CCTV reporter He Ying (right) talks with local people in Taxcorgan county. [Provided to China Daily]

'Stories that matter'

To build a much closer connection with the people, CCTV has sent a large number of reporters to various communities across China, especially villages, factories and military bases in remote or mountain areas. Their goal: to find out the living conditions and major concerns of the local people.

CCTV reporter He Ying and the video crew traveled to Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and documented the tough journey undertaken by a group of children from a remote mountainous village in Taxcorgan county to reach their school. Many viewers commented on the CCTV website that they had been moved by the efforts of local officials to guide the children on their way, to protect them, to keep them from falling off cliffs.

"Getting in touch with the grassroots should be something that reporters are willing to do from the bottom of their hearts rather than a movement," He said. "Actually, it should be reporters' principle."

She said helping farmers water their crops or spending a day in a factory doesn't necessarily mean a reporter has reached grassroots if he or she does so only for the sake of the campaign.

"People tend to think that grassroots is hard-to-reach places like remote villages," she said. "But it's actually everywhere as long as you have the heart to reach out to people and try to report in their perspective."