Some government short video accounts have become "zombie accounts" Expert advice
Establish a comprehensive assessment mechanism to strengthen public service functions
□ The reporter's trainee reporter Zhang Shoukun
□ reporter Wang Yang
Just like the craze for government affairs on Weibo and WeChat a few years ago, it is now common for government departments to open short video accounts.
According to the 47th "Statistical Report on China's Internet Development Status" released by the China Internet Network Information Center, as of December 2020, governments at all levels have opened a total of 26098 government affairs Douyin accounts.
If other short video data are integrated, the total number of government short video accounts will undoubtedly be even greater.
The government’s opening of short video accounts was originally intended to enrich the way for government affairs to be open, and to narrow the distance with the masses through grounding methods. This is a way of conforming to the trend of the times. Many excellent short videos of government affairs have also been widely praised by the masses.
However, a reporter from the "Rules of Law Daily" found that there are many chaos in the current short video accounts for government affairs. For example, in order to increase followers, some short video accounts for government affairs blindly publish content that does not match the official identity; in some places, one department has opened several accounts. Accounts; some short video accounts for government affairs have not posted a few messages since they were opened, and have become "zombie accounts."
Experts interviewed by a reporter from the "Rules of Law Daily" believe that these chaos not only damage the image and credibility of the government, but also deviate from the public service function of the government short video account; the content of the government short video account should be the king of the content and adhere to the essence of serving the people Requirement, so as to be truly influential and truly loved by the masses.
Much chaos in short government videos
Directly damage the image of the government
Zhu Wei, deputy director of the Communication Law Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law, believes that the government’s opening of short government affairs videos is a manifestation of the development of the Internet era. Through a variety of shooting methods, it is possible to use grounded methods to popularize the law, interpret policies, and respond to emergencies. Let the masses see what the government has done anytime and anywhere, and shorten the distance between the government and the people.
The government’s intention to open a short video account for government affairs is good, but a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily found in an investigation that some short videos for government affairs have deviated from the original intention of the establishment.
A reporter from the "Rules of Law Daily" searched multiple short video platforms and found that although some grassroots governments had opened government short video accounts as early as two years ago, they posted very little content, and some had not even updated any news since the opening. Become a "zombie account".
Many people reported that they never got a response after leaving a message to some short-form government affairs video accounts.
Some accounts have tens of thousands of fans. A few months after the content is released, the number of reposts, comments, and likes is still 0. Click in to see that most of the fans are "zombie fans."
At the same time, some government short video accounts are too "active", only "traffic" is used, blindly pursuing hot spots, and even vulgar and kitsch content; without marking the source of the video, using sensationalism The title or content of ”earns clicks; under the popular short video content, it is also common to ask for fans on the official account “sell miserable”.
Zhu Wei believes that the government short video account represents the credibility of the government, and the use of such a method is not in line with the nature of the official video account.
During the interview, a staff member of a township government in Jiangsu Province reported to a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily that they did not allow staff members to take any relevant videos and post them on the Internet. They were also ambiguous about whether to open a short government affairs video account. The reason was that they were "posted to the Internet." Afraid of accidents”; another town government official told the reporter of the Rule of Law Daily that it is too late to deal with the working hours at hand every day, but also to pay attention to, promote, and operate short video accounts in order to cope with inspections. There is no short video account opened in small places. From a human perspective, I really don't know the significance of this.
A reporter from the Rule of Law Daily conducted a search on the Chinese government procurement website using "short video" as the key word, and found that from September 4, 2020 to March 5, 2021, short video shooting and daily operations were involved in the six months. There are nearly 400 purchase announcements, of which the price is mostly several hundred thousand yuan.
However, the short video accounts for government affairs have been opened for a long time, and the content posted is still shoddy.
Zhu Wei said that if some MCN (Internet Celebrity Economic Operation) agencies are to be responsible for short video account operations, the price of several hundred thousand yuan is actually not high, and it also belongs to the scope of government procurement.
The key is to "spend money to do things", otherwise it will be blind construction and waste money; for some governments that have the ability, time and need to use short videos to disclose information and promote local development, blindly refusing to access the Internet is actually a violation of the times. The manifestation of development trends and development laws.
Gao Xin, an associate professor of the Department of Public Security Management of Jiangsu Police Academy, told the reporter of the Rule of Law Daily that there are many reasons behind the chaos in the short video accounts of government affairs. Some local governments have incorrect views on political performance and deviations in their thinking and understanding. They ignore actual needs and blindly pursue formalism. "Highly tall", due to insufficient manpower, financial resources, technology and other conditions, it was self-defeating; or did not fully understand the appearance, business card and image status of the new government media, and published inappropriate content, which to a certain extent affected the communication power of the new government media. , Guidance, influence, and credibility directly damage the image of the government, even trigger online public opinion, and affect social harmony and stability.
