Inspiring journalism for a new era

These days, the press across the country is solemnly celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press. Up to now, no other sector or field in the country has celebrated its 100th anniversary, except for the revolutionary press. The Vietnamese press is also honored to have outstanding journalists who are also famous revolutionary leaders of the country such as Nguyen Ai Quoc, Truong Chinh (Song Hong), Vo Nguyen Giap, Nguyen Van Linh, Nguyen Phu Trong... The 100th anniversary of the revolutionary press is also an opportunity for the press across the country and society to reflect and more deeply recognize the important role of the press in the revolutionary cause of the nation. From the period of fighting for power, fighting for independence, national unification, innovation, opening up, integration and development, the press has always accompanied the country, the nation and the People, contributing to creating historic achievements. Information in the press is an indispensable food of any society, the press connects people, society, culture, and promotes progress.

Báo điện tử VOV•15/06/2025

The historic revolution in national governance and reorganization that we are witnessing is also recording the proactiveness and pioneering role of the press, creating strong consensus among the whole society with the major policies of the Party and the State. With great historical responsibility for the country, the 13th National Congress has set ambitious development goals towards the milestone of 100 years of the Party's founding and 100 years of the country's founding: By 2030, Vietnam will be a developing country with modern industry and high average income; by 2045, it will become a developed country with high income. To do so, Vietnam must carry out extensive innovation in the model and method of national governance, in order to maximize resources and effectively exploit all potentials for development.

To realize that aspiration, the Government has set an economic growth target of over 8% by 2025, creating a solid foundation, momentum and confidence for a breakthrough development period with a double-digit growth rate in the following years. In that context, the transformation from the administrative-subsidized state management model to a modern, effective, transparent national governance model, aiming to better serve the people and businesses is an inevitable requirement to adapt to the development trend, meet the requirements of the country's industrialization, modernization and increasingly deep international integration. The drastic implementation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017, promulgating the "four strategic resolutions" is a vivid manifestation of the fundamental innovation of national governance methods to achieve high growth rates, realizing 100-year dreams.

To meet the requirements of national development in the new period, the innovation of national governance needs to be carried out comprehensively and synchronously. First of all, it is necessary to perfect the institution in the direction of modernity, transparency and efficiency. Along with that, it is necessary to innovate the organization and operation methods of the state apparatus, strongly apply science and technology and promote digital transformation in management and administration. At the same time, it is necessary to focus on improving the quality of cadres, civil servants and public employees; promote the role and participation of people and society in the process of policy making and implementation. Decentralization and delegation of power must also be carried out reasonably, along with effective inspection and supervision mechanisms. In particular, national governance needs to be closely linked with the international integration process, ensuring flexibility, proactiveness and adaptation in the volatile global context.

The press is part of the flow of innovation that is taking place strongly on the national, sectoral and local levels.

With a revolutionary nature and sensitivity to current events, Vietnamese press agencies have not only predicted and kept up with the country's strong changes. Hundreds of thousands of articles, radio and television programs have contributed to inspiring development and encouraging the spirit of innovation and creativity; spreading positive spirit, nurturing national aspirations, contributing to creating a new mindset in the whole society. From the directive statements of General Secretary To Lam , key leaders, the press has been spreading the message: It is time for Vietnam to not delay but to take advantage of every opportunity, liberate all resources, break down all barriers to rise up.

Overcoming difficulties and challenges in life and work, reporters, editors, technicians, and journalists are silently contributing and devoting themselves to serving the public. Like many generations of predecessors, true journalists are writing new glorious pages. Some negative phenomena occurring in the journalism industry may be sad and worth pondering, but they can never overwhelm the revolutionary nature and spirit of dedication of Vietnamese journalism.

In a chaotic, ambiguous, uncertain world, where old values and orders are collapsing or being rewritten, Vietnam is still able to plan out systematic and decisive reforms. What is happening in the country through the mirror of the press is contributing to creating great confidence and determination in society.

However, facing the fierce impact of digital transformation and the explosion of social networking platforms, Vietnamese journalism is facing unprecedented difficulties and challenges. It is the collapse of traditional economic models to finance journalism operations. It is the influence of fake news, unverified news, and news from world newspapers that are instantly Vietnamized and flooding cyberspace; new forms of media are at risk of overwhelming the mainstream information flow. Artificial intelligence and digital technology are developing at a super-fast pace, negatively impacting traditional journalism operating models.

Innovation, digital transformation or falling behind are the biggest challenges facing press agencies. It can be said that the “four strategic resolutions” of the Politburo represent breakthrough ideas on national governance, which are also the direction for press innovation.

Press innovation needs to be understood as comprehensive innovation, including both within press agencies and in press management methods. Innovation in internal organization and management models, innovation in content production and distribution methods, innovation in financial mechanisms and press economic management. Press agencies need to shift from administrative management models to modern management models, increasing professionalism, transparency and efficiency in operations. In the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, innovation and digital transformation need to be considered the top priorities of the press today.

For a long time, all social activities have moved to the digital environment and digital space. The rapid development of the situation requires considering the digital space as the top choice and priority of the press. The information content of all press agencies must be digitized and present in the digital environment, finding the shortest and fastest paths to reach the public. It is necessary to quickly apply digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI) in personalizing content, exploiting big data (Big Data) to grasp public opinion trends and adjust the way of reporting.

However, digital transformation is not an easy process without the determination to change. Resolution 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Central Executive Committee has created a major shift in the press sector, especially in the planning and rearrangement of press agencies towards streamlining, professionalism, and modernity, creating a premise for improving the quality and efficiency of operations. In addition, the amendment of the Press Law is being raised to meet the requirements of development in the new context, especially in the digital age and deep integration. The Press Law (amended) needs to clarify the role and functions of the press in the digital media environment; Supplement regulations on press activities in cyberspace, multimedia press, integration of Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI); Create a favorable legal basis for the formation of professional, modern, multi-lingual, multimedia, key media groups capable of influencing mainstream information flows.

The new era is also the period when Vietnam proactively integrates more comprehensively and deeply into international life, and there is a great need for strong press groups of equal stature, both at the central and regional levels, operating in many different languages to connect Vietnam with the world. The Vietnamese press is revolutionary press, and press policies and management mechanisms need to continue to innovate, aiming for healthy development, preserving and promoting the revolutionary nature of the press. In the 100-year journey full of challenges but also full of glory, President Ho Chi Minh's advice remains intact, becoming a guideline for all press activities: "The task of the press is to serve the people, serve the revolution". No matter how profoundly and unpredictably the world and its operating space change, as long as it maintains its revolutionary nature and constantly innovates to adapt to the times, the Vietnamese revolutionary press will always be a vanguard force on the ideological and cultural front, contributing to bringing the country to higher development goals in the new era.