media operations. The latter focuses on continuously recognizing newspaper publishing units that have established robust quality management mechanisms and serve as models, as well as influential and widely circulated layouts, columns, client terminals, and new media accounts. These efforts aim to drive refined management and digital intelligence transformation of newspapers in the mobile internet era.
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