What impact has media convergence had on the organizational structure and workflows of news organizations?

To draw an analogy, it's like how restaurants used to operate: Sichuan restaurants, Cantonese restaurants, and Western restaurants each ran their own establishments, with chefs and waiters only knowing their specific way of doing things. With media convergence, it's as if all these restaurants merged into one giant food court, given a trendy name: "Central Kitchen."

This has had a profound impact on the original "restaurants" (news organizations):

1. Organizational Structure: Walls torn down, everyone at the same table

• From "Separate Stoves" to a "Central Kitchen": Previously, newspaper staff, TV station staff, and website staff largely kept to themselves, with each department having its own leadership and set of procedures. Now, everyone is integrated into a large news center. This center acts as the "Central Kitchen," responsible for coordinating all news content production.
• From "Divided by Medium" to "Divided by Content": Departments used to be "Newspaper Editorial Department" or "TV News Department." Now, they are more often divided by reporting areas, such as "Political News Team," "Financial News Team," or "Sports News Team." Members of these teams must provide content for all platforms simultaneously – newspapers, websites, apps, social media – rather than serving just one.
• More "New Faces": After convergence, many previously non-existent roles emerged. For example, "Data Analysts" who specialize in studying user data to see what news people like to read; "Social Media Editors" dedicated to interacting with fans on Weibo and Douyin; and "Visualization Designers" who specialize in turning complex news into infographics or short videos.

2. Workflow: Chefs not only need to cook, but also plate and promote

• Reporters from "Specialists" to "Generalists": Previously, text reporters focused solely on writing articles, and photojournalists focused solely on taking pictures. Not anymore. A reporter going out for an interview might first send out a few quick updates and photos via mobile to social media, then shoot a short video for the app, and later write a long-form in-depth article for the website and newspaper. One person has to be a "jack-of-all-trades," capable of writing articles, shooting footage, and editing.
• News Release from "Fixed Time and Place" to "Anytime, Anywhere": Newspapers were published every morning, and TV news aired at fixed times. Now, with mobile apps and social media, news is continuous, 24/7. After an event occurs, the process is no longer "interview-edit-wait for tomorrow's publication," but rather "first-hand breaking news-continuous rolling updates-in-depth reporting-user feedback and interaction," becoming a continuous, dynamic process.
• Content Production from "What I Show You" to "What You Want to See": Previously, news organizations reported whatever they deemed important. Now, by analyzing user data, news organizations can understand what topics readers are interested in, how long an article they prefer, and whether they favor videos or text-and-image formats. Therefore, news production increasingly considers user needs and preferences, and even adjusts reporting directions based on user feedback.

In summary, media convergence has transformed news organizations from individual, independent "workshops" into modern "content factories." The core change is a shift from being centered on "what media I possess" (newspapers, TV) to being centered on "what content I want to create," and then considering which media forms are most suitable for disseminating that content. For everyone involved, this represents a complete overhaul of mindsets and skill sets.