杨保军
论文题目：新闻事实论
作者简介：杨保军，男，1962年10月出生，1998年09月师从于中国人民大学童兵教授，于2001年01月获博士学位。
摘 要
这是一篇新闻基础理论论文，论述的对象是“新闻事实”。总的目的在于构建系统的新闻事实理论，有意追求内容上的全面性、结构上的系统性和逻辑上的严整性，为创建以“新闻”为本位的新闻传播理论作一些基础性的工作。论文的理论逻辑，就是新闻事实在新闻传播过程中形态演变的现实逻辑，这对新闻实践的意义是显见的。思考问题的方法大多是思辨的，致思的取向主要在于提出定性的原则和看法。在具体考察相关的问题时，更注重于“怎么说”，以求提供新的视角。适度利用了哲学、系统科学、传播学、语言学、符号学、解释学等学科的成果和方法，努力在多维视野中分析新闻事实在传播过程中的形态演变。在叙述语言上，则力求保持理论新闻传播学应有的独立性、自主性和规范性，未取流行的“散文化”的潇洒，力求避免“食他不化”的玄虚。论文在追求总的目标的过程中，力求在每一章中至少“点燃”一个或强或弱的“亮点”，并期望它们能够连成一条“亮线”，闪烁贯穿于整个论文的始终，能够对读者形成一定的吸引和启发，能够抛砖引玉……
本文宏观结构上分三部分：
第一部分对作为特殊事实的新闻事实进行了静态的分析和解剖。
第二部分对作为传受内容的新闻事实进行了动态的考察。
第三部分对作为“说话手段”的新闻事实，从功能作用方面进行了全面的阐述。
第一部分，分列两章，对新闻事实进行了静态的分析和解剖。
第一章从对事实的一般考察入手，主要从哲学层面上对事实概念、事实的特征进行了说明，对与事实概念相关的一些概念作了必要的辨析，对新闻事实的分析作了铺垫。这一章的重点是以新的方式阐述了新闻事实的特殊性，即“新闻性”的内涵，也就是新闻事实的本质规定性，提出了较为新颖的“四态”说：存在方式——现实态，即新闻事实在时间存在方式上是“现时”的，是现在时态的存在；在空间上是“现在”的，是人们在现时的空间中可以经验的存在；在认识上是“现识”的，只有现时发现、认识的事实才能被称为新闻事实。总之，现实态是说新闻事实是实实在在的客观存在，是“现时”和“现在”的统一，是在“现识”中发现、认识的事实。表现形式——非常态。非常态有两方面的基本含义，一为“凸现”或“突出”，意指从“正常”或“平常”状态中经过一定量变或质变跃迁凸现出来的事实；二为“反常”，意指突然的变故、异常的表现，就是一反常态、不正常。信息个性——激发态，是从物理学借用的概念，以描述新闻事实的信息状态特征，意指新闻事实的信息量处于一种信息“饱和”状态、高势状态，具有客观的扩散、辐射趋势，而对主体则形成一种吸引作用。价值特征——多元态，是指新闻事实与主体的价值关系不是单向度的，而是多向度的，不是单层面的，而是多层面的。
第二章对新闻事实的结构和类型展开了细致、深入的分析和研究。首先，从“要素构成”，“事项构成”和“软硬成分构成”等三个角度对新闻事实的结构进行了分析；然后，从新闻事实自身的属性特征和新闻事实与主体关系两条大的原则出发，对新闻事实进行了具体的分类研究。
本章富有新意的地方在于：
一是将传统的事实七要素（５Ｗ、１Ｈ、１Ｍ）分为三种类型、两个层面，从“显在”、“隐在”和“既显又隐”的不同角度进行了新的说明：何人、何时、何地、何事四个要素是“显在”的，可以看得见或感觉得到，属于感性层面；“意义”要素是“隐在”的，不能直接地感知，需要理性认识的分析、判断和推理，属于知性层面；“怎么样”和“为什么”两个要素多处于“显在”和“隐在”之间，即既可直接感知，又需要理性分析。从事实结构上部分、片断间的关系出发，区分出了新闻事实的各种构成事项——主要事项、次要事项、背景事项、关系事项、边缘事项等；提出了对事实“软”、“硬”成分的构成分析方法，“硬性成分”规定着一件新闻事实的整体样式和形态，构成新闻事实的主干、主体或基本内容，“软性成分”则构筑着硬性事实成分得以表现的气氛、环境等因素。
二是对新闻事实的类型进行了精细研究，并从新闻传播实践的角度对每一种类型划分的意义作了画龙点睛式的说明。
第二部分，分列三章，对作为传受内容的新闻事实作了全面动态的考察，构成了论文的核心部分。
第三章，在“新闻事实的确定”章名下，论述了理论与实践上都是紧密相联的四个问题：确定新闻事实的逻辑前设；发现新闻事实；开发事实信息资源；确定报道内容；充分揭示了确定新闻事实的四个重要环节。
本章的突出之处有以下几点：
一是从“合理新闻”的背景语言出发，首次对确定新闻事实的原则，从 “合规律性”与“合目的性”的历史统一性上做出了尝试性的阐述。
二是对具体新闻事实信息资源的开发原则和开发方法的论述较有启发意义，对新闻传播实践，特别是记者的采访写作具有直接的理论指导作用。
三是关于确定新闻事实“选择图式”的提出与论述，也许能为新闻学引进一个非常有益的概念。
第四章，“新闻事实的再现”，着重阐述论证了作为传播内容的新闻事实，其“信息形态”（新闻作品形式）是如何以符号化的方式建构起来的，分为四个小节：再现新闻事实的原则；再现新闻事实的方式；再现新闻事实的媒介符号个性考察；再现新闻事实的结果样式及失实成因分析。
这一章具有特色的内容是：
