This paper discusses the existing state and development path of contemporary newspapers.

At home, the traditional newspaper industry has encountered the situation of American newspaper media, and there are some "unique" practical difficulties that we can't avoid. The first is the "serious homogenization" of media operations. The content is similar. Among the media in the same city, 95% of the contents of evening papers, morning papers, business papers and letters are "familiar". Even if the processing method is "clever", there is almost no difference in the value and quality of information. At the same time, there are serious homogeneous operation modes and commercial profit modes, which are the "universal ills" of the traditional media industry in China. Second, the continuous increase in competition costs has made the era of traditional media "gold industry" gone forever, and meager profit or even negative growth has become a serious problem. Therefore, some people think that the comparison between traditional media is not to see who lives better, but to see who "lives longer". Third, the audience market is facing a "shuffle" situation. According to statistics, more than 10% of urban residents under the age of 35 have read newspapers and periodicals, but now they no longer read newspapers and periodicals because of contact with the Internet. This phenomenon shows that if the media operation is still limited to the "self" level-newspapers only do newspapers, radio only does broadcasting, and television only does television, it is impossible to break through the barriers of media forms. At the important development stage when digital technology redefines the boundaries of the communication market, our future will become more and more confused and even decline in the crisis. Compared with the keen reaction of foreign media groups to China media market and the strategy of focusing on Maimang, Chinese media groups are not sensitive to the market information environment. The media industry is single in nature and can't form a distinctive industrial value chain. The purpose of analyzing the dilemma is to grasp the situation, recognize ourselves and find the future. At the other end of the crisis is opportunity. If we can make a "revolutionary" change to the previous communication mode, operation line and management system, and create a new operation system, operation framework and profit model according to the needs of the society and audience in the transitional period and the new logic of the media industry in the digital age, we may get an opportunity for extraordinary development. The production mode of traditional media is backward. As a product of industrialized society, traditional media is stumbling in the information society. Single channel, digital network media is the display of multimedia; Traditional media are released regularly, and digital network media are disseminated instantly; Traditional media updates news every day (week, half month, month), and digital network media updates news every second; Traditional media is one-way communication and digital network media is two-way interaction; The capacity of traditional media is limited by the layout, while the content space of digital network media is infinite ... The advantages of digital network media and the disadvantages of traditional media are clear at a glance. Therefore, in this new digital situation, traditional newspapers and periodicals should constantly seek ways to survive and break through. Path 1: Grafting-realize "breeding" through "grafting". Traditional media seek new development, and digital grafting becomes the first choice. The grafting of traditional media and digital network media can get out of the current predicament and wandering. Now, the media should ask themselves, if the traditional newspapers and periodicals are just "producing newspapers and periodicals", its future is difficult and bleak … But if it is confirmed that newspapers and periodicals are industries providing information and communication services, once digital grafting is realized, its future will be bright … because the information and services produced by newspapers and periodicals can be completely transformed into digital products. In this way, the network is no longer a competitor, but a modern high-tech means of communication that can be used by us. The grafting of newspapers and numbers is equal to a new development opportunity, and it is also the survival state of traditional media worthy of adoption in the digital age. The Annual Development Report of China Newspaper Industry (2005) puts forward that "digital survival of newspaper industry" is an important trend, and holds that the strategy of "digital newspaper industry" will change the traditional media industry form, and the new communication technology represented by the Internet will reshape the newspaper form. In the digital age, the barriers of press and publication, radio and television industry, entertainment industry, information industry and home appliance manufacturing industry will be eliminated, and many related industries will be integrated under the banner of content industry. In the next three to five years, accelerating the strategic transformation and developing into a "digital newspaper industry" will form a * * * knowledge in the newspaper industry. "Grafting thinking" requires the traditional media of newspapers and periodicals to conform to the development trend, establish digital strategic awareness, accelerate the transformation to digital content providers, give full play to the advantages of news and original content, and occupy the commanding heights of emerging content industries. The joint point of "grafting" lies in: content is king, multi-channel communication is realized, and the purpose of multi-channel occupation of the market is achieved. Relevant information shows that the following business models of foreign mature newspaper websites are worth learning. First, establish an independent website on the Internet, take the original media content as the main body, expand and contain new information, and form a cross-media comprehensive information platform; Second, a number of media jointly operate a large news website, but the content is relatively independent. It combines the overall scale advantage of newspaper information sources with the comprehensive information display ability of traditional word-of-mouth and the Internet. It is a channel to link various newspaper websites, and also a processing factory to comprehensively classify and deeply process newspaper information. Thirdly, one or several newspapers and periodicals join hands with other network service providers to operate professional network information services, which can open up various new business opportunities similar to intermediary services for traditional newspapers and periodicals. Path 2: innovation-occupy and expand new markets by establishing core platforms. The adaptation of traditional media to digital existence is a thoroughly remoulding process, and the realization benchmark of this process lies in innovation. The "transformation" of traditional media by "digitalization" is an objective trend that is independent of human will. This trend requires traditional media people to be "watchmen" of newspapers and periodicals, "witnesses" of great changes, and more importantly, "builders" of digital media. In a sense, the innovative mission and responsibility of traditional newspaper media lies in promoting the transformation of traditional newspaper media and making this media form with a history of 400 years glow with brand-new cultural potential and market vitality. We should face up to the fact that the