Xi's support for journalists in their pursuit of excellence

BEIJING -- In 1984, Zhao Derun, a young journalist, traveled from Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital of Hebei, to Zhengding county to report the local economic development.

Xi Jinping, then Party chief of Zhengding, encouraged Zhao to conduct thorough field research and see for himself the real situation on the ground.

The two also engaged in deep discussions on a wide array of subjects ranging from the economy to the people's livelihood and talent fostering.

Thanks to the assistance from Xi himself and the government of Zhengding, Zhao visited many places in the county and finished an in-depth report of Zhengding after extensive interviews with people from all walks of life.

Wednesday marks the Journalists' Day in China. Since his early days as a Party cadre, Xi has consistently given his support to the professional development of journalists and shown concern for their well-being.

In June 1998, East China's Fujian province sent a group of professionals from various sectors of the province to engage in an assistance program in the Xizang autonomous region. Xi, then deputy Party chief of Fujian, led the delegation to the plateau region.

On the first night after they arrived in Xizang, Zhang Hong, one of the reporters in the delegation, felt ill due to lack of oxygen. She asked for help from the hotel where they were staying.

Upon hearing it, Xi gave up his oxygen bag without a second thought to Zhang to ensure the reporter's safety.

In February 2016, President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an inspection tour of the country's leading media outlets and spoke at a symposium on media work following the inspection.

He encouraged journalists to better communicate the Party's ideas and policies to the public, record the changes of the times, promote social progress, and uphold fairness and justice.

Xi has called on journalists and those working on public communication to absorb new learning, get to know new areas, broaden their horizons, improve their comprehensive skills, and conduct more field research.

He has, on many occasions, highlighted the four essential qualities of a good reporter, which entail the will to get down to the grassroots, the ability to observe clearly, to think profoundly, and to write powerfully.

"To put it simply, a journalist must be trustworthy and reliable," Xi noted.