Zhang Yang

    nicolezyyy@163.com

    THE Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, Shenzhen Press Group’s flagship newspaper, launched a Chinese-language news app named DT News yesterday, with both iOS and Android versions available.

    The news app has four news sections featuring in-depth news, financial news, local news, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan news. Readers can add district news to the local news section based on their preferences.

    The app’s leisure section highlights cultural events in Shenzhen, recommends restaurants and bars, and gives fashion tips. The multi-media section has photos, video and audio that cover news, health information, and other trending topics on social media.

    The app also has a consultation section, where readers can ask questions about social issues and problems to specific government departments. The company running the app will invite government officials to answer questions.

    Users can also post photos in the app’s picture-sharing section, where they can share photos of events around the city and leave remarks.

    The Southern Metropolis Daily launched a news reader for the iPad in 2010, which was the first news app developed by a Chinese-language media outlet for iOS users. A growing number of Chinese newspapers started developing their own apps in 2010. Online data shows that over 140 newspapers in China launched iOS apps as of July 31, 2012.

    A former investment company director said that newspaper apps complement newspapers, but it’s hard for the apps to profit independently. He said media outlets should make good use of their apps as a tool to interact with readers and maintain customer relations, according to a CBNweekly’s report.