rapid development of science and technology and the rapid change of social life are enriching our imagination and innovation space, and at the same time providing more market opportunities. The digital survival and innovation of newspapers and periodicals will make newspapers and periodicals stand on the "core platform", realize the multi-brand extension of newspapers and periodicals and digital products, and occupy and expand new markets. What is the core platform of innovation, that is, "building a powerful digital information platform based on content providers." In today's dizzying communication channels, it is not difficult for us to find out what is hidden behind the complicated information capacity. Lack of really valuable information. Someone made such an interesting analogy, just like we have criss-crossing expressway, but there are no cars running on the empty expressway, and the road without cars is meaningless. The problem in the digital age is not technology, but content-this is one of the innovative opportunities that newspapers and other traditional media should seize, because the collection, verification, classification and analysis of content are the advantages of newspapers and other traditional media. Looking at the network communication in recent ten years, almost all its news comes from traditional media, and the massive information on the network is just a collection of traditional media information. Especially in China, under the existing policy conditions, newspapers and other traditional media have the right to interview and publish original news, and the role of the network is secondary dissemination. Such policy restrictions will not be easily changed in a short time. Traditional media has a team of planners, editors and journalists with high professional standards and professionalism, which has unparalleled credibility and strong social mobilization and influence among the public. This is the survival foundation of traditional media, and it is also the innovation foundation for traditional media to March into digitalization. It is necessary to realize the multi-brand extension of traditional media and digital products and occupy and expand new markets. The first is to explore the characteristics of resources and extend the life of traditional media. To further "feed" the audience who have a special liking for traditional media, the expanded products should include: newspapers and periodicals with in-depth commentary reports; Community newspapers and periodicals focusing on life service; A free newspaper that mainly provides information and advertising services. The second is to produce digital products and promote the complete transformation of traditional media such as newspapers and periodicals in production methods. From the current exploration at home and abroad, the more mature digital products mainly include: online news, that is, instant news release through the network; Online newspapers and periodicals, that is, edited newspapers and periodicals spread directly through the network without printing; Mobile newspapers and periodicals, that is, the contents of newspapers and periodicals are directly transmitted to readers' mobile terminals. Third, multi-brand extension enables traditional media to make use of their own brand advantages and open up more activity space and more economic growth points. The direction of brand extension includes: developing audio and video services through the network; Participate in cultural activities, including books, periodicals, electronic periodicals and e-books; Extend to e-commerce; Extend to other fields, such as exhibition economy and intermediary services. Innovation is the call of the digital age for the traditional media industry. Although the winter of traditional media will be quite long, in the process of media reform, as long as we are prepared for danger in times of peace, keep pace with the times and seek change, we will certainly find our own spring in the winter of traditional media in the name of digitalization. Path 3: Guarantee-realize digital survival through "resource integration". In the new stage of digital existence of traditional media, it is an important and meaningful path to realize resource integration and highlight core competitiveness. Strong integration ability wins, while weak integration ability declines. Through "resource integration", the digital survival of newspapers and periodicals is guaranteed. The first is system integration. System is the biggest resource in China today, especially in the field of ideology and culture. In fact, all the achievements in the development of China's media industry are brought about by the reform and opening up, while all the problems and difficulties faced by traditional media industries such as newspapers and periodicals are actually caused by the closed system. Therefore, the central leading comrades put it well: "For the development of China's cultural industry, early reform benefits early, late reform benefits late, and there is no hope without reform." This is the conclusion. Secondly, it is the integration of industry resources. Internally, the so-called integration of industry resources means that our content production should enter the content production mode of "experiential products"-the internal value fragments should be systematically integrated, so that what it serves the audience is no longer fragmented value existence, but gives people a sense of lifestyle and a sense of belonging to the spiritual home in addition to every specific information, knowledge and wisdom service. On the basis of specific communication values, through structural integration, content products have the integration value of culture and spirit. Industry resource integration is also a guide to meet people's needs-it is not a follower of social needs, but a tractor that leads the social trend and the backbone of the social pace. Externally, it is necessary to change the current pattern of media management, break down the barriers of media, and expand the communication form to the "integration" and "scale" of various media forms to adapt to the changing reality of media boundaries in the digital age. The emergence of this kind of content products that are staggered, overlapped or extended between different media forms will greatly rewrite the existing "rules" of the media market. Finally, it is the comprehensive integration of social resources. The development of traditional media industries, such as newspapers and periodicals, requires not only the mutual grafting of media's own industry resources, but also the deep integration and allocation of extensive social resources and multi-channel industry resources. On the basis of in-depth and meticulous feasibility study, scientific and orderly institutional arrangements should be made. As media people, we should use our wisdom to create more business models to meet the needs of new social development. Under the relatively safe and sure operation mode, the efforts to promote the opening of media policies have gradually increased. Digital survival of traditional media is a trend. Digital survival is an important development strategy in the adjustment period of traditional media in China, but it is not the only "prescription" that can be achieved overnight. In the process of reform, traditional media should continue to tap its own development advantages, especially the constant pursuit of content innovation, further establish and consolidate an authoritative and trustworthy brand image among readers, and provide an important and solid benchmark for digital survival, so that the confidence of traditional media industry in digital survival will be more firm.