100 years of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism: Practical orientations

Leaders of a number of press agencies and experts have shared practical directions for the press to promote tradition, maintain an honest voice, be creative in content, be flexible in technology and improve professionalism in the current period.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen The Ky, former member of the Party Central Committee, former General Director of Voice of Vietnam , Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council:
To attract readers, we must focus on the issue of people's livelihood.

A strong press agency and a good journalist must always be concerned, always know what to do, how to do it so that their agency and their articles do not stop at the level of reflection but must go deep into analysis, commentary, criticism, and orienting public opinion in a correct, positive, and convincing way. We still need hot news, exclusive news, investigative reports, but we also need to discover, assess, forecast, and give correct, responsible, and directional views on important, hot events and issues that have happened, are happening, and will happen. And above all, if the press wants to attract readers, it must know how to direct its content to people's issues and urgent demands.

In the current context, journalism can only develop sustainably when it is truly accepted by the public, can survive and thrive with proper funding from businesses, the mass press and other legitimate sources of income. The history of journalism around the world has proven that readers will pay for unique, high-quality and useful content on platforms and media that they love and find convenient. In recent years, there have been millions of paid subscribers to read newspapers online and online business is bringing more and more profits to newspapers...

We do not allow journalism products to become a trivial commodity, a commodity that only aims to make money. But we are also deeply aware that the public's expectations and consumption determine the existence and development of the press agencies themselves. Without the public, journalism activities are meaningless. When it is time to read the newspaper or when they need to watch or listen to necessary content that is available on digital platforms, will the public turn on their radios, televisions, cell phones and other devices? These are constant questions for press agencies and journalists.

Editor-in-Chief of Ha Nam Newspaper Le Hong Ky:
Awakening the potential and power to enrich the homeland

In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the strong development of information technology and the explosion of social networks have impacted all sectors and areas of social life, including journalism and media.

Local press needs to take this as a driving force to promote and develop local strengths. However, propaganda work also needs to choose appropriate content, timing, dosage, and press types to spread information, leading readers to correctly understand the policies, mechanisms, and strengths of local development.

Therefore, each journalist must constantly practice his/her mettle and professional skills, uphold the responsibility of revolutionary journalists to protect the Party, protect the government, and ensure propaganda work effectively serves the leadership, direction, and administration of local Party committees and governments.

During its operation, the Party newspaper has always fulfilled its responsibilities to the locality, the country and the people, not only taking the lead on the ideological and cultural front, guiding public opinion but also creating forums, propagating, encouraging all people to actively participate in labor production, arousing the potential and strength of the locality to enrich the homeland.

In the new era, to better fulfill its tasks, the Party newspaper needs to promote the improvement of content and form, improve the quality and effectiveness of information and propaganda; strictly control information on printed, electronic, radio and television publications; actively participate in timely orientation for new and complex issues; proactively balance the appropriate amount of information, ensure the ratio of positive information, orienting, educating, encouraging and motivating; increase articles promoting the potential and strengths of the locality, contributing to attracting investment, promoting internal strength to boost socio-economic development in the locality.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Lao Cai Newspaper Luu Thi Nu:
Increase the combativeness in every journalistic work

A revolutionary newspaper cannot lack combativeness, a revolutionary journalist must be a soldier on the cultural and ideological front. In the current trend of newsroom convergence, the combativeness in each journalistic work must be clearly demonstrated when there is unified direction.

For local Party press agencies, promoting combativeness in the process of working as well as providing readers and listeners with investigative works and reports that reflect social criticism, dare to look straight at the truth... is always a core issue, professional and demonstrates the skills, expertise, and capacity of the team of reporters and journalists as well as the prestige and position of the press agency. Therefore, regardless of the time and mechanism, in addition to reflecting information quickly, accurately, and from many perspectives to readers and listeners, there needs to be reports and investigations that reflect combativeness and social criticism.

To promote the fighting spirit of the press, local Party press agencies need to unify policies and clear orientations on the work of fighting and combating negativity, creating high consensus from the direction of the Editorial Board to the work of reporters as well as the production organization of the editorial office, then there will be investigative works, reports with a fighting and social criticism nature that have weight and influence on public opinion in the locality, even the whole country.

Press agencies need to have policies and mechanisms on regimes and royalties commensurate with investigative journalism, reportage, and reflections that are combative and critical; establish a group of reporters specializing in reporting and investigation, with qualifications, capacity, professional expertise in "professional" journalism, sensitive and proficient, knowledgeable to grasp sensitive issues and hot news; dare to commit in the process of working, always have solid professional qualities...

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/100-nam-bao-chi-cach-mang-viet-nam-nhung-dinh-huong-thiet-thuc-706327.html