Improving University Communications in the Era of Media Convergence

Jingling Cai

【Abstract】The emergence of new media has changed the responsibilities of communications offices. Convergence is the key to the transformation of the media. Under this situation， the internal media of colleges and universities must have top-level design in news planning and content production. They should make a reasonable division of labor according to the characteristics of various media and develop and disseminate niche-targeting content with different style characteristics.

【Key words】Media convergence; Communications work; University communications

【作者簡介】Jingling Cai， Shanghai Sanda University.

In the new media era， the method of news dissemination has greatly changed the mode of operation of traditional media. Thus， campus media in colleges and universities are facing a dilemma. The influence of the traditional media has been weakened. For example， there are fewer and fewer people to pay attention to the traditional campus media such as posters， newspapers， radio and television， and their communication impact is getting worse. The manpower in most colleges and universities cannot meet the needs of media integration in the new media era.

Under this situation， the internal media of colleges and universities must have top-level design in news planning and content production. They should make a reasonable division of labor according to the characteristics of various media and develop and disseminate niche-targeting content with different style characteristics.

The integration of university media should make rational use of new media technologies shaping news content to particular platforms; it is always the key to determining the influence of the media. Colleges and universities should insist on producing attractive and high-quality content. Media in colleges and universities should consider the characteristics of communication in the new media era.

According to the needs of different audiences， media of different contents and styles should be produced. To understand the objective needs of teachers and students through frequent communication （interaction）， use the two-way symmetrical communication model possible with the new media technologies instead of the traditional one-way public information model. Communications office may use web thinking to change the traditional mode of campus media through one-dimensional communication into two-way symmetric model. The practitioner should try to achieve a dialogue to listen to its publics and make changes in its programs on the basis of those communications. Based on teachers and students reading habits， accurately push content that teachers and students really like， really care about.

The university communications office should emphasize staff ability not only to have not only news literacy， but also proficiency in using various new media techniques to become all-media talents in line with the development of new media. Colleges and universities should train their existing staff in knowledge of new media dissemination theory， communication skills， and other aspects so as to transform existing staff into all-media talent with news literacy， new media skills， and big data analysis capabilities.

Colleges and universities should vigorously tap the resources of teachers and students in schools. In particular， communications office should make use of the interaction characteristics of new media to encourage teachers and students to participate in university communications work. The staff should have the abilities of interviewing， writing， video recording， broadcasting and networking. At the same time， staff need to have the ability to transform the traditional news writing style to social-media-post writing style， to meet the different needs of news production on different platforms.

References：

[1]Jiang， T. Exploration on the construction of "central kitchen" in publicities work in colleges and universities[J]. Southeast Communication， 2017：75-79.

[2]Yang， X. and Yang， C.R. Research on the integration of traditional media and new media in colleges and universities A comparative analysis based on Chinese and American campus media[J]. Media Observer， 2017：15-17.