On September 13, Jing Yidan’s WeChat public account published her obituary.
The daughter said: "From the summer solstice to the white dew, my mother has received a lot of blessings and care in the past nearly three months."
In the three months from June to September, when Jing Yidan suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was rescued, she posted six articles on her official WeChat account: "Walk through the Summer Solstice," "Walk through the Slight Heat," "Walk through the Great Heat," "Walk through the Beginning of Autumn," "Walk through the End of Summer," and "Walk through the White Dew."
The last words she left to readers and viewers were: Thank you to this world for letting me walk through it.
Cartography: Xu Yang
01
lucky person
The first time Jing Yidan's voice came out of the microphone was at the radio station of Harbin No. 44 Middle School.
She has worked as an announcer at construction site radio stations, forest farm radio stations, and forestry bureau radio stations. In the winter of 1976, she entered the Beijing Broadcasting Institute (now Communication University of China) as the last worker, peasant and soldier student. As soon as I entered the school, I encountered the first difficulty - "This classmate, your accent is too strong."
When she doubted herself the most, she unexpectedly got an "excellent" after an exam. The teacher said, "Your foundation is not as good as others, but you pay attention to the content when facing the manuscript. This is the correct method of broadcast creation."
After graduation, Jing Yidan returned to Heilongjiang People's Broadcasting Station. At that time, television was on the rise. Due to lack of manpower, she was roped in as a guest announcer on Heilongjiang TV Station. During the day, she said "Dear listeners" in front of the microphone, and at night she said "Dear viewers" to the camera.
She has a stable job and a stable life, but there is a voice in her heart that is getting louder and louder: She has not studied enough.
She spent all her spare time studying English by herself, tried to take the postgraduate entrance examination for three consecutive years, and finally returned to her alma mater. “Three years of graduate school determined my career for more than thirty years.”
The picture shows Jing Yidan when he was young. Source: Jing Yidan WeChat public account
Later, Jing Yidan stayed at the school to teach and took Zhang Zequn's class. But looking at those smart faces, she felt panicky. In order to write lecture notes on television broadcasting, the school sent her to CCTV for practice. Facing everything new in front of her, she felt the long-lost impulse.
"I think that at such an age and with such experience, one should have a period of front-line practice. Moreover, the work of the TV station is so attractive that I cannot resist this attraction no matter what."
In 1988, 33-year-old Jing Yidan bid farewell to the podium and started anew at CCTV.
"Economic Half Hour", "Yidan Topics", "Focus Interview", "Oriental Time and Space" and "Moving China", each of the famous columns has written into the history of Chinese television, and also written into Jing Yidan's career. With her calm, sincere and powerful hosting style, she has become a close "big sister" in the hearts of countless viewers.
Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, Macau returned to China in 1999, and the first ray of sunshine in the new century rose... She witnessed many firsts through live broadcasts, and also created many firsts: when "Economic Half Hour" was founded, she and her colleagues used two hosts to talk for the first time to connect the programs; the first "March 15 Party", she hosted the first "March 15 Party" by answering the phone; her "Yidan Topics" was the first CCTV program named after the host.
Jing Yidan often summarizes these experiences as his luck—lucky to catch up with the strong era of radio, lucky to catch up with the peak period of television as the first media.
"There were a lot of blanks and unknowns in front of me, and filling the gaps to get a lot of applause became an asset in my career. To a certain extent, my memory at CCTV does not belong to me alone, but to a record of the development of television."
External opportunities are important, but Jing Yidan feels that maybe he has made some kind of reserves and happened to "encounter" the right time, so that future stories can happen.
The picture shows Jing Yidan at work. Source: Jing Yidan WeChat public account
02
Reporter without Feng
At the recording site of "A Date with Lu Yu", Lu Yu asked a question: What type of program do you think your style is suitable for? Jing Yidan barely hesitated and blurted out: "I am suitable for "Focus Interview"."
Lu Yu immediately shook his head: "I don't think so."
In her opinion, Jing Yidan has a natural gentleness and peace, and is not aggressive at all. But the background of "Focus Interview" is sharp, like a sharp blade, going straight to the pain of the truth.
