Save it! 6 major directions, 5 key points, the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" reporting guide is here

Introduction

During this year’s Two Sessions, the 14th National People’s Congress approved the “14th Five-Year Plan” outline.

The “14th Five-Year Plan” not only clarifies the country’s strategic intentions and highlights government priorities but also provides a coordinate and direction for media news reporting.

During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, what is the main theme of mainstream media coverage? Based on the content of the plan, what key topics can the media focus on? What issues should be paid attention to during reporting?

Recently, the media discussion forum has actively consulted relevant experts to seek their advice on how media can effectively cover the “14th Five-Year Plan” news.

High-quality development is the main theme

“High-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country.” The outline of the “14th Five-Year Plan” clearly states that promoting high-quality development is the theme, and achieving significant results in high-quality development has been incorporated into the economic and social development goals for the “14th Five-Year” period.

In addition, the media discussion forum found that the phrase “high-quality development” runs throughout the “14th Five-Year Plan” outline and is a frequently used term, appearing a total of 37 times.

Chen Haigang, editor-in-chief of China Economic Times, believes that the “14th Five-Year Plan” places “significant achievements in high-quality development” at the top of the seven major goals, involving several key areas, which sets the overall tone for media coverage. When interpreting economic and social policies or analyzing industrial and local development paths, the media should frame these within the context of high-quality development, explaining and projecting how to respond to external uncertainties with confidence in high-quality growth.

“Focusing on high-quality development as the ‘hard truth’ of this new era is the core mainline that economic reporting must anchor.” Zhu Keli, a renowned economist and founder of the National Research Institute of New Economy, told the media discussion forum. This mainline runs through various fields of economic development such as industrial upgrading, technological innovation, reform and opening-up, green development, and people’s livelihood security. Media should stay close to development realities, respond to current concerns, and demonstrate professional value.

Six Key Topics

Accelerating the construction of a new development pattern is a strategic foundation for promoting high-quality development. With this as the core mainline, media can focus on the following key areas for topic planning:

1. Cultivating New Quality of Production Capacity

New quality of production capacity is the new engine for high-quality development. The “14th Five-Year Plan” states, “Leading development with new development concepts, developing new quality of production capacity according to local conditions,” and “deepening integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation to continuously generate new quality of production capacity.”

Zhu Keli suggests that media should prioritize cultivating new quality of production capacity as a core topic, conducting in-depth series reports on the ten new industries and tracks outlined in the plan, focusing on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, embodied intelligence, biomanufacturing, low-altitude economy, and green hydrogen energy.

Specifically, Zhu believes that media should track breakthroughs in technological R&D, practical implementation paths in industries, and corporate innovation initiatives. They should interpret the internal logic of how new technologies move from laboratories to industrialization, showcasing the vitality and significant achievements in cultivating new quality of production capacity. Additionally, media should explore vibrant practices of technological innovation and industrial integration, paying attention to investments in basic research and breakthroughs in core technologies, making reports vivid records of technological self-reliance and witnessing industrial transformation—fully demonstrating the core supporting role of science and technology as the primary productive force.

2. Breakthroughs in Key Technologies

Achieving a significant leap in technological self-reliance and strength is an important development goal during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. The plan emphasizes rapid breakthroughs in key core technologies in major fields, producing a batch of major original, landmark, and leading scientific and technological achievements, with an increasing number of leading projects.

Huang Wenfu, former editor-in-chief of China Industry and Commerce Times, states that the “14th Five-Year Plan” elevates technological self-reliance to an unprecedented level. Media topics should focus on how technology transforms into real productive forces. For example, coverage could explore the “Compute and Electricity Collaboration” and the construction of the national integrated computing power network. Topics might include how the “East Data, West Computing” project is reshaping the economic landscape like the “South-to-North Water Diversion” project, and how computing power can become a universally accessible productive resource like hydropower.

Li Biao, chief editor of the macro channel of Daily Economic News, analyzes that as economic and social development progresses, the value of technology is increasing. Breakthroughs in key areas can lead not only to industry revolutions but also to shifts in overall economic trends. For instance, the emergence of artificial intelligence may overturn development logic across many industries. Future topics worth attention include embodied intelligence, large models, low-altitude economy, aerospace, biomanufacturing, and brain-computer interfaces.

