Leading the trend of creating new generation media products

Technology-integrated journalism is a popular model in newsrooms around the world in the digital age. Digital transformation of journalism means putting technology at the center of the development strategy, using technology to create attractive content, conquer new reader groups, distribute content more effectively, and generate larger revenue.

Digital transformation starts with the core values of journalism

In the world, The New York Times is one of the newspapers that used to have a huge number of printed copies published every day. Although more than 2/3 of its revenue comes from printed newspapers, The New York Times still decided that digital transformation is an important development strategy in the future. With the fundamental strength of the unlimited content treasure of the editorial office combined with modern technology in the production and distribution of press products, The New York Times pioneered digital transformation with core values.

In Vietnam, press agencies have made strong changes in their digital transformation roadmap. Even local newspapers have made remarkable changes in building a converged newsroom model, strongly applying technology to content production activities, management systems, and multi-platform distribution.

At Nhan Dan Newspaper , the experiments and initial steps to "touch" technology applications and digital transformation were implemented in the early years of the 21st century. During this period, under the direction of the newspaper's leaders, the preparation of personnel and the organization of content and form improvements for the electronic publication Nhan Dan were carried out, along with the birth of the electronic windows Nhan Dan monthly, Nhan Dan weekend, Thoi Nay. Journalistic works with the integration of multiple genres and increased interaction were invested in more elaborately and systematically, attracting the attention of readers, becoming a good premise for future creative breakthroughs.

Delegates visit the Electronic People's Convergence Editorial Office.

The bustling working atmosphere at the editorial office of Nhan Dan Electronic Newspaper. Photo: Thanh Dat.

In 2021, Nhan Dan Newspaper has developed a digital transformation plan with a roadmap to develop into a key multimedia media agency. The daily printed Nhan Dan Newspaper has been and remains the most important product of the editorial office. However, facing the increasingly large digital generation, Nhan Dan Newspaper also has a new approach strategy to ensure effective policy propaganda and information orientation in society. Accordingly, the newspaper accelerates the multi-platform strategy and digital-first trend. Information is prioritized on electronic newspapers, information appears wherever there are readers and proactively brings news to readers instead of the traditional approach of readers coming to information.

Nhan Dan Newspaper cooperates with partners to develop tools to measure and analyze behavioral data and reader needs, to help the editorial office provide information that meets readers' needs, optimize readers' time on site and pageviews; apply technology, use free tools such as Flourish, Infogram... in the production process of visual products and data.

In particular, Nhan Dan Newspaper has cooperated with international partners to bring the Shorthand tool into the production of E-magazine and longform articles. Nhan Dan Newspaper also promotes the development of Nhan Dan Newspaper fanpage on social networks Facebook, YouTube, TikTok... With the criteria of standard content, speed, attractive stories, and modern presentation, every day Nhan Dan Newspaper fanpage distributes hundreds of high-quality products of Nhan Dan Newspaper publications... with presentation templates suitable for each content. Nhan Dan Fanpage has a fairly high reader reach (reached) and interaction (like, share, comment) index compared to fanpages of many press agencies. Nhan Dan Newspaper's YouTube channel continuously updates information and has more than 3.5 million subscribers. Nhan Dan Newspaper ranks 7th in the Top 10 Central press agencies with excellent digital transformation in 2024.

Tools, technology applications, content distribution platforms used by Nhan Dan Newspaper

Expanding multimedia platforms contributes to shaping public opinion

In the digital transformation effort, over the past time, Nhan Dan Newspaper has built many special information pages, combining official and reliable information with technology and creative ideas, to vividly and attractively propagate the policies of the Party and State.

On October 26, 2021, for the first time, Nhan Dan Newspaper launched a special information page, which was elaborately implemented with the combination of many types of journalism, aiming to develop theories on Party building. The special information page "Theory, practice and the path to socialism in Vietnam" at http://cnxh.nhandan.vn helps to widely disseminate on the internet the core contents of the article "Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam" by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the enthusiastic opinions of cadres, party members, people nationwide, scholars, and international friends. This information page won the prize for creative communication products on Party building at the 2021 Golden Hammer and Sickle Award.

Special Information Page “Theory, practice and the path to socialism in Vietnam”.

Special information page Ho Chi Minh and the ideology of "taking people as the root".

On the occasion of the 132nd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday, on May 19, 2022, Nhan Dan Newspaper launched a special information page on Ho Chi Minh and the ideology of "taking the people as the root", at http://hochiminh.nhandan.vn . Based on modern technology, with a solemn and intuitive design, the information page has digitized a special archive of more than 1,000 articles by President Ho Chi Minh published in Nhan Dan Newspaper from 1951 to 1969; at the same time, helping readers to authentically experience articles of historical value from more than half a century ago. In 2023, Nhan Dan Newspaper continues to launch a special page "General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh and Things to Do Immediately", on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the death of comrade Nguyen Van Linh (April 27, 1998 - April 27, 2023). Based on modern technology, with a solemn and intuitive design, the Information Page is a valuable reference and reference document on a digital platform for cadres, party members, the masses, experts and international friends about General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh, while creating a spreading effect of the vitality of "Things to do immediately" in the current period.

Special page "General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh and Things to Do Immediately".

With the slogan “Every question has an answer”, In-depth knowledge is a special product of Nhan Dan Newspaper, leading the trend of data journalism to provide general knowledge, authentic and in-depth information with elaborate, multimedia and attractive presentation. Nhan Dan Newspaper has built more than 200 In-depth knowledge contents classified into 5 groups: events, issues, characters, places, organizations. In-depth knowledge is a product that is highly appreciated by readers and colleagues on Nhan Dan Newspaper's interactive channels and social networks.

In-depth knowledge.

