However, live streaming might be likely to trigger the reform of new media, since news are produced and circulated at the same time from this aspect. Since news production process also becomes a part of news, audience can vote by feet and determine how news are produced and where are news directed towards. Therefore, traditional media have to fundamentally change the way news are produced and nurture internet celebrity journalists who not only have their unique live streaming style but also decide which to live broadcast based on audience’s preferences.

　　Live streaming changes everything. It not only enables traditional media to give full play to its advantages, but also narrows their distance with the audience. It is safe to say that live streaming might finally be the right lever to trigger media reform.

　　Media plus live streaming: a breakthrough point in the post-entertainment era

　　All of a sudden, Yi.TV becomes the next platform for over 30,000 media Weibo accounts to fundamentally reform themselves and turn their readers and fans into participants.

　　At the same time, Yi.TV provides the best platform for traditional media organizations to convey contents and information. Take CCTV for an example, it has already held over 20 live streaming activities via Yi.TV, including the transfer of milu deer, Mars’ closest approach to earth, charitable activities on Children’s Day, the rainstorm that struck Wuhan, the tornado that hit Jiangsu province, etc.

　　While entertainment-centered live streaming platforms may rise and fall along with the transfer of popular live broadcasters, Yi.TV might be able to provide more diversified contents with the increasing efforts media organizations put in live streaming.

　　“Mobile live streaming will become something not only paper media, but also radio and TV stations have to do in the future,” Lei Tao, co-founder of Yi.TV’s developer Yixia.com, predicted.

　　The rise of media live streaming also has to do with the support of celebrities and big Vs (verified Weibo users who have more than 500,000 followers). After all, the era when media only need to rely on itself is gone. Only when they open themselves to big Vs that internet celebrities, draw support from them and utilize their influence and appeal can they best convey their message to the public. As a matter of fact, with the help of big Vs and internet celebrities, traditional media might even be able to yield twice the result with half the effort.

　　For example, since over 200 celebrities, including Liu Tao and Jia Nailiang, participated in the large-scale live streaming event “Go Back to Hometown to Celebrate the Spring Festival” (co-held by cmw.cn and Yi.TV), view times of “celebrities’ new year greeting videos” reached 550 million in total and over 4.03 million comments were generated.

　　By supporting Yi.TV and MiaoPai (a short video platform), Sina Weibo can help traditional media better meet the needs of different types of audience. They can interact with audience real time through Yi.TV and achieve sustained and wide circulation through MiaoPai. To some degree, short videos and live streaming exist side by side and play a part together.

　　“Mobile live streaming is great, but it can’t replace short video after all,” Liu Xinzheng, senior vice president of Yixia.com, said.

　　Topics vary a great deal on Yi.TV: from the Two Sessions to Rio Olympics and Hangzhou G20 Meetings, from school opening day to the Mid-Autumn celebration, from international events to domestic news, from Xisha Islands to Xinjiang, etc.

　　Statistics suggest that live streaming on Sina Weibo might be setting a new record for media reporting. During the Two Sessions in 2016, People’s Daily and related media organizations held 35 live streaming events via Sina Weibo’s Yi.TV in total and enjoyed 25,78 million view times and 190 million likes; during the Rio Olympics, over 40 media organizations held nearly 100 live streaming activities and enjoyed over 50 million view times; during the Hangzhou G20 Meetings, CCTV News’s held live streaming activities via Sina Weibo non-stop and enjoyed 21.39 million view times. Together, eight central media organizations and local media in Zhejiang province held over 45 live streaming activities.

　　At the same time, live streaming activities over emergency events and incidents are also on the rise, while live streaming that is continuous, have strong local features and media characteristics have also emerged. Both of them demonstrated the point I’ve mentioned above: live streaming is leading new media into a new, personalized era.

　　Media live streaming: from preliminary attempts to mass experiments