Jing Yidan did not argue on the spot. She just admitted that when she was doing economic news, she was always unconsciously attracted to topics that faced difficulties and had a sense of heaviness. But she also admits that her words often turn around when they come to her lips.
For example, a publisher printed the wrong map. She knew that the most straightforward question to ask would be: "Do you know the chain consequences of misprinting the map?" But facing the young editor, she was afraid that such a question would make the matter seem too serious. So, the first thing she said was: "Have you ever printed a map in the past?"
Similar situations occurred throughout her journalistic career.
The picture shows Jing Yidan. Source: Jing Yidan WeChat public account
During a report on a coal mine landslide, she was supposed to interview a little girl named Mudan. When Mudan was delivering food to her father, she saw her father buried underground. Looking into the girl's timid eyes, Jing Yidan's heart ached.
"If I ask her, there may be one more so-called tear point in the show, but if I ask a child to re-narrate that scene, I can't pass my test." She asked softly: "Is there anyone else in the family?" The girl said, there is also an uncle. "Okay, let's interview adults."
When he first came to "Focus Interview", Jing Yidan felt unconfident because he was not sharp enough.
When facing interviewees, she really can't "prick them wherever it hurts"; when facing good people who have done wrong things, she is often too soft-hearted to do anything. Rather than hotly pursuing cases, what she is better at is in-depth analysis after settling down.
As a news program host, Jing Yidan positions himself as a communicator. She believes that unique speech does not lie in speaking hoarsely, but in speaking well and being on an equal footing with the audience.
Program leader Zeng Rui commented on Jing Yidan's style, "'Focus Interview' advocates the avant-garde, and you stand right between tradition and avant-garde." Colleagues also often say that Sister Jing is too soft-hearted.
The picture shows Jing Yidan, Shui Junyi (left) and Bai Yansong (right). Source: CCTV News
03
Dear sister
Sister Jing - This is the honorific title given to Jing Yidan within CCTV, and it has nothing to do with age or seniority.
Bai Yansong does not have a biological sister, but he felt very happy when he met Sister Jing on CCTV: "I feel that a big sister like her is the real big sister. She is indeed like a big sister."
What does the eldest sister look like?
Everyone has never seen Sister Jing wearing inappropriate clothes, and she rarely talks about fashion-related topics. However, when she appears on camera in life and work, her outfits always make people think, "There is nothing more suitable for Sister Jing than this."
The tone of her speech, the propriety of her actions, and the warmth with which she treats others are all just like her clothes - appropriate, decent, and comfortable.
At that time, Shui Junyi was upset because the column was cancelled. Later, he got a pair of twins. Sister Jing immediately sent her blessings, "Xiao Shui, I wish you the best. You will be happier to have two babies than you are to interview a hundred heads of state. Enjoy it." Shui Junyi burst into tears.
Sister Jing has a soft heart and is easily moved by ordinary people and the feelings among ordinary people. She pays attention to migrant workers, children, and vulnerable groups in this society.
Even in critical reports, she adopts a consultative tone, and when interviews require tit-for-tat questions, Sister Jing is always reluctant. But to viewers, this seemed to make her more trustworthy than other reporters, and she received the most letters of all kinds.
The picture shows Jing Yidan. Source: Jing Yidan WeChat public account
In Bai Yansong's memories, he saw Sister Jing asking for help, never for herself, but for others. "You told her about the matter. She didn't talk to you for a few days. You thought Sister Jing had forgotten it. But a few days later, she told you the results of the matter and then talked about other topics, leaving you with no chance to say thank you."
If you are just soft-hearted, it is nothing but kindness. The reason why the eldest sister is the eldest sister comes from her firmness and gentleness.
In 1997, Hong Kong returned to China and broadcast live for 72 hours. For the show that started airing at 6 a.m. on June 30, Shui Junyi rehearsed until 3 a.m. and was forced to go back to sleep. As a result, he overslept and arrived at the scene two minutes before the live broadcast started.
On the way to the live broadcast room from more than ten kilometers away, he had already thought about writing a letter of resignation if he missed the live broadcast.
