On the morning of March 25, 2026, a special lecture titled “Battle of Words: The Communicative Construction of Expertise and Intermediate Zone in Journalistic Practices” was successfully held in T2-102. The event featured Dr. Vincent Huang, Assistant Professor at the School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University, as the guest speaker. Centering on such topics as the construction of professionalism in journalistic practice, communicative interaction mechanisms, and the “intermediate zone,” the lecture attracted faculty members and students from related disciplines and created a vibrant academic atmosphere.

At the beginning of the lecture, the host extended a warm welcome to Dr. Huang and briefly introduced his academic background and research interests. Dr. Huang is currently an Assistant Professor at the School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University. His research primarily focuses on information and communication technologies, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, and public relations. Over the years, he has devoted sustained attention to interaction, discourse processes, and the construction of social meaning in communication practices, and has developed extensive expertise in these areas.

In his keynote presentation, Dr. Huang used the notion of “Battle of Words” as an entry point to examine communication, negotiation, and meaning-making among different actors in journalistic practice. He emphasized that news should not be understood simply as the one-way transmission of information, but rather as a social practice shaped through the participation of multiple actors, ongoing interaction, and discursive contestation. In the process of news production, journalists, sources, experts, institutions, and the public may all be involved in the presentation of facts and the construction of meaning. In this sense, journalistic professionalism is not a naturally given or fixed concept, but one that is continuously confirmed, negotiated, and reshaped through language, interactional strategies, and professional judgment in specific communicative contexts.

Focusing on the core concept of expertise, Dr. Huang further analyzed how professional knowledge and authority are constructed in journalistic practice. Drawing on examples such as news interviews, fact-checking, and reporting on public issues, he explored how journalists identify valid information in complex information environments, assess the credibility of sources, and establish the authority of news reporting through professional modes of expression. At the same time, he noted that journalistic professionalism is facing new challenges in the contemporary media environment. With the rapid development of digital platforms, social media, and communication technologies, the boundaries of information production and dissemination have become increasingly blurred. As a result, journalists are required to reconsider and redefine their roles in a more open, fluid, and complex communicative environment.

When discussing the concept of the “intermediate zone,” Dr. Huang pointed out that journalistic practice often unfolds at the intersection of professional knowledge, public expression, and social interaction. This “intermediate zone” is neither a closed space exclusively dominated by professional institutions nor a completely unstructured arena of public discussion. Rather, it is a space where diverse voices, experiences, and forms of knowledge encounter, interact, and negotiate with one another. Through his explanation of this concept, Dr. Huang encouraged faculty members and students to rethink questions of boundaries in journalism and communication, including those between professional and non-professional actors, facts and opinions, and authoritative discourse and public participation.

Throughout the lecture, Dr. Huang combined rigorous theoretical analysis with concrete examples from journalistic practice. His clear logic and engaging delivery made abstract concepts in communication studies more accessible and relatable. Through his carefully structured presentation, he helped the audience better understand the communicative logic and social mechanisms underlying journalistic practice, while also inspiring them to reflect on the relationships among news production, professional construction, and public communication from a broader perspective. The audience listened attentively, and many students took notes actively while reflecting on the issues discussed in connection with their own academic studies.

During the interactive session, faculty members and students engaged in in-depth discussion with Dr. Huang on topics including journalistic professionalism, the credibility of information in the social media era, the relationship between journalists and sources, and discursive power in journalistic practice. Drawing on both his research experience and real-world cases, Dr. Huang offered thoughtful and detailed responses. He encouraged students not only to pay attention to news texts themselves in their future studies, but also to examine the interactional relationships, communicative contexts, and broader social structural factors involved in the process of news production.

Rich in content and innovative in perspective, the lecture demonstrated strong theoretical depth while responding closely to practical issues in contemporary journalism and communication. Through this event, faculty members and students gained a deeper understanding of the construction of professionalism, discursive negotiation, and communicative boundaries in journalistic practice, and further broadened their knowledge of current issues at the forefront of journalism and communication studies.

The successful organization of this lecture provided a high-quality platform for academic exchange within the University and promoted communication and interaction between the University community and scholars from institutions both in China and abroad. Looking ahead, the University will continue to introduce high-quality academic resources and organize diverse, content-rich academic activities, creating more opportunities for faculty members and students to broaden their academic horizons, strengthen their professional competence, and engage with the frontiers of the discipline.