CGTN's global recruitment campaign "The Media Challengers" held its finals on Tuesday in the city of Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. Altogether 24 finalists, including remote overseas candidates, gathered to participate in live competitions and the most important event of the contest: the final ceremony.

The members of four teams, which respectively headed to the cities of Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi'an, as well as the Puzhehei scenic area in Yunnan Province for the reality show competition, displayed a multitude of media skills in the semi-finals.

In the finals, the candidates not only presented their fine video works, but also battled in several "final challenges," including a speaking challenge, a debate, and a teleprompter challenge, during which their team spirit and personal abilities were well demonstrated.

Four experienced judges and eight media reviewers sat on a panel and gave points to each team, while an online jury composed of the world's top 200 finalists also attended. In addition, 60 online participants from all over the world were in attendance, cheering for the finalists, and at the same time streaming the events to all corners of the world in real time. Group awards and individual awards were also distributed as the final showdown came to a successful close.

The Media Challengers event was not only a window for young Chinese media professionals to tell the world about Chinese stories and convey Chinese culture, but also build a platform for aspiring young people around the world to display their talents, chase their dreams, and acquire a deeper understanding of China. Media Challengers from all over the world presented what "Gen Z" think, say, and feel.

Attracting global talents and media coverage

Since its official launch on April 8, 2021, the campaign for global host reporters and influencers has attracted many new media professionals, influencers and opinion leaders from more than 130 countries and regions. Some 860 mainstream overseas online media from 60 countries and regions, including the U.S., the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea, have covered this event.

The campaign invited applicants from all over the world who are interested in pursuing a career in media to participate in the competition, and through various selection processes, they were able to display their talents and realize their potentials. Although contestants came from different ethnic backgrounds and spoke different languages, they all had dreams and were able to document their journey through their own social media platforms, sharing their daily thoughts, and presenting their own ideas and opinions.

"I am so proud that I could be a storyteller to promote China and Chinese culture to and from all over the world," Zhuang Shangzi, a 24-year-old graduate student from the University of Manchester, said in her video. She hopes to show the unknown side of China and eliminate the prejudice of the Western media against China.

Josh Van Der Merwe, a 20-year-old boy from Oxford, said that CGTN's news reports have helped him develop a great appreciation for "the political structure and social development of China as a whole." He dreams of becoming a teacher, and also hopes to do as CGTN has done by "reaching out to people in the spirit of education."

Gaining popularity among Gen Z

The Media Challengers event gained notable popularity among Generation Z and became a window for young people around the world to understand China. Thousands of talents, including an American new mom, an Irish medical staff and an outstanding woman who takes five jobs in Kenya, recorded and shared their lives from aspects of beauty, games, fashion, travel, food and culture. These short videos have received millions of views and comments on social platforms around the world. 

The campaign was also shaped by the personality and vitality of candidates from Generation Z, as well as their determination and perseverance to pursue their dreams. They enhanced their understanding and promoted multicultural exchanges between China and the West.

The Media Challengers event pioneered the use of "cloud linkage," "cloud live broadcasting," and "cloud cooperation" to connect many overseas players and lead them to the cities of Xi'an, Wuhan, Shanghai, and Yunnan to experience the Chinese culture. Cooperation between different time zones and distance brought unprecedented challenges, but also led to the formation of fresh ideas. Meanwhile, new media technologies were able to make these communications more fun, interactive and in-depth. 

Empowering media communication in post-COVID-19 era

New technology helps to empower CGTN to build a platform for communication among young media professionals around the world in the post-COVID-19 era. Young people in the internet age connect and speak to the world in a unique way. With a strong reliance on visual and social interaction, short videos have become a new form of expression accepted by younger generations who have become more adapted to the fragmented communication environment. The Media Challengers campaign combined the cloud technology, short videos and real-life reality show, and realized the global communication among the youngsters. 

The finalists will enter the CGTN global talent pool and get full-time or part-time job opportunities at the CGTN Beijing headquarters and three regional production centers in Washington, London, and Nairobi. By demonstrating the power of media and discovering potential newcomers, the Media Challengers will open a new chapter in the dialogues among young media professionals around the world.

The CGTN global host reporter recruitment campaign has won the support of five major cooperation platforms: YouTube, LinkedIn, Weibo, Bilibili and Variety, as well as the assistance of NetEase Youdao Dictionary, NetEase Cloud Classroom and other institutions around the world. For more event details, please visit: https://www.cgtn.com/mediachallengers.html