Minister Nguyen Manh Hung's "breakthrough reforms"

Referring to the revenue sources of the press as well as increasing the competitiveness of press agencies against cross-border platforms, Central Committee member and Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized the need for breakthrough reforms in the mechanisms for the press, whereby press agencies could be allowed to operate under two parallel mechanisms, both as public service units and as businesses.

Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung. Photo: MIC.GOV

The economic pie of journalism is shrinking. Data from the Press Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) indicates that, whether print, online, or radio and television, media outlets still rely heavily on advertising revenue. While previously advertising revenue accounted for over 60%, and even 90% for some media organizations, a serious decline is occurring in many media outlets, especially print media. Many people have high hopes for online journalism, but while revenue from online journalism is increasing, it will still take time to achieve a more sustainable source of income. However, the reality is that relying solely on advertising will always put media organizations at risk of declining revenue, especially as businesses increasingly seek advertising on social media platforms like Facebook and Google. Meanwhile, figures from the Ministry of Information and Communications also show that social media platforms like Facebook and Google are taking away about 70% of advertising revenue from mainstream newspapers. Many newspapers are advertising products and services provided by cross-border advertising networks (such as Google, Facebook, etc.), causing businesses to continue pouring advertising costs into these platforms, making newspaper revenue increasingly limited. Furthermore, the deliberate and selective re-uploading of content from news organizations by news websites and social media platforms also attracts advertising revenue, shrinking the economic pie for news organizations. In the current context of transitioning to the digital space, newspapers that want to maintain their revolutionary journalistic mission, develop in the right direction, and fulfill their political tasks are facing unprecedented challenges: competing with the enormous amount of information available online; and attracting readers in the face of changing reader behavior due to new journalistic technologies. To guide public opinion and leverage the role of a "mainstream" media outlet in a context of limited resources, the press needs to undergo digital transformation and develop digital media products to implement a new business model, in addition to leveraging the ordering mechanisms of state agencies. Digital transformation in journalism involves using digital technologies to comprehensively change newsroom operations, from human resource management and production to data optimization, publishing processes, and content distribution. This aims to create a multimedia newsroom/media complex that connects conveniently with readers and ensures its pivotal role in guiding information and public opinion. Digital transformation is also linked to the development of the digital economy, diversification of revenue sources, and increased competitiveness of media organizations against cross-border platforms. A report by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) shows that digital transformation is at the center, considered an urgent goal, but also a long-term process, not only to reach a wider audience and create new journalistic products, but also to increase profits. A breakthrough reform of the mechanism for journalism: Recognizing that propaganda is one of the five leadership methods of our Party, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung once again emphasized that journalism is the vanguard and main force of propaganda. Previously, the weapon was paper and pen; now, technology, mainly digital technology , is added. Previously, news agencies wrote articles; now, news agencies create digital platforms for many people to participate in writing articles. And the digital platform is technology. According to the Minister of Information and Communications, unlike the past when only newspapers wrote articles, today everyone is writing online. Therefore, the press needs technological tools to assess information trends and public sentiment online in order to write articles that shape public opinion. And that is also technology. A press agency considered to have undergone digital transformation must allocate up to 30% of its costs, both investment and operating expenses, to technology. In terms of human resources, 30% should also be tech professionals. Recently, the budget allocated to press investment has been very modest (0.22% of total state investment), and even after the Digital Transformation Strategy for the Press was introduced, this investment has not increased. The Ministry of Information and Communications has proposed to the Government and the Prime Minister to direct press agencies to invest in digital technology to modernize their press agencies. One of the major advantages for digital transformation and modernization of digital technology in the press is the existence of many strong and excellent digital technology companies; when investment budgets are available, they can be assigned the task of implementing digital transformation for the press. According to Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, a press agency is both a public service unit and a business enterprise. As a public service unit, it carries out the propaganda tasks of the Party and the State, providing information services as a public service; therefore, it needs investment, assignments, and commissions from the Party and the State. However, press agencies now have to compete with digital platforms, attract high-quality journalists and media professionals from the market, and accept market mechanisms. Therefore, press agencies must also operate like businesses. A breakthrough reform in the mechanism for the press is to allow press agencies to operate under two parallel mechanisms: as both a public service unit and a business enterprise. "The press is a business for the purpose of journalism, not for profit," the Minister of Information and Communications emphasized.

According to the Digital Transformation Strategy for Journalism until 2025, the goal by 2030 is for 100% of media outlets to upload content to digital platforms (prioritizing domestic platforms). 90% of media outlets will utilize centralized data analytics and processing platforms, applying artificial intelligence to optimize operations. The strategy also aims for 100% of media outlets to operate a converged newsroom model and other models aligned with the development of advanced science and technology worldwide, producing content according to digital journalism trends. Media outlets will optimize revenue, with 50% increasing their revenue by at least 20%.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/xa-hoi/cai-cach-dot-pha-cua-bo-truong-nguyen-manh-hung-1380168.ldo