Yang Yujun (Nong Jian/Photo)
"The first time I appeared as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, I was nervous and excited, and I felt 'hot' all over my body. Before going on stage, I deliberately asked my colleague to turn the temperature of the air conditioner very low, but after a press conference, my whole back was still soaked. I can't remember what questions I answered, and my colleague said, 'That's a good answer'. ”
In 2010, Yang Yujun was 40 years old, and he didn't have time to be "confused". Standing on the press table of the Ministry of National Defense, he could not go wrong, saying that "every word represents the position of the Chinese military and government."
Southern Weekly's connection with Yang Yujun began very early. When he first started working, one of his daily tasks was to get newspapers for the office, and "Nanzhou is a very popular newspaper. ”
After becoming a press spokesman, Yang Yujun adhered to an open and transparent information-dissemination mechanism, and he worked with Nanzhou several times during the Shangri-La Dialogue to suggest the formation of a "joint reporting team" to convey the voice of the Chinese military.
In Yang Yujun's eyes, Southern Weekly is good at in-depth reporting, and the theme is closely related to the pulse of the times, "Southern Weekly's reporting is influential, and some articles will play an agenda-setting role and cause follow-up reports from other media." ”
Yang Yujun hopes that the 40-year-old Southern Weekly will adhere to its unique reporting style and continue to produce content with depth, warmth and attitude.
"Nanzhou is a newspaper to read"
In the 90s of the last century, the Internet was not yet popular, and the print media dominated the market. In 1993, Yang Yujun had just graduated from the Foreign Affairs University and was admitted to the Ministry of National Defense. As a newcomer, one of his daily routines is to go to the communication room every day to get the newspaper.
"At that time, there was a newspaper that some comrades often rushed to read. Yang Yujun recalled that the newspaper was Southern Weekly. Unlike some newspapers and agencies that subscribe to multiple copies, at that time, a bureau only subscribed to one copy of Southern Weekly.
Yang Yujun had heard of Southern Weekly when he was in college, and it was only after working that he realized that it was so popular.
"Southern Weekly is the best at digging into the stories behind the news, and many of the Southern Weekly's scoops can push other media outlets to follow up on a news event, or even play an agenda-setting role. Yang Yujun said that it is not only floating on the surface, but will make people think deeply.
The depth and breadth of looking at problems is an indispensable work ability for military staff officers. In 1996, when the situation in the Taiwan Strait was turbulent, Yang Yujun observed that when China took military countermeasures, the United States enlisted many parties to build momentum in the field of international public opinion. He believes that the Chinese military should seize the "right to speak" in the arena of international public opinion. The following year, he wrote an article entitled "My Opinion of the Spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense." In order to write a satisfactory report, it is necessary to read a lot of literature in both Chinese and English, and conduct many interviews and research.
When Yang Yujun, 53, recalled the article to Southern Weekly, he felt that it was "too superficial." He called himself "not a smart person, more of a hard worker."
"When a reporter asks a good question, it's easier for a spokesperson to give a good response"
In 2007, in order to improve the military's international communication capabilities, Yang Yujun participated in the establishment of the Ministry of National Defense's press release mechanism as a staff member.
In 2010, when Yang Yujun was 40 years old, he was officially promoted to deputy director of the Information Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense (later renamed the Information Bureau), and at the same time served as the spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense. At that time, Senior Colonel Geng Yansheng, deputy director of the General Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense, was promoted to director of the Information Bureau.
"Initially, the Ministry of Defense would only hold a separate press conference when major missions, major operations and major policies were introduced. Geng Yansheng and Yang Yujun went from place to place, consulting experts from the State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the military, hoping to build a "mechanism for routine news speeches by the army that has both Chinese characteristics and international standards."
Yang Yujun walked from behind the scenes to the front of the stage and became the "face" of the regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense. When he came to power for the second time, Yang Yujun felt that it was much smoother, and he no longer felt "hot".
A press conference lasts about 45 minutes, and the information bureau and relevant units of the army will prepare more than 100 pieces of information in official caliber, which Yang Yujun believes is the crystallization of collective wisdom.
