Journalism Challenges in the Era of Social Media and AI.

The College of Communication’s International Leadership Courses, “TV News Introduction and Voice Projection”, hosted a special lecture titled Modern International News Production by Mr. Wynne Deng (鄧崴), the Deputy Section Chief of the International News Center from SET News Channel, SETN (三立新聞台), at National Chengchi University on May 5, 2025. The guest lecture addressed the challenges of producing international news in the age of social media and generative AI.

Mr. Deng shared that the late-2019 pandemic outbreak marked a turning point for the news media industry. Traditional news outlets used to publish their content online only after it had aired on television. However, as people increasingly rely on social media for information, news production now considers the characteristics of social media platforms and user habits to capture public attention better.

“One of the prominent features of social media would be algorithms, as it redefined the way people perceived the idea of news,” said Mr. Deng, the news anchor of SET News.

Mr. Deng explained that news was traditionally meant to be timely, as people would tune in to find out what had happened that day. However, with the rise of social media algorithms, users are now often shown content based on their interests or engagement patterns rather than recency. As a result, algorithms have started to influence the headlines chosen for online news to reach the public more effectively.

“Other than the headlines, the content can vary depending on the media platform. For instance, a TV news segment, a TikTok video, and an Instagram Story would each present the same event in very different ways,” said Mr. Deng, also the TV host of the news program iExpress (國際特快車).

Mr. Deng further elaborated that the differences between media platforms often lie in how the content is presented, specifically in the angle of presentation, the duration, and the level of emotional appeal. A TV news segment might focus on its political impact, while a TikTok video highlights a dramatic moment to catch attention. TV reports tend to be longer, whereas TikTok and Instagram Stories are short and fast-paced. In terms of emotional appeal, TV news remains neutral, while social media often uses music and captions to create a stronger emotional impact.

He highlighted that the fast-paced nature of social media increases the risk of misinformation due to AI-generated images and videos. It is important for journalists to strengthen their fact-checking skills and rely on trustworthy sources, including major news outlets and official statements. Mr. Deng pointed to a recent example involving the Myanmar earthquake, where a viral video shared across social media was later revealed to be AI-generated composites and scenes from films, because Myanmar prohibits the use of drones. Mr. Deng emphasized that having a deeper understanding of cultural context in different countries can help journalists better identify misleading content and avoid reporting errors.

Mr. Deng also encouraged students aspiring to enter journalism to cultivate empathy, sharpen their fact-checking skills, and develop the ability to handle multiple platforms. These skills are important in adapting to the demands of modern news production.

The talk was moderated by Lecturer Kiki Wang Mon-Chi and attended by over 20 local and international students. 傳播學院邀請三立新聞主播鄧崴 探討社群與AI時代的國際新聞挑戰.

國立政治大學傳播學院傳播國際領袖課程「電視新聞導論與聲音表達」於2025年5月5日舉辦專題講座，特別邀請三立新聞台國際新聞中心副主任鄧崴先生蒞校演講，講題為「現代國際新聞製作」。此次講座聚焦於社群媒體與生成式AI迅速發展的時代下，新聞從業人員面對的挑戰與轉變。

鄧崴先生指出，2019年底新冠疫情爆發後，新聞生態產生劇變。過往電視新聞內容常在播出後才上傳至網路平台，如今為了迎合民眾主要透過社群媒體接收資訊的習慣，新聞製作流程需因應平台特性進行調整。他表示：「社群媒體的演算法改變了人們接收新聞的方式，也讓新聞的即時性概念產生轉移。」

他舉例說明，同一則新聞在電視、TikTok或Instagram上會有截然不同的呈現方式，包括報導角度、片長長度、情緒強度等，皆需配合平台特性進行編輯。電視新聞通常較長且保持中立；相較之下，社群媒體的影音內容則更短、更重視視覺張力與情緒傳遞。

鄧崴先生特別提醒，社群媒體資訊傳播快速，結合AI技術後，更容易導致錯誤資訊擴散。他以緬甸地震事件為例，指出網路瘋傳的影像其實是AI合成與電影片段的拼接，與事實不符，反映出記者須強化查證能力與文化敏感度，避免誤報。

他鼓勵同學們，未來若想從事新聞工作，需具備三項關鍵能力：「培養同理心」、「精進查證技巧」、「熟悉多平台操作」，才能在多變的媒體環境中勝任記者工作。

本場講座由王孟琦老師主持，本地及國際學生在現場交流熱烈，讓學生們對國際新聞製作的實務與挑戰有了更深刻的理解。