In 2022, the Politburo issued six new Resolutions on socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in six regions until 2030, with a vision to 2045. In order to effectively disseminate and soon put the Resolution of the Politburo into practice, Nhan Dan Newspaper is the first press agency in the country to pioneer the publication of separate specialized supplements and sections on six socio-economic regions. On Nhan Dan Online Newspaper, there are specialized pages on the Northern Midlands and Mountains; Mekong Delta; Central Highlands; Southeast; North Central and Central Coast; and Red River Delta, which are built with multimedia and apply science and technology to facilitate searching. The launch of separate specialized supplements and sections on six socio-economic regions is considered a bold step, clearly demonstrating the leading orientation of the Party's mouthpiece.

Special effects from media of major political events

Recognizing the responsibility of the leading Party newspaper of the Vietnamese revolutionary press in propagating important political events of the country, Nhan Dan Newspaper continues to create many new media products with strong influence, combining traditional print newspapers with technology platforms to create new experiences, serving and attracting a large number of readers, especially readers who prefer digital technology platforms.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024), Nhan Dan Newspaper organized a Special Information Session, starting with the launch of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign electronic page. This is the first time the Dien Bien Phu Campaign has been presented from the perspective of the Campaign Diary in a comprehensive, easy-to-understand and vivid way. The highlight of the Special Information Session on the Dien Bien Phu victory is the daily supplement of Nhan Dan Newspaper on May 7, 2024, including 4 pages summarizing the progress of the 56 days and nights of the campaign in diary form in Vietnamese and English and 4 pages printing the entire panorama of the "Dien Bien Phu Campaign" with more than 4,500 characters currently on display at the Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum. Readers can cut out newspaper pages and combine them into a panorama of “Dien Bien Phu Campaign” measuring 3.21m long - a record for printed newspaper products - and then hang them in their living rooms, public places or take photos to check-in on social networks with the hashtag #chienthangdienbienphu #billboard

Special page "Dien Bien Phu Campaign"

Along with special press products, Nhan Dan Newspaper also organized an interactive exhibition of panorama paintings "Dien Bien Phu Campaign". The exhibition opened on May 6, 2024 at two locations: Nhan Dan Newspaper Headquarters - 71 Hang Trong, Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum, Dien Bien Phu City, Dien Bien Province. Visitors can admire the panorama painting surrounding a circle with a diameter of 5.5 meters, a height of more than 3 meters and experience augmented reality technology with a 360-degree panorama model. Many schools have used Nhan Dan Newspaper's panorama supplement as a resource for studying history...

Interactive Panorama painting exhibition celebrating the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory.

Five months after creating a domestic fever, on October 8, 2024, in Vienna (Austria), the panorama supplement "Dien Bien Phu Campaign" of Nhan Dan Newspaper was honored at the Innovation and Sustainable Development Award for Print Newspapers in the category of Best Product for Young Readers. The Jury assessed the uniqueness and creativity of the panorama supplement "Dien Bien Phu Campaign" as "an example of world-class print newspaper innovation". In November 2024, the Dien Bien Phu Victory 70th Anniversary Propaganda Campaign of Nhan Dan Newspaper was awarded the Gold Prize in the category of Best in Newspaper Marketing within the framework of the 2024 Asian Media Awards organized by WAN-IFRA.

Editor-in-Chief Le Quoc Minh, representative of Nhan Dan Newspaper, received the souvenir cup at the award ceremony. Photo: WAN-IFRA

Conveying history in a new and creative way, connecting the young generation with the country's history, Nhan Dan Newspaper continues to have unique information pages and supplements such as "Hanoi Flagpole" on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2024), the supplement "Famous battles, talented generals" on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2024)...

Hanoi Flag Tower.

In April this year, the headquarters of Nhan Dan Newspaper, 71 Hang Trong, Hanoi, witnessed an unprecedented scene when thousands of readers lined up for kilometers to visit the interactive exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025) and received a special 8-page supplement, attractively designed, with one side showing important milestones of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the other side being a campaign model. Readers scanned the QR code for an intuitive, impressive experience. More than 500,000 copies of the supplement from social sources reached readers in 63 provinces and cities nationwide, creating a wave of "hunting" for Nhan Dan Newspaper supplements on social networks.

This is also the first time a large-scale exhibition has been held at the Nhan Dan Newspaper office, facing Hoan Kiem Lake, to create conditions for a large number of people and tourists to easily access the special products of Nhan Dan Newspaper. Many young people were very excited to enter the field tent model to watch a 3D image projection recreating the historical moment of the nation 50 years ago on the sand table which is the supplement pages. About 160,000 people came to the interactive exhibition, spreading patriotism and national pride.

To celebrate the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025), Nhan Dan Newspaper launched a special information and propaganda campaign on publications and digital platforms, with the highlight being the special Nhan Dan Weekend publication No. 1890. The newspaper offers readers two special supplement pages with images of Uncle Ho reading Nhan Dan Newspaper and his immortal sayings, along with QR codes connecting to the best and most touching songs about Uncle Ho, and pages of profound and vivid information about Ho Chi Minh's life and ideology on Nhan Dan Newspaper's platforms. At the same time, the newspaper organized a special exhibition "Brightening His Name" in which the features and advantages of technology and artificial intelligence were fully exploited to attract young audiences...

To attract readers in the current digital age, we must maintain high-quality content, professional style, and the newspaper's distinction in the sea of information. And to be different, there is no other way than to constantly innovate and apply technology. Dare to think and act boldly to make breakthroughs, meet the increasing demands of readers, improve communication effectiveness, and guide public opinion.

The way readers consume and interact with news is changing. Accordingly, the boundaries between journalism genres are being blurred, replaced by new media journalism products and projects.