Video clips create an online splash

The rise of smartphones and 4G networks has triggered an increase in online news companies.

Mixing the traditional format of stories and photographs with short video clips, Internet applications have sprouted up to cater for a growing Web market.

QuestMobile, a market research consultancy in Beijing, reported in a survey last month that Tencent News was the 11th most popular mobile app in the first half of this year. The Internet portal owned by e-commerce giant Tencent Holdings Ltd was two places ahead of Toutiao.com in a list of top 20 apps.