In 1936, Egon Erwin Kisch’s reportage gained prominence in China through translations and theoretical articles by Zhou Libo and others. Zhou Libo and other left-wing writers redefined reportage by linking it to nineteenth-century European realism and world literature, emphasizing its role in social analysis and education, diverging from earlier proletarian literary traditions. The focus of the left-wing cultural movement shifted from industrial workers to educated youth and intellectuals, who became central to the Popularization of Literature and Art Movement, reflecting broader social and political changes. Reportage in 1936 also evolved to incorporate social investigation and scientific analysis, influenced by the May Fourth tradition and European realism, aiming to reveal the social and economic realities of Chinese society. Following the sudden expansion of the revolutionary base, reading reportage and learning to write reportage became the fast track for the educated youth and a new generation of cadres who had received only primary education. Unlike its earlier predecessor, reportage after 1936 became a tool for education and self-education, helping young intellectuals understand and engage with rural China and global imperialism while also serving as a means of political mobilization during the war.