一是首次从“事实原则”、“价值原则”、“方法原则”的视角，对传统的新闻传播原则（真实原则、客观原则、全面原则、公正原则、立场原则、快速原则、公开原则等）进行了新的归属和厘定。认为真实、全面、客观属于“事实之则”；“公正”、“立场”属于“价值之则”，“快速”、“公开”则是标示新闻传播突出特征的“方法之则”。并对三大原则的关系作了必要的说明。
二是对再现新闻事实的方式从理论上做出了新的概括——从内容特征上分为“叙事”、“显义”和“融合”三种方式；从过程性上分为“一次”、“两次”和“多次”方式；从语言形式上分为“自然语言”、“数学语言”和“综合语言”方式。
三是运用语言学、符号学的知识和方法对媒介符号的个性，以及不同媒介符号间的“互译”关系作了初步的、有意义的探讨。
第五章，“新闻文本的解读与接受”，主要从四个方面——新闻文本的特征；解读过程的考察；解读结果样式及成因分析；从解读到接受——对新闻文本的解读与接受作了具有创新性的系统考察与探求。
本章在以下几个方面做出了具有相当新意的思考：
一是以文艺文本为主要参照对象，从四个方面概括总结出了新闻文本的特征：对象特征——感性实存；内容特征——明晰确定，；解读期待——事实信息；解读诉求——理性认知。
二是对新闻解读何以可能，新闻解读的动力学机制，以及解读的基本过程与方法等进行了梳理。
三是根据新闻解读的实际情况，描述出了简明扼要的解读结果样式：等值（指信息量值）解读、增值解读、减值解读和异值解读，并从文本和受众两个方面对各种结果样式的成因做出了解释和论证。
四是从宏观层面上，定性描述了新闻解读接受的方式和形态：接受质量——完全接受 部分接受 拒绝接受；接受层次——表层接受 内层接受 深层接受；接受效果——信息层面（或观念层面）的接受 态度层面的接受 行为层面的接受。
第三部分，用三章的篇幅对新闻事实在整个新闻传播中所起的、所表现出来的功能作用进行了分析和论述。
第六章，“传播倾向的表达”，对新闻事实的“说话”功能从理论与实践的有机结合上，从“‘说话’的必然性与合理性”、“‘说话’的基本内容”、“‘说话’的基本方法”和“‘说话’的基本原则”等方面，做出了比较完整的阐述。
这一章较有新意的地方有以下几点：
一是主要从传播的社会性、主体性出发，从主客观两个方面地论证了“用事实‘说话’”在新闻传播过程中的必然性和合理性。
二是首次明确地从“理性”与“非理性”两个侧面对用事实“说话”的内容进行了较为全面的说明，弥补了过去仅侧重于“说话”理性内容的缺陷。
三是明晰地概括出了“用事实‘说话’”的三条基本原则：态度上——尊重事实；方法上——从事实出发；目标上——正确引导舆论。
第七章，“新闻真实的确证”，本章在分析新闻真实性含义的基础上，重点论证了新闻事实的另一功能作用——确证新闻的真实性。
本章从“真实性的哲学考量”与“真实性的学科（新闻学）分析”两个层面上系统揭示新闻真实性的含义。
依据新闻真实性的特征，阐述了确证的对象：一是确证新闻作品中陈述的事实是否存在；二是确证新闻作品对事实的陈述是否是全面的、正确的；三是确证具体报道的量度比例是否是合乎实际的等。
确证的方法：对新闻真实性的确证主要依赖于建立在实践活动基础上的直接经验法，而不是一般的逻辑论证方法。
第八章，“媒介世界的创造”，本章的着力点在于阐明“信息形态的新闻事实”——作为塑造媒介世界的手段，起到了什么样的作用。
本章分列三个问题：媒介世界是什么；创造媒介世界的主要手段；媒介世界与现实世界的关系。三个问题都紧紧围绕“新闻事实”在媒介世界创造中的作用而展开，着重论证了这样的观点：如果说有一个媒介世界的话，那也主要是一个“新闻世界”，即由得到传播的信息形态的新闻事实在人们头脑中建构的关于现实世界图景的符号化、观念化的世界，而建构这一世界的基本的真实材料是“新闻事实”。
关于事实世界与媒介世界的关系，本章认为它们是两个不同性质的世界。后者是对前者的反映，这种反映既可能是真实的，也可能是虚假的。但从整体上说，媒介世界可以真实反映它所反映的那部分现实世界。但这种反映永远都是不周全的。同时，媒介世界对现实世界具有巨大的反作用，这在信息时代、知识社会中会表现的更加突出。
Abstract
This is an academic thesis about the
theory of news communication. Its object is‘News Fact ’.Its aim lies in creating a
systematic theory of news fact. It intentionally pursues comprehensiveness in
content, systematization in structure and strictness in logic. The dissertation
tries to do some basic work for constructing a systematic theory of news
communication. Its theory bases on transformation of news in reality.
The main methodologies employed in the
