China's state television launches English news video app

China's preeminent?English language television channel CCTVNEWS has formally launched the nation's first English video news app on December 2, providing overseas audiences a new, convenient way to learn about the country.

Available on both iOS and Android platforms, the "Golden" CCTVNEWS APP is the first of its kind, delivering English news videos with a special focus on today's China and offering a Chinese perspective on international news and current affairs to global audiences.

With the app, users can enjoy a wide array of content anytime, anywhere, under the following categories: politics, business, science and technology, society and leisure.

The app offers authoritative and professional analyses on the political developments and economic policies of China, making it a must-have for foreigners who either work or study in the country or are keen to learn more about it.

Users of the app will also be able to get a unique perspective into the lives of ordinary Chinese people, discover the latest technological developments and stay at the forefront of entertainment trends.

Keeping in mind fast-paced lifestyles and in order to enhance user experience, the videos are short and concise, telling the news within 1 minute. And they can be easily shared on all major social networks.

Media transformation

The app marks an important step in CCTVNEWS channel's adaptation to the mobile Internet era, with an increasing number of people using smartphones or tablets to consume news. Its special champagne gold logo indicates that new media technologies are driving the media industry into a "golden era".

Additionally, the channel operates accounts on all the major global social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. These accounts have so far attracted millions of fans across the world, demonstrating the increasing influence that stories and voices from China have among overseas audiences.

Earlier this year, State media People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency both launched their apps, which have each been downloaded more than 10 million times to date.

Prior to CCTVNEWS APP, CCTV introduced a Chinese-language video news app and an app for watching live broadcasts, which were well-received among users of mobile devices.

Behind the "app fever" of State media is the fundamental shift in news consumption behavior in the mobile Internet era.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China's mobile Internet users totaled 874 million by the end of October this year, up 7 percent year-on-year.

A joint report released by Tencent and the new media research institute of China Renmin University showed that half of the respondents use mobile devices for more than 3 hours every day. The report also said that nearly 70 percent of respondents spend more time reading news via smartphones or tablets than any other channels, and nearly 80 percent of respondents share the news on social networks.

International Style

The CCTVNEWS APP is managed by the channel's Global Multimedia Desk, which works in conjunction with professional reporting teams worldwide in developing quality content.

The channel's regional produce centers in North America and Africa also offer solid support to the content development and operation of the latest app.

Human interest content is a distinguishing feature of the CCTVNEWS APP.

Recently, the content team of the CCTVNEWS APP made a series entitled "colors of China", which records the lives of ordinary people in China, ranging from young rowers to skyscraper cleaners.

During this year's APEC meetings, the app team did interviews on the streets of Beijing, Washington, Moscow and Nairobi to learn what ordinary people think of APEC and what questions they would ask world leaders.