Change from “nothing”
The editorial office of Tuyen Quang Newspaper previously published printed newspapers for a long time. Therefore, the thinking and awareness of digital transformation of some cadres, reporters, and technicians has not changed strongly, there is a fear of change, and great inertia. In 2007, the Electronic Information Page was born, marking the first turning point when the newspaper integrated into cyberspace, sharing information with the whole world . Although at the end of 2018, it was licensed to operate as an electronic newspaper, the infrastructure of the web and the application of new technology in journalism are still limited.
Faced with that situation, in 2020, the Editorial Board of Tuyen Quang Newspaper set a goal of digital transformation. Accordingly, the first thing to do was to change the mindset and awareness of cadres, reporters and technicians. Comrade Mai Duc Thong, member of the Provincial Party Committee, Editor-in-Chief of the Provincial Newspaper and Radio and Television Station, recalled that in the early days, the Newspaper encountered many difficulties. How to innovate the printed newspaper was a concern, starting with restructuring the pages, sections, the way each work, each newspaper page, each issue, and how to link with the electronic newspaper.
A training course on building radio news bulletins of Tuyen Quang Newspaper in 2021.
The innovation of e-newspapers started from scratch, when there was no investment in technical equipment. The Editorial Board played the role of a motivator to inspire the creativity of the team of editors, reporters, and technicians; invited experienced experts from journalism training schools and major press agencies such as VTV, VOV, VietnamPlus, VNA... to train on how to create multimedia press products, make the most of available equipment to create multimedia works, publish on multiple platforms, SEO standards for e-newspapers, especially applying technology, using artificial intelligence AI in creating press works.
With the motto of “not waiting for investment, doing and adjusting at the same time”, in the midst of difficulties, the Newspaper has produced multimedia products such as radio, reports, memoirs, talk shows, e-magazines… from old cameras, microphones, and even telephones.
One of the outstanding products of the Newspaper is its live TV programs. With equipment worth about 500 million VND, the Newspaper has produced live TV programs from simple to complex. From that success, the Newspaper was entrusted by the Vietnam Journalists Association to broadcast live the International Journalism Conference held in Hanoi, which was also the first time a local Party newspaper office had carried out an international event. Since 2020, the Newspaper has produced more than 250 live TV programs. The programs are broadcast on the newspaper's web platform and social networking platforms, attracting millions of followers.
Tuyen Quang Newspaper crew broadcast live the ASEAN International Press Conference in Hanoi.
Currently, the editorial office has applied AI to image processing in print newspapers, graphic design, reading podcast news, creating MC videos to present news and news on electronic newspapers and digital platforms, supporting topic search, creating discussion scripts and other editorial tasks. The application of AI has shortened the time to produce multimedia products, has many suggestions and found rich topics. Electronic newspapers have used tools to collect, process data, evaluate, forecast, monitor, supervise the quality of journalism, analyze user data (Similarweb, Google Analytics) and compare with other newspapers in the region to have solutions to adjust content, develop electronic newspapers according to users' information needs and tastes.
In 2 years (2023, 2024), the Ministry of Information and Communications organized a survey, measurement, and assessment of the maturity level of digital transformation of newspapers. Newspapers were all assessed and confirmed to be at the Good level.
Moving from analog to digital
Since 1997, Tuyen Quang Radio and Television Station has applied nonlinear technology to the production of radio programs (using computers and software to produce and store cassette tapes). For television, before 2005, it was necessary to use huge video tape warehouses to record and edit images. Each time data was transferred for editing, the tape had to be "captured" (recorded) in real time, saved in digital form and put into a computer using software to edit, which took a lot of time.
Later, when technology developed, the station used cameras to record on memory cards in video formats, thereby improving data export and import time and production time. Currently, the station has digitized 100% of the program production process and is one of the top units implementing digitization according to the roadmap nationwide.
Staff of the Electronic Newspaper Department, Tuyen Quang Newspaper produce the program at Studio in 2023.
Previously, the station used analog broadcasting technology (analog signals), the quality of which depended greatly on space, terrain and weather conditions. By 2012, this technology was replaced by satellite broadcasting, marking a step forward in the application of transmission methods to expand coverage. In 2021, with VTV's infrastructure, VTC broadcast digital terrestrial television in the province, along with providing signals for MyTV, FPT, TV360, AVG, VTVgo, NextTv platforms and on the station's own website and app TTVon... In response to the needs of the public, the station has distributed radio and television products on social networking platforms such as Facebook, YouTube...
Comrade Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuyen Quang Newspaper and Radio and Television Station (former Director of Tuyen Quang Radio and Television Station) said that with the modern equipment provided, the human resource factor for operation is the top concern. Although the provincial staff is limited, attracting high-quality human resources in the field of information technology to the agency is very difficult due to unsatisfactory incentive policies.
General Control Room of Tuyen Quang Radio and Television Station.
However, for the recruited IT staff, the Station regularly coordinates to organize training, refresher courses, knowledge updates, and study tours at large, modern stations in the country to improve the staff's qualifications, meeting the need to fully exploit the capabilities of technical equipment.
Double the power
The policy of merging agencies in the province, in which Tuyen Quang Newspaper merges with the provincial Radio and Television Station, will open up great opportunities for development. With all resources concentrated in one place, especially the common data source, now the Newspaper and the provincial Radio and Television Station have a full range of press products with a professional, modern approach, making it more convenient to produce and distribute press products.
Journalist Nguyen Hoang Nhat, Deputy Head of the People's Electronic Department, People's Newspaper, who previously supported technology training for Tuyen Quang Newspaper, commented: "Currently, the hybrid trend is dominating large newsrooms in the world, when a press agency can produce all types of media. In other words, all boundaries are blurred, as stated by the International Media Association INMA.
A live TV broadcast of Tuyen Quang Newspaper in Na Hang district.
Therefore, the trend of merging local press agencies in Vietnam does not deviate from the development trajectory of press agencies in the world. Journalists will witness the collapse of many types of traditional media, such as traditional television (broadcast via analog waves, via cable), traditional radio (AM, FM waves), while the legacies of print newspapers and magazines must find a way to survive on digital platforms. All types of journalism will converge on digital.
With the motto "where the audience and readers are, the press is there", in addition to publishing newspapers in the traditional way, the Provincial Newspaper and Radio and Television Station are continuing to follow the roadmap of converting radio waves to digital format; promoting publishing on social platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube, Zalo to create a stronger spread. After the merger, the Provincial Newspaper and Radio and Television Station are maintaining 6 Facebook accounts (2 main fanpages, 3 satellite fanpages, 1 English fanpage, 2 YouTube channels, 1 Tiktok channel, 1 Zalo channel, 1 Instagram account), of which 2 main fanpages have achieved the blue tick, Tiktok has achieved the silver button, 1 YouTube channel has achieved the gray button...
Digital transformation of Newspapers and Radio and Television Stations is not only a story about technology but also continues to be a revolution in thinking and awareness. Proactively seizing opportunities, overcoming challenges, and effectively applying technology to content production is the inevitable path for Tuyen Quang Newspaper and Radio and Television Station to continue to affirm their role as the main force on the information and propaganda front.
Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/bao-chi-tien-phong-chuyen-doi-so-213690.html
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