The press industry has been and is facing a historic crossroads, with a wave of comprehensive restructuring such as ending operations, merging, streamlining, digital transformation and financial autonomy... to develop sustainably, as well as improve competitiveness on the information front.
Furthermore, the context of integration and digitalization requires the industry to have new multimedia model orientations that can meet information and communication requirements, not only ensuring a mechanism for sustainable press development, but also accompanying the development of all socio -economic sectors of the country.
The role of the "spam" gatekeeper
Cases of false advertising, lack of verification, and spreading fake news on social networks... are causing deep damage to the economy and could become a "national disaster."
Along with that, in the digital age, there is an increasing amount of "mixed truth and falsehood" news, unverified but spreading at a "dizzying" speed, easily sowing panic, contributing to amplifying the multimedia crisis.
According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Advertising Association, young Vietnamese people spend an average of 7 hours a day on social networks, with one of the top purposes being to search for and update current news. But not all information on the internet is reliable.
Livestreaming sales on the Tik Tok platform. (Photo: Tran Viet/VNA)
Speaking to VNA reporters, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Advertising Association Nguyen Thanh Dao shared that the press needs to play an independent verification role, not follow sensational news, and coordinate with professional agencies to disseminate correct and accurate information.
In addition, to effectively carry out the mission of "gatekeeping" and leading public opinion, press agencies must first strictly adhere to professional ethics, participate in perfecting institutions in the advertising field, and encourage businesses to work with authorities to proactively build a set of principles for handling media crises.
On this basis, press agencies contribute to solving weaknesses in media content control or lack of synchronization in the legal system and digital media supervision.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Nham, Director and Editor-in-Chief of Binh Phuoc Radio-Television and Newspaper, the model of merging newspapers and radio stations has been operated by this province for many years, and at the same time requires journalists to learn new skills to meet the requirements of creating products for many platforms, from print newspapers, radio, television... to electronic newspapers, digital media...
To solve the problem of improving the quality and efficiency of multimedia models, Binh Phuoc Radio and Television Station and Newspaper have chosen a specific approach, aiming to optimize resources, which is for field reporters to collect enough "raw materials" to serve the products for all four types. Next, field reporters send them to editors at the editorial office for "processing" to ensure the speed and output of news articles to the public.
Quang Ngai Newspaper inaugurated and put into use the multimedia convergence editorial office and studio. (Photo: Pham Cuong/VNA)
In the current context requiring comprehensive restructuring of the press industry, newspaper-media mergers are not only mechanical in form, but also need to clearly demonstrate operational efficiency, meeting the requirements of the times.
Along with that, the pressure of competition, digital transformation and financial autonomy, the renaming of a press agency should be seen as part of the repositioning strategy but should not be considered as everything. More importantly, the press agency must innovate its journalism thinking, the way of organizing content production and operating the team in a converged model.
Sharing the same view, journalist Mai Ngoc Phuoc, Editor-in-Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper, said that we should not worry about what name to give to the unit after the reorganization. The issue that needs to be concerned is that after the reorganization, the press agency must operate more strongly according to the policy, taking advantage of all facilities and human resources to develop after the merger.
On the positive side, the current process of integration, merger and digital transformation puts a lot of pressure on journalists, reporters, editors... to be more proactive and multi-task, with writing, photography, filming...
In addition, journalism can apply technology but must not depend on technology, because it cannot help writers express emotions, positions, and opinions in articles.
Economic Mechanism for Multimedia Journalism
Representatives of some other press agencies said that, with the function of a public service unit, the press agency has "two roles": operating as a business in a fiercely competitive environment with other social media, and carrying out political tasks. Therefore, the urgent issue now requires the legal corridor and policy mechanism to have new regulations to help press agencies become autonomous, especially in the financial field.
The revised Press Law must clearly state the name of the operating model, the mechanism to facilitate the operation of press agencies, media groups, media corporations... including taxes, income...
Along with that, the press agencies themselves need to boldly train local human resources, build better operating structures, expand new press economic activities such as organizing events, digital media... to improve their autonomy; and local authorities support press agencies in training human resources and supporting digital transformation.
With the Vietnam News Daily application on smartphones, readers can access Vietnam News anywhere, anytime. (Photo: VNA)
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Quang, Acting Director of Binh Duong Radio and Television Station, analyzed that in the period of 2023-2024, Binh Duong Radio and Television Station had to find every way to manage and ensure the lives of journalists and workers in the agency.
The practical challenges in this period show that press agencies must have a clear orientation to develop the press economy in order to stabilize their operations.
In recent times, many press agencies have stepped up the implementation of ordering mechanisms, increased event organization, invited sponsorship, diversified advertising revenue sources, developed revenue sources from Youtube channels, Tiktok and other social networking platforms based on digital transformation, as well as the converged newsroom model.
Meanwhile, in order to solve the problem of press economics, journalist To Dinh Tuan, Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, pointed out that what remains in the hearts of readers the longest is what the press agency has contributed to the social community and the country.
Along with mutually beneficial service activities, contributing to solving current issues, policy communication, economic forums... Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper also implements many non-profit programs, without charging fees, or sharing whatever is collected with the community.
“For the press to survive and develop, it must have a comprehensive development strategy, with detailed parts in the overall plan, especially investment in people and technology is key for the press to keep up with the times, even though it requires a large amount of funding. The issue of digital transformation has been discussed by the Editorial Board of Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper since 2021 and it has been agreed that there will be steps to apply technology. From there, the newspaper has launched a column for VIP readers, brought voice to the online newspaper, applied new technologies..., and has so far built 20 social media channels, which are also initial successes to continue promoting digital transformation in the coming time,” emphasized journalist To Dinh Tuan.
Regarding the issue of press economic development, experts say that as a traditional press agency, political tasks are top priority but at the same time must ensure the livelihood of staff, reporters, editors, and employees, while economic activities must not dominate or interfere with the agency's political tasks.
To do this requires the Board of Directors and Editorial Boards of press agencies to supervise and be impartial in order to promote digital platform integration and accompany the country's socio-economic development./.
(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)
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