Keep up with the trend and get close to netizens
Favorable publicity
As early as 2018, the "Opinions on Promoting the Healthy and Orderly Development of New Government Media" issued by the General Office of the State Council clearly pointed out that the establishment of new government media in various places "must be based on work responsibilities and focus on promoting people's livelihood, which is closely related to the daily production and life of the people. The matter extends to the new media of government affairs".
In order to keep up with the trend and get close to netizens, the traffic police in Weifang, Shandong Province registered an official short video account in March 2018 and has an official account on 6 professional short video platforms and has accumulated fans so far. Up to 3 million people; since the creation of the "You Report My Exposure" micro topic on the short video platform in October 2020, the section has been read more than 100 million times so far.
Zhang Guoliang from the Publicity and Education Section of the Traffic Police Division of the Weifang Public Security Bureau told a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily that it is not so easy to make a short video account for government affairs.
"Shooting a short video mainly includes planning, shooting, editing, and publishing. Take the series of traffic popularization drama "Marousa's Story" that we shot as an example, we must pay attention to the typical case in the normal work process. After soliciting, scripts will be written and relevant cases will be re-adapted to show the illegal cases with humor and exaggeration. Due to the limited equipment, in order to show the effect of multi-camera, one action and one line often need to be shot multiple times from different angles. ; In order to show better results, we must also work hard on the editing of sound effects and background music. Before the short video is released, we must also come up with copywriting and introduce the whole work in a short sentence or two in order to let the netizens' Stop and watch'; after the release, we must also pay attention to evaluation and feedback, and learn from experience and lessons."
Zhang Guoliang specially reminded: "You should also pay attention to the protection of copyright during the production of short videos. Some background music can only be used after purchase."
Such a laborious production has won the love of many netizens.
Some netizens said that this is very different from the law popularization videos that they have watched in the past. There is no Mandarin or idioms, and they have a sense of substitution. They have learned a lot of road traffic safety law knowledge.
At present, the collection has been played nearly 30 million times on the Douyin platform.
Jinan Traffic Police has more than one million fans on the Douyin short video platform, and the collection of traffic investigation and correction short videos has been played more than 80 million times.
Policeman Lin Xinai of the Publicity Division of the Traffic Police Division of the Jinan Public Security Bureau introduced to the reporter of the Rule of Law Daily their secret to making short videos of "explosive styles": "Determining the topic selection is where we spend the most energy. We did not make simple short videos. Video transfer, but through online research, combined with local hotspots and netizens to share video materials or illegal clues for secondary creation. Short video content mainly includes scene interpretation, surveillance video restoration scene, traffic police heartwarming actions, related to it on the Internet After deciding on the topic, it is often necessary to go through many discussions to determine which form of presentation is the best, and then the detailed creation will be carried out, and finally the film will be completed."
"The content of true feelings is more viewable and more popular with the masses. Through the first-perspective recording of the pictures and the extended processing creation, netizens can also feel the same." Lin Xinai said.
With such efforts, on June 11 last year, 12 of the "Jinan Traffic Police Cloud Classroom" series of short videos were adopted and pushed by the "Learning Power". "Jinan Traffic Police Cloud Classroom" is gradually becoming the new business card of Jinan Traffic Police.
Based on the function to find the right positioning
Effectively guide online public opinion
In Zhu Wei's view, the core and basic elements of a good short government video account should be the interpretation of laws, regulations and policies.
"No matter what documents are published now, ordinary people know it, but many of them don't understand what these have to do with them. For example, many people say that the civil code is the law, and I don't fight a lawsuit. In fact, civil law exists in all aspects of life. Therefore, many short video accounts of government affairs have begun to interpret the Civil Code."
Gaoxin believes that short government videos should also increase response speed to hot events, announce the truth of the event in time, and effectively guide online public opinion. The faster these authoritative news sources run, the slower the rumors run.
In addition to political guidance, there should also be correct conceptual guidance on all matters of life.
So, how to "pull the government affairs short video account back to the right path" that has been "wrong"?
Zhu Wei suggested that an assessment mechanism should be established.
This mechanism should not be based on the number of fans and the influence of communication alone, but should be considered comprehensively.
For example, whether there is any content posted on key nodes, whether the related short video operating company is "selling dog meat" to collect money and do nothing, and whether there is content that interacts with the masses.
It is understood that, whether it is the Weifang traffic police or the Jinan traffic police, as well as some other government affairs short video accounts that have done a good job, in addition to publishing short videos for law popularization, they will also check the messages and consultations at different times, and screen the key issues. Answer, and use the short video platform to carry out law enforcement live broadcast, and actively interact with netizens to answer questions.
Gao Xin said that with the development of short video accounts for government affairs, the people think it should have more and more functions.
Although short video platforms may not be able to carry too many functions like other platforms, the development of short video accounts for government affairs should still focus on serving the people as the core, which is also the correct orientation for the assessment of new government media.