by Li Xirui, Yang Shilong
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Eighty years on, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is no longer just a stage for diplomacy; it has become a global feed. During the UNGA 80th session this week, speeches that once echoed only within the marble hall were live-streamed in six official languages, clipped within seconds, subtitled by AI, and propelled worldwide by algorithms and hashtags.
Minutes after a leader's speech, highlights circulate across continents, repackaged into 30-second verticals or three-minute explainers, swipe-ready for short-video platforms. This year's hashtag #UNGA trended daily, pulling younger audiences into the conversation. The UN no longer just broadcasts information outward -- the global public talks back. Not only world leaders but also everyday people are joining debates on multilateralism.
The platform is guaranteed. Even when travel is restricted, voices still reach the Assembly. Denied entry to the United States, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed world leaders by video, thanking the growing number of countries recognizing Palestine while urging support for full UN membership. He lamented that more than 1,000 UN resolutions on Palestine remain unimplemented.
Beyond the main stage, high-level meetings on climate, women's empowerment, youth and the Sustainable Development Goals drew leaders, scientists and young participants into the same digital conversation stream.
The red light on the podium signals the end of a speaker's 15 minutes. In today's digital age, the real spread begins afterward, as their words flow across platforms to a truly global audience.
Offbeat moments fueled online chatter: TikTok users debated why an escalator stalled during U.S. President Donald Trump's entrance; YouTube comments asked who walked out during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech; French President Emmanuel Macron's unexpected walk through Manhattan went viral. Traditional media, meanwhile, kept watch on whether Colombian President Gustavo Petro remained in New York after his visa was revoked following sharp criticism of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Podcasts, photo posts and livestream highlights also sent audiences into the UN week in real time.
In August, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres admitted the UN's own system is "at the breaking point" from the flood of meetings and reports, many of which "are not widely read." "The top 5 percent of reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five receives fewer than 1,000 downloads. And downloading doesn't necessarily mean reading," he noted.
Engagement today is measured in likes, reposts and algorithmic boosts. In response, the UN has begun repackaging its content into visuals and data-driven explainers that travel far beyond the traditional PDFs.
Coverage of the high-level week is increasingly hybrid.
In the press booths above the Assembly Hall, veteran crews maneuver long-lens cameras and wall-mounted audio rigs. Just steps away, younger reporters capture vertical videos on smartphones with text-to-speech overlays for instant posts.
On the South Garden lawn, pop-up tents and portable lights turn shaded corners into outdoor studios. Audio techs check windscreens; producers hunt for cell signals. A solo reporter -- mic in one pocket, clip-on LED in the other -- records a one-minute explainer, adds captions on the phone, and publishes before the next motorcade arrives.
"Lights, camera, action" may be timeless, but today it only takes a steady phone and an AI subtitle generator to carry a leader's words to millions. Subtitles, translations, and corrections now appear almost instantly.
Traditional outlets are adapting as well, offering rolling live blogs and multimedia dashboards. Reporters now blend fact-gathering with observations, interviews and real-time fact-checking. News flows fluidly across formats -- vertical clips for mobile users, podcasts for commuters and data visuals for social-media natives.
From the hall to the hashtag, the Assembly's words now move at the speed of a swipe. What resonates is no longer decided solely by diplomats in marble halls but by audiences across the world, scrolling and sharing on their screens. In the age of AI and social media, reporting and participation often merge, transforming the UNGA from a stage of diplomacy into what it has now become: a global news feed. ■