Zhu Keli recommends that media should explore vibrant practices of technological innovation and industrial integration, focus on the latest progress in basic research and core technology breakthroughs, and make reports vivid records of technological self-reliance and industrial transformation—fully demonstrating the core supporting role of science and technology as the primary productive force.

3. Empowering People’s Livelihood Under the “Investing in People” Orientation

The “14th Five-Year Plan” emphasizes the close integration of investment in material and human resources. “Investing in people” refers to directing more fiscal funds and public resources toward education, employment, healthcare, and social security, investing in enhancing people’s capabilities, maintaining health, developing careers, and unlocking potential. This drives high-quality economic growth through consumption potential release and human capital development.

Chen Haigang notes that among the 20 key indicators in the plan’s five areas, the welfare of people’s livelihood has the highest proportion, with 7 indicators accounting for over one-third of the main indicators. The plan also dedicates two chapters to actively addressing aging populations and building a fertility-friendly society. The shift from “investment in material” to “investment in people” warrants ongoing deep attention.

Huang Wenfu suggests that the concept of “investing in people” being fully established is a new policy idea for the “14th Five-Year Plan” period and a topic that resonates with the public. Media can translate macro policies into stories close to people’s lives. For example, reporting on how income increases through property income and improved salary systems can boost household finances; or how policies like “spring and autumn school holidays” and “paid staggered leave for workers” can stimulate tourism and family education; or focusing on housing guarantees for newly married and new parents, and fertility subsidies, highlighting local measures to reduce costs of childbirth, upbringing, and education.

4. Industrial Upgrading Based on the Real Economy

The real economy is the foundation of a great nation and an important support for future strategic advantages. The “14th Five-Year Plan” emphasizes focusing on developing the real economy, accelerating the building of a manufacturing powerhouse, quality powerhouse, aerospace power, transportation power, and cyber power.

While traditional industries are often covered in media reports, Huang Wenfu suggests that media should focus on “new sprouts from old trees”—how traditional manufacturing can upgrade through “intelligent transformation, digitalization, networking.” For example, reporting how an old factory builds a “smart supply chain” and transforms from “stock shortages” to “demand prediction.”

5. Green and Low-Carbon Transformation

The “14th Five-Year Plan” emphasizes green development with a stronger focus on “low-carbon” requirements. The plan advocates prioritizing conservation, strengthening policy incentives, and guiding society to participate actively in green and low-carbon transformation; promoting simple, moderate, green, and healthy lifestyles and consumption.

“Clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” Zhu Keli states. “People’s livelihood is the fundamental purpose of development.” Topics on integrating green development with people’s economy are also worth highlighting. Media should focus on the development of green industries, the green transformation of traditional industries, and practices of ecological protection and economic development working together, showcasing new forms and paths of economic growth under the green development concept.

Among the 20 key economic and social development indicators, 8 are binding, including five green and low-carbon indicators. The plan also aims to reduce CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 17%, and for the first time, replaces “good air quality days” with “PM2.5 concentration” as a core indicator. It also proposes measures such as a ten-year doubling of non-fossil energy, building a number of clean energy bases, and vigorously developing new energy storage. Chen Haigang believes that the “reduction” and “increase” aspects contain abundant reporting resources and should be key directions for media coverage.

6. Regional Coordinated Development and Reform & Opening-up

Regional coordinated development and the deepening of reform and opening-up are also important topics. Zhu Keli suggests that media should focus on major regional strategies such as the Yangtze River Delta integration, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. Reports should highlight regional industrial collaboration, factor flows, urban-rural integration, and showcase how different regions leverage comparative advantages, break down development barriers, and promote coordinated regional growth.

Chen Haigang also emphasizes that media should pay attention to regional development and local practices, including the construction of a unified national market, promoting regional coordination, local strategies for developing new quality of production capacity, institutional innovations, and how major economic provinces take the lead and solve new problems through research and experience.

Regional coordinated development and reform and opening-up are mutually reinforcing and inherently unified. Reform and opening-up provide institutional momentum and mechanisms for regional development, while regional development expands the space and depth of reform and opening-up, jointly serving high-quality development and Chinese modernization goals.

Zhu Keli states that media should focus on building a high-standard market system, reforming factor marketization, and high-level opening-up. They should explore real practices of optimizing business environments, cross-border trade innovation, and foreign investment development, interpreting new reform measures that inject vitality into economic growth. This will demonstrate China’s firm commitment to expanding openness, allowing readers to see the openness and inclusiveness of the Chinese market and truly feel the dividends brought by reform and opening-up.

