Cao Zhen

    caozhen0806@126.com

    CHINESE Internet company Sohu announced its redesigned Chinese-language news app in Shenzhen on Monday, adding more local news aggregation features in a bid to capitalize on the growing consumption of news on mobile devices in China.

    The app, Sohu News, delivers an array of local news and feature articles to readers based on their city and reading interests. The app also pushes free articles written by local bloggers or provided by local media organizations, government departments and companies to its subscribers. “We already have a local news aggregation feature on the Sohu News app through a location-based algorithm for 365 cities and towns in China. Now we use big data to push news pieces based on users’ reading interests. The more you read, the more personalized the news app becomes, refining the selection of stories delivered to your phones,” said Charles Zhang, Sohu’s chairperson and CEO.

    A distinct feature for users in Shenzhen and Shanghai is the feeds-push provided by selected local bloggers, columnists, local media, governmental organizations and companies. The Beijing-based Internet giant also promises that users’ privacy will not be compromised even though the app customizes itself over time by following each user’s interests and reading patterns.

    Zhang said he chose Shenzhen and Shanghai to be the first cities to have this new feature because of the two cities’ demography, consumption, bloggers’ popularity and advertising potential. “We will grade bloggers’ articles according to readers’ comments and clicks. Advertisers could find the geo-location aspect of the app attractive if it functions in the same way the news is presented,” he said.

    Figures from iiMedia Research show that there were 542 million Chinese-language news app and news browser users in China last year, 15.6 percent more than in 2012. The research also showed that Chinese mobile users read news mainly from news apps and Tencent WeChat while Sina Weibo and mobile browsers were less used for accessing news.

    Statistics from TrustData indicate that the daily active user coverage rate of Chinese news apps increased from 10 percent to 14.7 percent from January to October 2015. News app competition is increasingly fierce as China’s top Chinese-language news apps — Sohu News, Tencent News, Netease News, Phoenix News and Tou-Tiao — are getting their teeth into customized content. In July last year, Phoenix News signed Chinese Internet sensation Luo Yufeng, known as “Sister Feng,” to be its exclusive columnist. One month later, Netease News added Microsoft artificial intelligence chatbot XiaoIce into its news app to push customized content and read audio news for users.

    “Sohu now has 338 Shenzhen bloggers and columnists, 66 Shenzhen media organizations, 40 local governmental departments and 624 companies pushing feeds on science, education, travel and business for local readers. We will start scaling out the city-based feature to 18 Chinese cities in early February,” said Zhang.