人人都是记者的时代，还需要我们吗？

2010年我刚研究生毕业入行当记者，恰好赶上社交媒体崛起的时代。

一方面，2010年苹果推出iPhone4，手机全面屏时代来临，智能手机迅速取代功能机成为人们的新宠，每个人都有了随时记录的可能；在另一条叙事线上，2009年新浪微博上线、2011年腾讯推出微信，每个人都有了发表意见并展示自我的平台。

于是人人都有了麦克风、人人都有了摄像机，一句著名的断语开始笼罩这个时代：“人人都是记者！”一般人感受不到，我作为一名刚入行的小记者可是被这句话吓得瑟瑟发抖。我寒窗苦读19年才找到份当记者的工作，这个时代却告诉我人人都是我、人人都能取代我？这个世界不再需要我了吗？我还能做什么去？

Sina Weibo was born in 2009, iPhone4 was launched in 2010 and WeChat came into being in 2011. Once such hardware and software were in place, someone remarked: “Everyone is a journalist”.

That sent a chill down the spine of many a journalist, including this author who had freshly graduated and taken up the job of a journalist. If everybody is a journalist, then what about me, is there still a job for me, I asked myself.

站在13年后的今天再回首，我想或许记者应当更有底气了。

与2010年相比，2023年的社交平台已经不知多了多少倍、用户也已经普及到社会的每一个犄角旮旯。笔者走基层调研时，哪怕再偏僻的小山村里也几乎人手一部千元智能手机，每天抓住一切时间的缝隙刷视频。明星要打榜、大V要带货、小咖们要露脸，社交平台真正做到了让每个人都在网络世界有一席之地。甚至曾经全网只有几个的“网红”也满天飞，和“靓仔”“美女”一样几乎成为了对陌生人的尊称。

但我们对这个世界看得更清楚了吗？并没有！人人发声是社会与技术进步的必然结果，但人人发声往往使得各种事件更加扑朔迷离。君不见，各种社会热点一出来，各个社交平台上的主播也跑得比记者都快，总能在第一时间出现在现场，用大脸怼着镜头可劲拍，讲述自己认为的真相。当事各方都下场发声回应，比拼的都是谁音量高、粉丝多，真相如同做烙大饼，反转再反转。但究竟发生了什么，这些碎片化的东西人们看得越多就越迷惑，广大网友的爱心被调动着来回转头，一会觉得天经地义一会觉得岂有此理。

A clearer answer has emerged today with the evolution of the field of public opinion. Compared with 2010, this year has seen the rise and fall of many social media platforms, more self-media accounts and there will be many more such developments. With 1.08 billion people having access to mobile internet in China alone, it's becoming increasingly common for people to access umpteen videos on social networking sites by just swiping their smartphones.

During my visits to even the remotest of villages I have seen residents accessing videos on their smartphones, such is the penetration of the internet. They all have their favorite livestreamers, too, whom they follow religiously every day, and every time something happens somewhere, hundreds, or even thousands, rush to the site, smartphone in hand, to report live from the spot.

国际舆论场也差不多。每当国际事件出现，众多中国网友要么直接看英文报道、要么看一些网友搬运翻译的报道，总能了解大致事件，也会发表意见维护国家利益。但毕竟有文化及语言差异，网友影响海外受众的效果依然有一定折扣。

所以记者这个行业依然是被需要的。在众说纷纭的社会热点事件中，总需要一双坚定、理性、专业的眼睛去拨开层层迷雾，为这个世界还原尽可能客观的真相，保障公众的知情权。在短兵相接的国际舆论碰撞中，在义愤填膺的声浪中也需要一个坚定的声音用最简洁、最能让世界听懂的语言陈述中国观点和观点背后的逻辑，让中国的声音被世界听到。

It's good to see everyone having a smartphone to express what they feel about something, but one cannot deny that sometimes one might watch hundreds of video clips from a place and still be in the dark as to what actually happened.

There is still the need for professional, rational and balanced voices through trustworthy channels to give clarity, both domestically and internationally, to defend China's national interests. That is why we still need journalists to do a better job of giving us news and views.

Especially when it comes to public opinion, it's a challenging job to tell things logically and without any bias, without triggering too many emotions, something that only a professional journalist can do.

并不是说网友的声音不重要。恰恰相反，专业媒体可以同时是自媒体，自媒体的出现给了专业记者更大的压力与动力，让专业记者有动力去社交平台上与网友们同台竞技。自媒体也可以是专业媒体，最好的学习是实践，有心人总能够在舆论场的摸爬滚打中脱颖而出，与世界分享自己的观察和自己的故事。

We don't mean to antagonize self-media and professional journalists. On the contrary, professional journalists can work for social media platforms, while self-media can innovate and be more professional in their approach. Maybe a time will come when the line between the two will blur.

今天是记者节，人人都是记者，祝大家节日快乐。

As Wednesday marks the 24th Journalists' Day of China, and everyone is a journalist, we wish everyone well. Long live the profession!