Five Key Precautions

1. Uphold the Bottom Line of Accuracy

To ensure the accuracy, depth, and dissemination power of reports related to the “14th Five-Year Plan,” especially economic coverage, media must first adhere to the bottom line of accuracy, resolutely avoiding policy misinterpretation and content errors.

Li Biao states that media should base their reports on the original policy documents, rely on authoritative releases, and avoid arbitrary distortions or misinterpretations during interpretation. Key information and important data should come from credible sources, traceable and verifiable, ensuring precise expression.

Zhu Keli advises that journalists need to carefully study the original plan, grasp the policy connotations, core principles, and implementation requirements word by word, accurately understand technical terms, development goals, and measures, and avoid taking things out of context or one-sided explanations. For core content and key statements, involving policy research experts or industry veterans for review can help establish a multi-layered content review mechanism.

2. Avoid Homogenized Reporting

Many media outlets are covering the “14th Five-Year Plan,” so avoiding homogenization is crucial. Combining media’s own positioning and creating distinctive topics will help stand out in competition.

Zhu Keli suggests that media should move beyond the shallow mode of “policy excerpt + simple interpretation.” They can focus on core issues and hot social concerns, conduct in-depth field investigations and industry chain tracking, and deeply explore the development logic, historical background, and practical requirements behind policies. Using diverse formats such as in-depth analysis, series reports, and thematic interpretations can help readers understand the core of the plan and its practical paths, making reports a window for interpreting development and inspiring thinking, thus continuously enhancing the ideological and guiding value.

Practically, central media should focus on national cases and macro policy interpretation, while local media should leverage regional characteristics, focusing on local advantageous industries and livelihood initiatives. Local media can plan topics like “local traditional industry digital transformation” or “implementation of social welfare policies,” while financial media can emphasize industry and investment perspectives, and lifestyle media can focus on changes in people’s lives.

3. Combine “Constructive” and “Problem-Oriented” Approaches

Objectively and rationally analyzing development is a fundamental journalistic principle.

Zhu Keli recommends that media should balance positive publicity with problem orientation, strengthen overall awareness and systemic thinking. They should deeply report positive practices, achievements, and typical experiences in implementing the plan across regions and sectors, fully demonstrating the opportunities and potential of the “14th Five-Year” period. At the same time, they should objectively address challenges and problems, avoid avoidance or exaggeration, analyze causes, track solutions, and play a role in supervision and advice, promoting effective problem-solving.

Huang Wenfu emphasizes that economic reports should “stabilize expectations and strengthen confidence.” They should highlight achievements and opportunities, tell good stories of China’s economy, but not be blindly optimistic. When reporting on “technological breakthroughs,” they should also reflect difficulties and challenges; when discussing “high-quality population development,” they should acknowledge structural issues like aging and declining birthrates and explore solutions, demonstrating the media’s constructive role.

4. Balance “Macro” and “Micro” Perspectives

“Don’t just pile up grand words like ‘new quality of production capacity’ and ‘high-quality development.’ Follow the principle of ‘big theme, small entry point.’” Huang Wenfu states that media should break down the grand goals of the “14th Five-Year Plan” into detailed “fine brushwork.” For example, when reporting on “expanding domestic demand,” avoid only citing data; instead, reflect the policy through a county’s consumer vitality or a small community store’s business changes.

Li Biao believes that when reporting macro policies, the coverage should extend from policies to industries, then to enterprises and individuals, ensuring the policies are implemented. When focusing on individual cases, find commonalities within industries and identify trend signals.

5. Emphasize Popularized Expression

Media should continuously strengthen the authority and accessibility of policy interpretation, transforming professional planning content into language that the public can understand and that the market can use, ensuring policy spirit reaches grassroots and becomes ingrained in people’s minds.

For example, terms like “sandbox regulation,” “patience capital,” and “compute and electricity collaboration” are highly technical. Media has the responsibility to interpret these in simple terms, using vivid metaphors or cases to help ordinary audiences understand their impact on daily life and investment.

Chen Haigang reminds journalists to avoid dry data analysis and conceptual explanations. Under the premise of accuracy, reports should be lively and vivid, enhancing user awareness, improving writing style, and transforming official language into language accessible to the public. A good writing style reflects the media’s commitment to establishing and practicing correct governance views.

(This article is reproduced from the media discussion forum)

Cover image source: Meiri Media Asset Library