Core Insights - The report outlines three major trends in the Chinese media market for 2025: emotional resonance, value return, and global connection [1] Group 1: Emotional Resonance - The media is becoming a "barometer" for emotional value, reflecting the growing demand for emotional connection in society [2][3] - By August 2025, content related to emotional healing on platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou has reached 709.7 billion views, indicating a significant shift towards emotional economy [2][11] - Media serves as a "laboratory" to validate and optimize emotional communication, using data from likes and shares to gauge audience sentiment [3][19] Group 2: Value Return - The fragmentation of media consumption has led to a resurgence in demand for high-quality content, with over half of users expressing dissatisfaction with algorithmic recommendations [4][5] - The media is transitioning from a "traffic era" to a "value era," focusing on structured, serialized, and thematic content to build long-term value [5] Group 3: Global Connection - As Chinese brands expand internationally, media plays a crucial role in global storytelling, with over 85 international communication centers established and 2,300 domestic media accounts operating overseas [6][7] - The media is adopting a dual approach of "localization" and "in-situ" strategies to bridge cultural gaps, using relatable narratives and local influencers to enhance engagement [7]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the report emphasizes the need for media to play a crucial role in emotional value, social consensus, and cultural exchange, focusing on three main directions: inward deepening, centralization, and forward movement [1][2] - Inward deepening indicates that media serves as a trendsetter and laboratory for brands to build emotional value, with the rise of the emotional economy leading to a demand for emotional resonance among audiences [1][9] - The report highlights significant engagement metrics, such as over 709.69 billion views on topics related to emotional healing and high engagement on themes like anti-involution, reflecting the public's desire for emotional connection [9][13] Group 2 - Centralization aims to reshape societal consensus, addressing audience dissatisfaction with fragmented content and the need for high-quality content to attract higher-income demographics [2][39] - Over half of users express dissatisfaction with algorithmic recommendations, and 80% are skeptical of AI-generated personalized news, indicating a shift towards centralized, value-driven media strategies [39][42] - The report suggests that brands must return to centralized communication to create a unified brand image, as fragmented marketing leads to higher costs and diluted brand recognition [2][43] Group 3 - Forward movement focuses on media facilitating cultural exchange and connection, with Chinese brands rapidly expanding overseas, achieving an export value of 13 trillion yuan in the first half of 2025 [2] - International media, such as CGTN, is expanding its reach to over 200 countries, helping brands adopt localized perspectives to bridge cultural gaps [2] - The report concludes that media has new opportunities to become analysts of emotional resonance, alchemists of group consensus, and translators of cultural connections, ultimately enhancing emotional warmth and shared understanding [2][5]