Digital transformation: A strategic investment for press agencies

Implementing the Prime Minister's Strategy for Digital Transformation of the Press to 2025, with a vision to 2030, with the approval of the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Press Department coordinated with the Post and Telecommunications Training Center (Post and Telecommunications Technology Academy) to organize a training course on the Press Digital Transformation Model for press agencies across the country.

The training course took place over two days, November 24-25, in person at the main location (Post and Telecommunications Institute of Technology Hall) and 200 online locations with more than 2,000 participants.

Digital Transformation: Comprehensive Restructuring

In recent years, digital transformation has become a mainstream trend, strongly impacting all areas of social life, in which journalism is one of the areas most directly and deeply affected.

Director of the Press Department Luu Dinh Phuc delivered the opening speech. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Press Department Luu Dinh Phuc said that the Vietnamese press is facing the need to strongly innovate the editorial organization model, working methods, production processes, content management and reader approach strategy. Therefore, equipping reporters and editors with knowledge, skills and thinking about effective digital transformation models has become an urgent requirement, not only to meet practical requirements but also to ensure the sustainable development of press agencies in the digital age.

According to Director Luu Dinh Phuc, digital transformation of journalism is not simply the application of new technologies to the journalism process. It is a comprehensive restructuring process, combining innovation in management thinking with innovation in content creation methods, between technology application and data optimization, between improving the quality of journalism products and expanding the digital journalism economic model.

Mr. Phuc emphasized that the decisive factor for the success of this process is the team of reporters and editors - the people who directly create and disseminate information to the public.

Therefore, equipping oneself with knowledge about the digital transformation model of journalism is not only an investment in the personal capacity of journalists but also a strategic investment in the development of press agencies.

Lecturers and reporters at the training class. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

The change in readers’ information consumption habits today places new demands on journalists. Readers are shifting to consuming information mainly through the digital environment; they expect content to be faster, more accurate, more vivid and presented in a variety of rich formats such as multimedia articles, short videos , podcasts or interactive graphics. This requires reporters to master the skills of using digital platforms, understand the role of reader data analysis, know how to adjust content to suit each distribution channel and optimize the reader experience.

In addition, digital transformation creates a completely new competitive environment. Press agencies compete not only with each other, but also with social networks, cross-border platforms and user-generated content.

To maintain the identity, prestige and position of mainstream journalism, each reporter needs to be equipped with thorough knowledge of the organizational model of a converged newsroom, a digital newsroom, a production process according to the digital lifecycle, as well as new skills in creating multi-platform adaptive content. This is the key condition to help Vietnamese journalism improve its competitiveness and develop in the context of comprehensive digital media.

Scene of the training class. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

“The training programs on digital transformation of journalism that the Press Department coordinates to organize are of special importance. This is an opportunity for journalists to directly and systematically access knowledge on effective digital transformation models of journalism, trends in digital journalism development in the world, as well as practical experience from leading domestic press agencies,” Mr. Luu Dinh Phuc emphasized.

The Director of the Press Department affirmed that equipping knowledge about effective digital transformation models for press is an important foundation for the Vietnamese press to successfully implement the digital transformation strategy until 2025, with a vision to 2030. This is also a key factor to help press agencies improve content quality, innovate governance models, strengthen competitiveness and better serve the increasing needs of the public.

Equip yourself with a new mindset about digital transformation

Through specialized topics, students will be equipped with new thinking about content production organization, skills in using technology to support operations, better understanding of reader data analysis, digital journalism economic models and methods of implementing digital transformation suitable to the conditions of each unit.

Ms. Hoang Thi Bich Hanh, Deputy Director of the National Digital Media Data Depository Center, permanent member of the Press Digital Transformation Support Center, Press Department, spoke. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

According to Ms. Hoang Thi Bich Hanh, Deputy Director of the National Digital Media Data Depository Center, permanent member of the Press Digital Transformation Support Center, Press Department, the training course is expected to bring useful knowledge and valuable experience to help press agencies across the country choose the right direction, effective models and feasible solutions in the process of implementing digital transformation at their units. Thereby, contributing to improving the quality of information and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese press in the current digital media environment.

This year's training course brings together a team of lecturers and experts with extensive experience in the fields of journalism, digital media and technology, with 7 topics: "Converged and multi-platform newsroom thinking" (journalist Tran Tien Duan, Editor-in-Chief of VietnamPlus Electronic Newspaper, Vietnam News Agency); "Digital transformation in the context of modern journalism" (Mr. Bui Cong Duyen, Director of ONECMS Converged Newsroom Products); "Strategy for approaching and retaining digital readers" (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of VnExpress Newspaper Nguyen Thu Huong); "Multimedia content production skills" (Master Vu The Cuong, lecturer of the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Academy of Journalism and Communication); "Artificial Intelligence (AI) for journalists" (Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nhat, Deputy Head of Nhan Dan Electronic Department, Nhan Dan Newspaper); "Newsroom 2.0 - From Newsroom to Storyroom with TikTok" (Mr. Luu Dang Hai, Strategic Partnership Manager, TikTok Southeast Asia); “Copyright protection and anti-plagiarism in digital journalism” (Dr. Mach Le Thu, lecturer at the Institute of Politics and International Relations, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics).

Journalist Tran Tien Duan, Editor-in-Chief of VietnamPlus Electronic Newspaper, Vietnam News Agency, presents the first special topic. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

Presenting the first topic in the program, journalist Tran Tien Duan clearly stated the concepts of convergent and multi-platform newsrooms, the values they bring, the context of digital transformation at press agencies in general, shared the multi-platform press model at VietnamPlus Electronic Newspaper and presented some experiences and solutions to implement convergent and multi-platform newsrooms.

Accordingly, journalist Tran Tien Duan believes that in order to produce and distribute on multiple platforms (web, phone, radio, television, social networks), journalists must "think differently, do differently." The Editorial Board must be the pioneer in transformation and the press agency's leadership must be the first to change, before reporters and editors.

“The editorial leadership must have a multi-media, multi-platform mindset right from the planning stage, and must clearly define how to tell the same story on different platforms: Radio, television, and digital environment,” said Mr. Tran Tien Duan.

Regarding specific solutions, Mr. Tran Tien Duan said that press agencies need to allocate resources and appropriate production processes for each output platform. Journalists must also become multi-talented, able to undertake many tasks at the scene and at events: Writing, filming, recording, editing, and posting content on social networks.

Throughout the training program, practical experiences from press agencies that have achieved good results in digital transformation will help trainees draw lessons and methods to apply right at their agencies. This is also an opportunity for reporters and editors to exchange, share difficulties, discuss solutions and connect with experts, creating an important foundation for implementing digital transformation in practice./.