dissertation are theoretical and rational, and the aims of reflections are creation
of new views and thoughts in qualitative manner. The writer pays more attention
to ‘How to demonstrate’ when he investigates
particular problems. Many results and methods of other subjects, such as
Philosophy, Science of system, Mass communication, Linguistic, Semiotics,
Hermeneutics and etc., are used properly in the dissertation. In view of its
language, the writer tries to be independent and standard instead of being
fabulous and deliberately mystifying. The dissertation tries to‘ignite’at least one “ spark” in each
chapter, and also try to unite all
of them as a whole. The “sparking” point and line will attract and stimulate
readers. The dissertation will get its worthiness if the readers find it enlightening
or helpful.
There are three main parts, which includes
8 chapters in this dissertation.
The first part:
Analyzing news fact.
The second part:
Observing and studying news facts as contents of communication
The third part:
Analyzing functions of news fact as
‘means
of speaking’.
The first part includes two chapters.
The first chapter: Beginning with analyzing general concept of fact
and its basic features, the chapter puts emphasis on exposition of special
features of news fact, that is “the features of news”. That a new view named “Four
states theory” is set forth to explain and reveal the special features of news
fact. They are: The form of existence——real state, namely news facts
are the facts which exist at present time ,in present space ,and which are found
and recognized at current time. The form of performance—— unusual state . The unusual
state includes two aspects: On the one hand it means that news facts protrude
or stand out, on the other hand it means that news facts are abnormal or
exceptional. The special feature of information—— active state. It means that
the amount of information is in a saturation state, which has a trend of
diffusion and radiation, and which attracts audiences’ attention. The feature
of value——
plural state. It means that news fact has many value characteristics such as
value of information, value of interest, and value of meaning.
