The Post-Pandemic Era: In Retrospect and Focus
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The Post-Pandemic Era: In Retrospect and Focus

The outbreak of COVID-19 has hammered the global economy. Industries saw supply chain disruptions due to the shutdown of cities and other containment measures, and the media industry is no exception. At present, the news focus has shifted following the gradual recovery in China.

Telum spoke to media professionals as they reflect on their experiences and challenges during the pandemic, and also share their current news focus as well as new industry trends in the post-pandemic era.

Reporting during the pandemic 
AI Caijing has launched a feature section "The real world under the pandemic" (《疫情下的真实世界》), covering pandemic updates around the world, as well as its impact on Chinese companies and overseas Chinese in more than 10 countries among Asia, Africa, Europe and the US. Stories include "The real US under COVID-19" (《疫情冲击下的真实美国》) and “I am in Bangladesh facing a deeper fear than COVID-19” (《我在孟加拉,有远比疫情更深的恐惧》).

"We have upheld the "hit out in all directions" attitude in reporting during the outbreak," said Gavin Ji Guohua, the Associate Editor of AI Caijing. Apart from "The real world" series, he and his team also focused on industries bearing the brunt of the pandemic. “When the world needs China’s masks” (《当世界需要中国罩》) and “Who will rescue foreign trade factories in China?” (《谁来拯救中国的外贸工厂?》) provide the latest updates on economic recovery in China and the world. Also, “Making money during the meltdown of the US stock” (《美股在熔断,有人在赚钱》) and “Shenzhen property prices wait for no one” (《深圳楼价不等人》) and more articles explore underlying business opportunities and new trends in China under the pandemic.

Chinese cinemas have faced suspension during the pandemic. The industry has released movies online instead, which was initially regarded as an unpopular idea. However, online cinema has gradually become a new trend because of further setbacks in the offline film market. In addition to focusing on challenges facing the entertainment industry during the pandemic, Ding Tian, CCO & Editorial Director of Variety China, has also explored new market opportunities for readers.

During this hard time, she participated in the virtual presentation of the Beijing Film Festival and also visited Chinese senior filmmakers to keep herself updated with their innovative projects. She believes people are more open to online cinemas thanks to the relatively long recovery time of offline cinemas after months of stagnation, resulting in more movies released online. It has created new business opportunities for the industry development and communication channels after the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the esports industry, which is in a period of rapid development, is also the victim. The postponement and cancellation of events have almost brought the industry to a standstill. With the incomplete revenue model of the industry, the COVID-19 outbreak has added insult to injury for many small and medium-sized esports companies, stadiums and cybercafé.

Chen Hongyu, Freelance Writer at The Esports Observer, pointed out that other tertiary industries have suffered more losses, especially the sports and entertainment industries, given that the Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed. This was attributed to no venue restrictions of esports competitions. Despite the higher requirements of network and broadcasting technology as well as the lower sponsor’s profits of online events compared to the traditional competitions, esports online competitions have relatively more room for survival when people have generally stayed at home. “I have received more assignments from the sports media over the last few months. This is a sign of a boost for the industry.”

Post-Pandemic: Trends and Focuses
Production activities in China continue to resume after the country recorded fewer confirmed cases. Media professionals share their news focuses as well as the new industry trends they have captured in the post-epidemic era.

Hongyu mentioned that the pandemic has made online and remote products a big hit, such as esports live streams and online education. For people who stay at home or work from home, gaming is their major entertainment activity, leading to the increased popularity of live game streaming. “I predict this phenomenon to continue. For example, Chinese people will have face masks in stock at home for a long while even if the pandemic ends, “ said Hongyu.

Although primary, middle and high schools have resumed, the popularity of online education shows no sign of waning. “We observed that a large number of esports companies have launched online education programs to attract students through distance teaching the industry's basic knowledge," Hongyu added.

Tian and her team have prepared a feature section “Reopening offices as well as small and beautiful spaces” (重启办公室以及小而美的空间), focusing on the COVID-affected public area and spaces. She visited reopened stores as well as those insisting on opening during the pandemic and saw what she called “Intimacy between people” at a bookstore in Beijing.

“In an era when online entertainment content is catching all the eyeballs, bookstores are seemingly promoting a sunset industry in a way that is doubted by many. That said, many magazines carrying special COVID-19 features sold really well,” said Tian. She added that the online model still has a lot of room for improvement in terms of creating a sense of sociability. The internet might be a barrier to people-to-people communication rather than a stimulus to achieve intimacy. Therefore, she believes the way to explore the world through print media, like magazines, is worth preserving. 

AI Caijing resumed normal production when the pandemic was basically contained in China. “Looking ahead, we will launch special features reporting on the evolution and trend of the economy in the second half of 2020, with a focus on the internet, real estate, consumption and entertainment, travel and more,” Gavin said.

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