The moment I put on the headset, Sister Jing's voice came: "Xiao Shui, I'm here, it's okay!"
A few words from the eldest sister made my hanging heart fall to the ground.
Heilongjiang took the postgraduate entrance examination abroad, faced several setbacks and persisted several times; from teaching at the Broadcasting Institute to being a host on a TV station, and from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to the Commentary Department; he dared to leave the career he had already established, shutting down the first CCTV column named after the host "Yidan Topics" and starting over. Sister Jing's every step was accurate and firm, which made Bai Yansong admire her judgment and courage.
"The image of Sister Jing in my mind has never been weak," Bai Yansong recalled in his book: "The word 'Sister' has a more connotative meaning of admiration."
People rarely see Sister Jing struggling and suffering, and they rarely hear Sister Jing talk about the past with great sadness. Whether she is doing programs or doing many social things, Sister Jing always seems to take things lightly.
"Sister" is also Jing Yidan's favorite title.
In fact, when she first joined CCTV, someone called her teacher. Although Jing Yidan was indeed a university teacher before, she always felt that it was a bit awkward for her colleagues to call her teacher. Later, some people called her eldest sister instead. Gradually, I don’t know when, everyone called her eldest sister.
In fact, for many colleagues, Jing Yidan is similar in age to her parents, but everyone still calls her "eldest sister". "This is also the title that makes me most comfortable." Jing Yidan said.
"When Xiao Bai (Bai Yansong) becomes Lao Bai, I am still the 'eldest sister'."
The picture shows Jing Yidan in the studio. Source: CCTV News
04
19:38 old friend
For 20 years, at 19:38 every day, Jing Yidan has steadily appeared in front of the camera.
The audience has long been accustomed to hearing her expose one incident after another in her gentle and steady voice. In her own words, "A host who is not sharp enough has persisted in a very sharp program for a long time."
On April 30, 2015, Jing Yidan said at the end of the program: "Tomorrow is May Day, and "Focus" is here to wish you a happy day." Then, he bowed gently toward the camera.
During that time, "Jing Yidan's retirement" became "phenomenal news". She herself was surprised for a while. Later, she analyzed that this may be a complex that everyone has for the familiar TV and familiar TV people.
The day after her retirement, she wrote her first article on her official account:
"Yesterday, I hosted the "Focus Interview" program for the last time. I did not say 'goodbye'; today, I am here to say: 'Hello!' Let our communication continue here."
She once wanted to "escape" the impact of new media so much that she even joked before retiring that Bai Yansong and Shui Junyi should deal with the powerful opponent of the Internet.
The picture shows Jing Yidan bidding farewell to "Focus Interview". Source: CCTV News
But when her new media friends showed her the “new microphone”, she was moved again.
Since 2015, Jing Yidan has been non-stop - she has continued to write and has published books such as "I Met You" and "Walk Through"; she has worked with young people to plan and create Chinese video products such as "Solar Terms·The Great Wall" and "Museum 9 Minutes"; she has also devoted herself to teaching support and served as a visiting professor in many universities.
She doesn’t define retirement as quitting work, but says it’s a “switch.” She insists on using written records to share more personal expressions. "Unlike public discourse in front of the camera, words can better reflect my personal style and show another side of me that is different from my previous public image."
Over the years, Jing Yidan has often talked about a concept: "pretending to be middle-aged."
When she was young, she especially wanted others to praise her for her maturity and stability. She was used to restraining herself and downplaying her emotions, and she also dressed in a middle-aged style. When she reached middle age, the "Focus Interview" program team was filled with colleagues who were much younger than her. She was more concerned about whether she could maintain a sense of cutting-edge and sharpness like them. After that, she felt that she was "stuck" in her 40s for a long time.
Someone once asked Jing Yidan, what is his state of mind at the age of 70? She said that she still has some curiosity, some excitement, and she still retains her spirit. She once wanted to name her new book "Walk", "I think my mentality is to pretend that it is still the best time, pretend to be middle-aged, and keep moving forward."
Thank you to this world for letting Sister Jing pass by.
Author: Zhang Xi Lang Lang Ren Siyu