The second chapter: Deeply and carefully analyzing and studying
structure and types of news facts. At first, to analyze structure of news fact from
three angles: “elements of composition”, “items of composition” and “hard and
soft components”; then to classify the types of news facts according to two
principles: the features of news facts themselves and relations between news
fact and subject (mainly audience).
There are two new points in
this chapter:
The first is that the chapter
gives a new explanation of traditional 7 elements (5W 1H 1M) of
fact. The 7 elements can be
divided into three groups: “apparent elements”, “ hiding elements” and “
apparent and hiding elements”. These four elements, “who, when, where and what”
are apparent or obvious, and we may see and feel them. They belong to sensible
elements. The element “meaning” is concealed, so it can not be directly
experienced but need rational analyzing, judgment and reasoning. This element
belongs to rational aspects. The elements
“how and why” are apparent but concealed, and we may directly apperceive
them and also analyze, judge, reason them at the same time. In terms of the
items of news facts, there are five parts: main items, subordinate item, backgrounds item, relation
item and edging item. The dissertation advances another analytical method,
which classifies the elements of news fact into two groups: hard component and
soft component. The hard ones determine the whole shape and mode of the fact,
while the soft ones construct the circumstances in which news take place.
The second, in order to have a
good understanding of news fact, the types of news facts are carefully classified,
which has not been done well before in research. The classification may make a
great help to news reporters.
The second part:
including three chapters, studying news fact as content of communication.
The third chapter:‘Selecting news facts’ is composed of four closely
related problems: Logical premises for selecting; to find news facts; to
exploit information resources of news facts; to select concrete content for
news communication.
Three new protruding points
have been advanced in this chapter:
The first is that for the
first time the principles of selection have been put forward according to
historical integration of “tally with laws of journalistic communication” and “
tally with subjectivity”.
The second is that
principles and concrete methods of exploiting information resources have been
advanced.
The third is that a “selecting
pattern” or “map” has been discussed deeply. The dissertation figures out
“selecting pattern” is composed of four items: the first is “logic premise”;
the second is the news value concept and report guideline of a news media to
which reporters belong; the third is some special demand of audience; the
fourth is something only owned by individual reporters. The selecting pattern
makes a decisive influence on reporters selecting activities.
The fourth chapter: ‘Representation of news facts’, includes four items: the
principles of representation of news facts; ways of representation; the
individual features of different media symbols in representation; the models of
results of representation and the causes of inconsistent with the facts. It
puts emphasis on expounding and proving how the states of news facts transformed
during the symbolizing process of news facts.
The following points have
some special characteristics in this chapter:
First, for the first
time the principles of representing news facts (such as Truthfulness,
Objectivity, Comprehensiveness, Fairness, Stand and Speediness) have been
reconsidered and three kinds of new principles been set up—— Fact principle (Truth,
Objectivity, Comprehensive), Value principle (Fairness, Stand) and Method
principle (Speediness Openness). The dissertation points out that the value
principle guarantees realization of fact principle, and only by pursuing equity
some media can guarantee the truthfulness of news report. And fact principle is
testing standard of value principal. The principle of speediness is demanded
and needed by the fact and value principles, and it is a special principle of
news communication.
Second, giving a new generalization of the models of
representation: From the features of content, there are three models——Statement, Meaning
representation and Integration of the former two forms. According to the course
of communication, there are three models—— One time, Two times and More
times. According to the usage of language, three models are there——Natural language, Mathematics
language and Integration of the two kinds of languages.
Third, knowledge and methods of
Linguistic, Semiotics, Hermeneutics have been properly used to discuss the
different features of various media tools, and to explain how different “media
language” can be “translated” each other.
The fifth chapter; ‘Reading and receiving news
text’,
mainly from four aspects — the features of news text; investigation
of the course of reading; models of reading and from reading to receiving —— has systematically expounded
the audience's reading and receiving results.