"At every press conference, I ask reporters that there are no questions to ask. Yang Yujun hopes that reporters can ask high-quality questions, especially sensitive and sharp questions, "When reporters ask good questions, it is easier for the spokesperson to give a good response." ”
On stage, most of Yang Yujun's golden sentences and jokes come from conversations between colleagues. In the most widely circulated videos on the Internet, Yang Yujun mentioned that netizens gave the new aircraft carrier the name "Pi Phi Shrimp". He revealed to the Southern Weekend reporter that it was a netizen message shared by a young colleague before the press conference.
Later, the transcript of that press statement went viral. Yang Yujun also gave the impression of being "serious and humorous". Due to the intense pace of work and his serious personality, Yang Yujun hopes to show a humorous side. "This can be regarded as a kind of release for soldiers in a high-intensity life. ”
In the more than 20 years he has worked in the Ministry of National Defense, Yang Yujun's work has been intense. He walked 10 minutes and ran 3 minutes from the dormitory to the office. "If you go to Xidan and Wangfujing on the weekend, you will feel embarrassed when you receive a call from the leader. Yang Yujun recalled.
Chinese voices at the incense meeting
Southern Weekly's encounter with Yang Yujun took place more often at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. During his tenure in the Ministry of National Defense, Yang Yujun participated in a total of seven "incense meetings".
In 2006, Yang Yujun attended the meeting for the first time, headed by a counsellor of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "At that time, the Chinese delegation was of a low level and could only listen to the whole meeting, and did not have the opportunity to make a speech at the conference. Since then, China's participation has been raised to the next level, and every time it speaks, it has become the focus of attention. ”
After becoming the press spokesman, Yang Yujun paid more attention to conveying the "voice of the Chinese military" at the incense meeting. After each bilateral meeting, the Chinese delegation finds a way to hold a small briefing outside the State Room at the Shangri-La Hotel.
"We rented a media studio, but it was a bit far from the conference room, so we just blew the wind right outside the venue. Yang Yujun encouraged reporters to report more and dig more.
Since 2012, Southern Weekly has covered 10 editions of the festival.
"At that time, there were a lot of media participating in the Southern Press Media Group, so we discussed with the leaders of the group whether it was possible to establish a reporting group of the Southern Press Industry Fragrance Club. Considering the limited number of on-site staff, Yang Yujun believes that the reporting team can aggregate the interview needs of multiple people, avoid repeated questions, and improve efficiency.
In 2014, Southern Weekly, together with Nanfang Daily, Southern Metropolis Daily and 21st Century Business Herald, formed an eight-member joint reporting team to cover the Xianghui in Singapore.
In 2015, the Chinese military delegation sent a fruit basket to Guo Silu, a reporter from Southern Zhou who was participating in the Xianghui report, accidentally slipped and injured herself outside the Shangri-La Hotel after the interview.
"When going abroad to cover news, journalists are also in a foreign country, and they need to be cared for. Yang Yujun still remembers this, he said with a smile.
During the years of participating in the Xianghui (2006-2016), Yang Yujun found that "China's voice is getting louder and louder, China is getting more and more attention from the international community, and more and more countries in the international community agree with China's ideas."
At the age of 47, Yang Yujun retired and went to teach at the Communication University of China. He lectures and leads students on campus, and is responsible for training and consulting in government and corporate media literacy, public relations, crisis management, etc.
"Every time I go to class, it's three hours, and I don't have time to look at my phone or reply to messages. During the Southern Weekend interview, Yang Yujun answered three or four phone calls, during which he took the time to reply to WeChat messages.
After some units asked him to give a lecture, the students who attended the lecture would ask him to give another lecture. "No one can lie down and win, or you have to keep learning Xi. "He's happy to be in the middle of now.
Yang Yujun, who has spent 10 years in his 40s, said that he has never been confused, and he hopes that the 40-year-old and even the future of Southern Weekly will be able to "stick to its original intention" as it was when it was founded in 1984.
Southern Weekly reporter Gu Yuebing
Editor-in-charge: Yao Yijiang
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