A few new points or
ideas have been advanced in this chapter:
First, the fifth
chapter has made a clear description about the features of news text ( mainly contrasted with literature
text) , which includes four aspects —— the features of its object: Perceptual
existence, namely what news text reflect is concrete, sensible facts and their
changes; the features of content: accuracy and definiteness, means that
information which news text reappears is truthful and transparent, and there is
not any imaginary information components; reading expectation: information of
facts, namely that the aim of audience reading and hearing news text is mainly
to get information of facts and their changes; reading method: rational
cognitive ability, means that the main method for understanding news text is rational
ability ,such as ability of analyzing ,judging and reasoning.
Second, it has clearly
explained how the reading can happen and what methods audience uses to read
news text.
Third, it gives four models
of reading news text. They are “ equal valve (information quality and quantity)
reading”, “increasing value reading”, “decreasing value reading” and “changing
value reading”. It also explains how these models have been formed from two
angles——
news text and audience.
Fourth, it describes the
forms or models of audience's interpretation of the text. They are generalized
in three types: Quality of interpretation——total receiving ，partly receiving, no
receiving. Level of interpretation——superficial interpretation， “inner layer”
interpretation ，
“deeper layer” interpretation. Result of interpretation——conceptual receiving，attitude receiving，behavior receiving.
The third part, including three
chapters, discusses the functions of news facts acted in news communication.
The sixth chapter, “Expression of tendency”, is made up of four
small sections: Inevitability and reasonableness of letting the fact speak for
itself; Basic content of speaking; General methods of speaking; Principles of
speaking.
Some new points have
been advanced in this chapter.
First, taking
consideration of society and subjectivity of news communication, the chapter
has expounded and proved that it is inevitable and reasonable to express some
tendency in the process of news communication. The dissertation says that news
communication, as a social activity, determines that disseminators cannot
surpass their own social benefit, social status, circumstance of social
activities and their ideas, value concepts. So tendency of news is inevitable.
At the same time, the dissertation points out that when people face era of
information and knowledge society, they require disseminators to express some
tendency in news reports, particularly for some important matters, because news
disseminators stand in the front line of our era and society. What is more,
expression of tendency through the news facts is the best way for
disseminators.
Second, for the first time, this chapter has explained the
content of tendency from two aspects——reasonable and irrational.
Third, according to
Chinese media's practical functions, the chapter has advanced three principles
for “Speaking with fact”. The
three principles are: Attitude of speaking ——respect facts, that means what disseminators
want to say must be correct, reasonable and tallied with news fact;
Methods of speaking -- from facts,
namely that news fact is the bases for expressing tendency, and what to say
,how to say must accord with facts; Aims of speaking——guiding audience appropriately,
which means news disseminators should pay great attention to speaking when they
express tendency. They should have three consciousnesses: consciousness of
audience, guiding consciousness and consciousness of responsibility.
The seventh chapter, Testing Truthfulness of News.
It is an old problem about
truthfulness of news. This chapter puts forward a new train of thought to
discuss the problem. On the one hand, it has investigated the truthfulness with
eyes of philosophy; on the other hand, it has explained the concrete meaning of
truthfulness in the light of journalism itself. That how to test the
truthfulness of news is another important question which has not paid enough
attention. The chapter has
discussed this problem from two perspectives. One is that it points out what
things need to be tested; the other is how to test the truthfulness of news.
The eighth chapter is titled “Creation of Media world”. Media world is a world, which is
created by various symbols of media, and some people call it “symbol world”, “invented
world” or “pseudo environment”.
The chapter focuses on
explaining what effect news facts make upon creating “media world”.
The chapter is composed of
three divisions: What media world is; Main means of creating media world;
Relations between real world and media world.
This chapter has proved the
following point.
If there exists a media
world, it is “a news world”, which
means media world is to be created mainly by the information of news facts.
When discussing relations
between media world and real world, the chapter gives the following views.
There are two different
worlds in nature. Real world is a material world, but media world is a spiritual
one. Media world can reflect real world, and this kind of reflection sometimes
is true, but not always. The chapter thinks that the two worlds interact
actively, especially in the era of information and society of knowledge.
